Finally joined HSBC Premier — feels like an underrated travel card ecosystem in India 🇮🇳✈️
After using the ICICI Emeralde Private metal card for a while, I decided to add HSBC Premier to my setup — and honestly, I think this card deserves way more attention in the Indian credit card space.
A few reasons why I pulled the trigger:
Why HSBC Premier made sense for me
- Since I already have my salary account with HSBC Premier, the annual fee becomes waived from next year onwards.
- First-year fee is ₹12,000 + GST, but it comes with 20,000 reward points, which already offsets a major chunk of the fee.
- Reward points have some surprisingly good transfer partners and redemption options.
What impressed me the most 👀
1. Strong transfer partner ecosystem
The 1:1 transfer ratios are actually pretty solid.
Airline partners include:
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- British Airways
- Etihad Guest
- Flying Blue
Hotel partners:
- Accor Live Limitless
- Marriott Bonvoy
- IHG
- Wyndham
The Accor conversion especially looks valuable for hotel stays.
- Travel-focused benefits
The card is clearly designed around travel + premium banking.
Some standout benefits:
- Unlimited lounge access
- Guest lounge access
- Low forex markup (~0.99%)
- Travel benefits and concierge support
- International banking ecosystem
As someone who travels a decent amount now, these things matter more than simple cashback.
- Reward earning potential
- 3 points per ₹100 on regular spends
- Higher multipliers on flights/hotels through their platform
- Points don’t expire
Not claiming it’s the absolute best card in India, but the overall package feels very balanced if you value:
- travel,
- global banking,
- transfer partners,
- and long-term usability.
First impressions
The onboarding and packaging experience were honestly excellent.
The matte black card design also looks super clean in person 😄
Feels like moving from pure cashback optimization → to actually optimizing for travel and experiences.
Would love to hear from existing HSBC Premier users:
- How has your redemption experience been?
- Best use cases you’ve found?
- Any hidden benefits/tips I should know about?
If anyone has questions about eligibility, salary account requirements, fee waivers, or the onboarding process for HSBC Premier, feel free to ask — happy to help from my experience 🙌