Base earn
1.5% base cashback
HSBC VISA
Live+
Should you get this?
Strong fit
Why this card
- Forex markup is low at 1.99%.
- 10% on eligible dining, food delivery, grocery, and utilities
- 10% cashback on eligible Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping, and Utilities, subject to caps.
Trade-off
The annual fee (₹999) is waived only when eligible annual spend exceeds ₹2,00,000.
Annual fee ₹999 per year
Base cashback 1.5%
Lounge access 2 domestic + 1 international visits / year
Forex markup 1.99% low
Compare with HDFC Bank Tata Neu Infinity RuPay →
Similar tier comparison
What it costs to get, and to keep
Joining vs renewalFirst year
₹999joining fee
From year 2
₹999renewal fee
Waived above ₹2,00,000 eligible annual spend
Welcome offer
Cashback and voucher welcome stack
HSBC India Mobile Banking app · Amazon · Activation voucher
Qualification and fulfilment conditions apply
Rewards
Earning rules
Detail · from the summary aboveScopeRateEligibilityLimit
Domestic spend1.5%additional conditions apply — not fully modelledDoes not earn on —
- b2b
- cash forex crypto
- education government
- fuel
- gambling
- insurance
- jewellery
- misc
- rent property
- tolls
- wallet
Dining10%—₹1,200 per month — shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities
Food delivery10%—Shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities
Grocery10%—Shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities
Show all 6 earning rules (2 more)
Shopping10%additional conditions apply — not fully modelledShared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities
Utilities10%—Shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities
One shared ceiling applies across 5 of these categories — they draw from the same cap pool.
When does this card pay for itself?
Rewards break-even estimate ₹67K
Conservative yearly spend needed at base cashback rates.
Reward reality — the earning-rate detail behind the numbers above
Reward reality
Conclusion · what you actually getBest verified lane
Dining
10%
View bonus categories →Caps
- Dining₹1,200 per month — shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities
No reward on
- These spends do not earn cashback: Rent
- Education
- Fuel
- Insurance premiums
- +7 more
Costs & fees
Spending requirements
Spend gates · caps · milestone thresholdsRequirementAmountPeriodUnlocks
Annual fee waiver₹2,00,000yearAnnual fee waiver
Estimated usage
Example usage at this monthly spend
₹
- At this monthly spend, you'd earn: Up to ₹750 base cashback if the entire ₹50,000 qualifies for the general-spend lane · uses base/general earn rate; partner and category bonuses not included
- ~₹9,000/year base cashback · renewal annual fee waived at this spend (joining fee may still apply in year 1)
- Fee waiver achievable at this spend
- Forex cost ~₹1,000 per ₹50k international spend
Illustrative only, using current base rates and snapshot data.
Benefits & charges
Side-by-side factsBenefits
Lounge Access
- Domestic (cardholder)
- 2 per year Maximum one domestic lounge visit in each six-calendar-month window.
- International (cardholder)
- 1 per year
Issuer documented · corroborating sources · verify issuer terms before applying
Where to verify
Rewards
- Base earn
- 1.5% base cashback
- Reward type
- Cashback
Fees & charges
Fees
- Monthly interest rate
- 3.75% / month
- Annual fee
- ₹999
- Joining fee
- ₹999
- Fee waiver spend
- Above ₹2,00,000 Annual fee waived on eligible anniversary-year spend above ₹2,00,000.
International Use
- Forex markup
- 1.99%
Issuer documented · corroborating sources · verify issuer terms before applying
Where to verify
- CardInsider
- PaisaBazaar
- BankBazaar
- Operator-verified anchor
- Issuer site (verify current terms) , opens external site
- Product tier
- Mid-tier
Travel & perks
Premium benefits
Status & programme benefits
Premium hotel booking programmes
- Live+ Reserve (DineWithTimesPrime)24×7 phone access · requires enrolment · primary cardmember only · observed 1 Aug 2026
Fuel Benefits
At the pumpNo verified fuel benefit available.
Fine print & compare
Compare with similar cards
Similar tier · similar benefitsThe fine print
Caps · exclusions · earning · redemption · last refreshCaps & limits
- Monthly cap: ₹1,200 per month — shared across Dining, Food delivery, Grocery, Shopping & Utilities.
Exclusions: 11
These spends do not earn cashback.
Payments
- Rent
- Education
Financial
- Fuel
- Insurance premiums
Other
- No cashback on e-wallets (MCC 6540)
- No cashback on business-to-business (MCC 7399, 7311, 7372, 5045, 5047…
- No cashback on jewellery and antique items (MCC 5944, 5094, 5932, 5937)
- No cashback on gambling (MCC 7995)
- No cashback on tolls and bridge fees (MCC 4784)
- No cashback on cash withdrawals, credit repayments, foreign currency,…
- No cashback on security broker services (6211), collection agencies (…
Latest update
- Annual fee: ₹999.
- Forex markup currently listed at 1.99%.
- 2 per year domestic lounge · 1 per year international.
Common questions
From verified card factsIs this good for lounge access?
2 domestic + 1 international lounge visits/year. Check current spend criteria, guest rules, visit caps, and airport acceptance before relying on it.
Is this good for international spends?
Forex markup is 1.99%, but international transactions earn no rewards. It suits fee avoidance abroad more than earning — a card with international earn can still return more overall despite a higher markup.
Is the annual fee easy to recover?
Fee waiver applies above ₹2,00,000 annual spend. Verify eligible spend exclusions before counting on it.
When do welcome benefits arrive?
Cashback and voucher welcome stack. Included items: HSBC India Mobile Banking app — ₹1,000 cashback after app login and ₹25,000 eligible spend within the first 30 days., Amazon — ₹250 Amazon eGift Voucher on activation., Activation voucher — Up to ₹750 voucher (Amazon Pay / Zomato / Swiggy) on activation. Timing may depend on joining fee payment, card activation, first eligible transaction, or issuer processing.
Learn more
Guides matched to this card — not a random syllabus.
- Cashback vs points
When simple cash beats flashy miles - Forex markup bands
0% vs 3.5% — which cards publish what - Billing cycle
Statement date vs due date, clearly