With more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Becky Pokora Credit Card Rewards ExpertWith more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Written By Becky Pokora Credit Card Rewards ExpertWith more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Becky Pokora Credit Card Rewards ExpertWith more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio.
Credit Card Rewards Expert Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
Dylan Pearl Credit Cards EditorOver a decade of editorial experience across a number of publications and more than 60 countries visited have given Dylan Pearl a wealth of travel knowledge, and the tools to effectively communicate that knowledge to others. Dylan has made it his mis.
| Credit Cards Editor
Updated: Jan 24, 2024, 8:06am
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The HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard® * offers a wide selection of travel benefits. However, to apply for the card, you must be an HSBC Premier Checking customer, which requires strict membership eligibility.
HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard® *Our ratings take into account the card’s rewards, fees, rates along with the card’s category. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Welcome Bonus 50,000 bonus points Annual Fee Regular APR 21.24% - 25.24% variable Credit Score Good/ExcellentCredit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account openingAlmost all major card issuers offer a premium travel card these days and HSBC is no exception. The HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard® * offers a little bit of everything: travel insurance, travel and rideshare credits, lounge access and hotel discounts when you book through their Agoda or Expedia portals.
The main catch is that cardholders must have (and maintain) an HSBC Premier Checking account to be a cardholder. The checking account requires a significant banking relationship. You’ll need to have either $5,000 in monthly direct deposits, $75,000 in total deposits and investments or a mortgage that originated at $500,000 or more to qualify.
Assuming you’re eligible to apply, the card earns 3 points per dollar on new travel purchases – including airline, hotels, and car rentals, 2 points per dollar on dining purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed toward eligible travel for increased value, but you can also redeem them for statement credits, direct deposit to an eligible HSBC account or for reimbursement to cover the card’s annual fee.
Why you can trust Forbes Advisor
Our credit card editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and companies, so all are measured equally. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and the credit card methodology for the ratings below.
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
The Platinum Card® from American ExpressPartner Offer Apply Now →
On American Express's Website Rates & Fees / Terms Apply Welcome Bonus Earn 80,000 points Annual Fee Credit Score Good,Excellent Regular APR See Pay Over Time APRCredit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website Welcome Bonus 60,000 bonus points Annual Fee Credit Score Excellent, Good Regular APR 21.49%-28.49% VariableCredit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Cardholders can get a jumpstart on earning through a one-time welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. After that you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on new travel purchases – including airline, hotels, and car rentals, 2 points per dollar on dining purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. HSBC broadly defines both travel and dining, so points can add up quickly.
Points don’t expire as long as your account is open. However, HSBC may close accounts that have 12 months of inactivity, in which case all points are immediately forfeited.
HSBC points increase in value if you redeem them for travel purchases made through their website instead of requesting cash back. You’ll earn 1.25 cents per point on eligible travel, which includes airfare, hotels, cruises and travel agencies. Customers who prefer cash back can request statement credits or direct deposit into their HSBC checking account. For cash rewards, points are worth 1 cent each, with minimum cash-out thresholds.
Frequent travelers may do better by strategically transferring their points to one of HSBC’s 10+ travel partners. Just note that conversion rates may vary by airline or hotel loyalty program.
To determine the rewards potential of the HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard® * , you’ll need to look at your expected credit card spend for travel, dining and all other purchases. An average household earning in the 70th percentile brings in $116,000 annually and has $36,177 in annual expenses that could be reasonably charged to a credit card.
HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard®* Rewards Potential
All other purchases Total: 64,209 Rewards Points See More See LessThe U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card * also has a $400 annual fee and offers numerous travel benefits. It comes with up to $325 in statement credits reimbursed annually on select travel and dining charges. It includes a 12-month Priority Pass lounge membership and Trusted Traveler reimbursement as well. The card earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel, identical to the HSBC card, but doesn’t offer a dining bonus. Instead, it offers 3 points per dollar for mobile payments and 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through its Altitude Rewards Center.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best-known premium travel cards on the market. It has an even higher annual fee, at $550 per year (and $75 for each authorized user), but offers travel credits, benefits and protections to provide value.
The Sapphire Reserve includes unlimited Priority Pass airport lounge visits, so frequent flyers will do better with this card. It also offers $300 in statement credits to reimburse travel. That’s less than HSBC offers, but without the spending requirements to earn credits. It offers generous travel insurance as well.
With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Cardholders can also transfer points to a wide variety of airline and hotel partners, giving them more flexibility.
No other card comes with as much perk-potential as The Platinum Card® from American Express. If you travel frequently and want to do so in style, this card deserves a place in your wallet. In exchange for its $695 annual fee (Terms apply, see rates & fees), cardholders will get a rich rewards rate on travel: 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.
Plus, the card provides access to the extensive airport Global Lounge Collection once you enroll, which includes more lounges than any other U.S. credit card program with 1,400 airport lounges in over 600 cities and 140 countries. It’s overflowing with other perks too including an up to $200 annual airline incidental fee credit on one airline when you enroll, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee reimbursement, Uber Cash when you link your eligible card to your Uber account, elite status in several hotel and car rental programs with enrollment and more. If you can use all of these benefits, it could be more beneficial than the HSBC Elite card.
Most people won’t be able to apply for this card due to the requirement of being an HSBC Premier customer. Those who qualify may still do better by choosing other cards that come with similar travel credits and benefits.
That said, if you are an HSBC customer who values the included travel insurance and will be able to maximize its more unique benefits—such as the hotel discounts and rideshare credits—this card may be a reasonable option. Just be aware that there are other premier travel credit cards that offer a similar lineup of benefits but with far greater rewards flexibility.
No single credit card is the best option for every family, every purchase or every budget. We've picked the best credit cards in a way designed to be the most helpful to the widest variety of readers.
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard®, U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card . The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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