HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard is a new no-fee travel reward card from HSBC.
The card is an excellent option for those who travel often and want to earn rewards for their travel expenses. Its annual fee is $0, which means you can use it without additional costs. Plus, it comes with a generous ongoing rewards rate of 3X points on every dollar spent on eligible travel purchases (and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases).
Here is everything you need to know about the HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard. Check it out!
Key Card Details
- No annual fee
- Earn 25,000 points special bonus (offer valid till Oct. 31, 2022)
- Earn 3x HSBC Rewards points on travel expenses
- Travel benefits
- Apply through this secure link for a $100 Cash Back Rebate (Cash Back Boost ends 30th June)
HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard Benefits
1. No annual fee
The card comes with no annual fee, making it an attractive option for people who want to earn rewards without paying a fee.
2. Generous welcome bonus
The HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard has one of the best sign-up bonuses among travel rewards cards without an annual fee. You’ll earn 25,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in the first 180 days. That’s $125 in travel value. And if you’re a frequent traveler who wants more flexibility in how you earn points, this may be better than the TD Rewards Visa Card.
3. Travel insurance
In addition to the generous welcome bonus and exciting earn rates, the HSBC Travel Rewards Card also offers some travel insurance benefits, including:
- Hotel/motel reimbursement of up to $1,000 per person;
- Trip Interruption reimbursement up to a maximum of $1,500 per insured person to a maximum of $5,000 per trip;
- Baggage delay insurance of up to $100 per day, up to a maximum of three days, for the purchase of necessities if your checked baggage is delayed by the airline for six hours or more en route to your destination;
- purchase protection against theft or damage of items purchased with your card up to 90 days from the purchase date;
- and extended warranty protection for items purchased with your card for up to one year from the date of purchase.
To enjoy these travel benefits, you must charge your travel expenses to your HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard.
HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard Downsides
The biggest drawback of this card is that you’ll only earn the 3x boosted reward rate per $1 spent on travel on your first $6,000 in annual purchases. After that, you’ll earn 1 point per $1 spent on travel. It’s fine if you’re not planning to spend more than that. Otherwise, you’ll start losing rewards.
Also, the card charges a 2.5% foreign transaction fee on your spending abroad. So, you’ll need to sign up for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard if you want an HSBC card with no fx fee.
Earning rewards with the HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard
Credit card rewards are the best feature of using a credit card. Different cards come with different rewards, which vary from cash back, airline miles, and hotel points.
New cardholders who apply before October 31, 2022, will earn 25,000 points upon spending $1,000 in the first 180 days as a welcome bonus.
You’ll earn rewards on everyday spending as follows:
- 3 points for every dollar spent on travel
- 2 points for every dollar spent on gas and transit
- And 1 point per $1 spent on every other purchase
In conclusion
While this card doesn’t offer any introductory bonuses, it does offer a signup bonus that’s easy to earn.
Another good thing about this card is that it has no minimum income requirement. So, any Canadian with a good credit score can sign up.
However, it is important to keep in mind that this card has somewhat higher interest rates and a lower value of rewards points than most other cards.