2 pts / ₹100
Strong dataAmerican Express Membership Rewards vs HSBC India TravelOne Credit Cards – Fees, Lounge, Forex
Side-by-side comparison of the American Express Membership Rewards and the HSBC India TravelOne. Verify fees, lounge access, forex markup, and base rewards before you apply.
The short answer
VerdictPick TravelOne for lounge access.
Head-to-head
Three core metrics- Annual fee Membership Rewards saves ₹499/yrMembership Rewards ₹4,500TravelOne ₹4,999 Waivable at ₹8,00,000 spend
- Forex markup Membership Rewards 3.5%TravelOne 3.5%
- Domestic lounge TravelOne: +6 lounge visits/yrMembership Rewards No complimentary lounge accessTravelOne 6/year
Reward earning explained
Per card2 pts / ₹100 · 4 points/₹100 on eligible airlines, travel aggregators and foreign-currency transactions
Strong dataPick based on what matters
3 dimensionsStart with the constraint you care about most: annual fee (American Express Membership Rewards: ₹4,500 vs HSBC India TravelOne: ₹4,999), forex markup (3.5% vs 3.5%), or lounge access (No complimentary lounge access vs 6/year).
-
Forex markup Tie Both cards are similar for forex
Forex markup is 3.5%.
-
Lounge access HSBC India TravelOne wins HSBC India TravelOne is better for lounge access
HSBC India TravelOne is stronger here. Domestic lounge access is 6 per year.
-
Rewards Insufficient data Insufficient data to compare rewards
Available evidence is incomplete: American Express Membership Rewards conservative base value ~0.666% per ₹100. HSBC India TravelOne is not safely INR-comparable (no usable point value).
All fields
Example usage at this monthly spend
At ₹50k/month spend:
- American Express Membership Rewards: ~₹330/month at base rate
- HSBC TravelOne: Base earn not clearly specified
Illustrative only, using current base rates before caps.
| Field | Membership Rewards American Express | TravelOne HSBC India |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance — Lost card liability cover Only available for HSBC TravelOne | Not specified | ₹3 lakh |
| Insurance — Purchase protection Only available for HSBC TravelOne | Not specified | Not specified |
| Lounge Access | ||
| Domestic lounge visits No complimentary lounge access vs 6/year | No complimentary lounge access | 6/year |
| International lounge visits Only available for HSBC TravelOne | Not specified | 4 per year |
| Forex / International Use | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fees | ||
| Recurring annual fee ₹4,500 vs ₹4,999 | ₹4,500 | ₹4,999 |
| First-year cost Only available for American Express Membership Rewards | ₹1,000 | Not specified |
| Annual-fee waiver Only available for HSBC TravelOne | Not specified | ₹8,00,000 |
| Interest-free period Only available for American Express Membership Rewards | Up to 48 days | Not specified |
| Monthly interest rate 3.5% / month vs 3.75% / month | 3.5% / month | 3.75% / month |
| Fuel benefit Only available for American Express Membership Rewards | 1% surcharge waiver · ₹5,000+ transactions · Fuel rewards excluded | Not specified |
| Rewards | ||
| Points per ₹100 | 2 pts / ₹100 | 2 pts / ₹100 |
| Conservative base value ~0.7% vs Not safely INR-comparable | ~0.7% | Not safely INR-comparable |
| Earn ceiling Uncapped vs Calendar-month cap: 50,000 points shared across Airlines and travel aggregators & Foreign-currency transactions | Uncapped | Calendar-month cap: 50,000 points shared across Airlines and travel aggregators & Foreign-currency transactions |
| Point value (headline channel) Issuer headline redemption rate — see each card page for the full channel grid. Only available for American Express Membership Rewards | ₹0.333 | Not specified |
Notes
- Card benefits change frequently. Always verify current terms on the issuer's official website or app before applying.
American Express Membership Rewards
Verify with issuer , opens external siteHSBC India TravelOne
Verify with issuer , opens external site