HSBC Premier credit card - too good to be true?

[diamondhands]

Can I just ask as I think im going mad looking at the small print, the agents ive spoken to are adamant that someone from the UK cannot apply to get a US credit card even if they hold a premier status, apparrantly only a few locations such as Australia and Singapore are eligible as they can only transfer credit history from certain countries and UK is not one of them according to the agents I spoke to.

Ok thanks I will do that, just to double check, at this moment Im not trying to apply for Amex US card just the HSBC US credit card, does that thread have information in regards to that?

You’re probably not asking in the right place if there are different rules between HSBC AU and UK for transferring to the U.S. with this being an Australian forum.

That thread covers how to obtain all sorts of U.S. cards - it started with a focus on Amex then morphed to the whole market. HSBC was one of the easiest ways to get a first card there until they shut down so there’s a fair bit of discussion on it. You’ll need AI to summarise it unless you have a whole day to read through the thread.

When I got mine I just plugged that thread into Gemini and asked it to find any other relevant discussion on the internet then recommend steps and a script for each call. I was told multiple times that I didn’t have enough history with HSBC US but eventually spoke to someone who knew how to do a global transfer.

 

[GerrardGerrard]

You’re probably not asking in the right place if there are different rules between HSBC AU and UK for transferring to the U.S. with this being an Australian forum.

That thread covers how to obtain all sorts of U.S. cards - it started with a focus on Amex then morphed to the whole market. HSBC was one of the easiest ways to get a first card there until they shut down so there’s a fair bit of discussion on it. You’ll need AI to summarise it unless you have a whole day to read through the thread.

When I got mine I just plugged that thread into Gemini and asked it to find any other relevant discussion on the internet then recommend steps and a script for each call. I was told multiple times that I didn’t have enough history with HSBC US but eventually spoke to someone who knew how to do a global transfer.

From everything I've read there should be no difference between UK and Australia in terms of applying to the US using premier status. The reason I've asked here rather than a UK based forum is this is such a fantastic place of knowledge and this mega thread is the most popular even amongst non Australians like myself.

I'm going to keep trying my luck by calling the international number and seeing if I can get through to someone who knows how to do the global transfer.

Do you remember if the apication was sent to you as a PDF over email or was it just done over the phone?

Also this is the number I dial +17168416866

 

[diamondhands]

From everything I've read there should be no difference between UK and Australia in terms of applying to the US using premier status. The reason I've asked here rather than a UK based forum is this is such a fantastic place of knowledge and this mega thread is the most popular even amongst non Australians like myself.

I'm going to keep trying my luck by calling the international number and seeing if I can get through to someone who knows how to do the global transfer.

Do you remember if the apication was sent to you as a PDF over email or was it just done over the phone?

Also this is the number I dial +17168416866

I was emailed a pdf application from the premier team, however it was incorrectly processed like a domestic U.S. application by the credit department and rejected. It took a few phone calls to speak to someone who was able to process it as a global transfer.

Honestly my best advice is use Gemini/ChatGPT/Claude to give you step by step instructions and a script.

 

[Be.au]

Cards to be closed on November 18 Important Notices | Latest Information and Updates - HSBC AU

 

[BJReplay]

Cards to be closed on November 18

Not long to build up points - but not surprising given surcharge fee changes in October.

Good that no annual fees from today.

 

[diamondhands]

The big remaining question is what happens with Star Alliance status

 

[GerrardGerrard]

I was emailed a pdf application from the premier team, however it was incorrectly processed like a domestic U.S. application by the credit department and rejected. It took a few phone calls to speak to someone who was able to process it as a global transfer.

Honestly my best advice is use Gemini/ChatGPT/Claude to give you step by step instructions and a script.

I did run it through Gemini and it pretty much states to call up and state I want to do a global transfer through my premier relation which I've tried and the agent on the phone is coming back saying its impossible and that they don't offer credit cards.

Do you happen to remember if you spoke to a manager as everytime I've called the agent has never experienced doing a credit card application for overseas and they always say not possible.

 

[oz_mark]

The big remaining question is what happens with Star Alliance status

That might vary per program!

 

[serfty]

A Credit Card account will be closed once a balance is $0 from 18th November.

My Premier statement date is a week before that with payment to be made three weeks later. It looks like I'll need to redeem all my HSBC Rewards Points before the account is subsequently zeroed.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

A Credit Card account will be closed once a balance is $0 from 18th November.

My Premier statement date is a week before that with payment to be made three weeks later. It looks like I'll need to redeem all my HSBC Rewards Points before the account is subsequently zeroed.

Yes - and because of the delay in posting the points (from what I can tell, the points for the previous month are posted a week after the balance has been paid), none of November and likely much of October spend will not make it into points before redemption is shut down on the 17th.

Based on my charges up to yesterday, my points balance should round out to just over 5,000 which means later next month I can transfer them across to Velocity, and I have now filed the card under "B" for "Bin".

 

[serfty]

Yes - and because of the delay in posting the points (from what I can tell, the points for the previous month are posted a week after the balance has been paid), none of November and likely much of October spend will not make it into points before redemption is shut down on the 17th.

While the FAQs indicate earning will be shut down on 17th November, I don't see redemption being so mentioned. There is the implication that redemption needs to be done before the account is closed by them when the balance reaches zero after 17th November.

What happens to my HSBC Rewards Points and complimentary benefits?

If you currently earn HSBC Rewards Plus Points on your HSBC credit card, you will continue to earn HSBC Rewards Plus Points on eligible spend until 17 November 2026. You should ensure you redeem your available HSBC Rewards Plus Points via Online or Mobile Banking prior to closing your account.

All other complimentary benefits linked to the credit card will end on 18 November 2026, including HSBC Instant Savings provided by Entertainment Publications, complimentary Airport Lounge Access (provided by LoungeKey) for HSBC Platinum customers and Mastercard TravelPass, provided by DragonPass (for HSBC Premier World Mastercard customers).

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

While the FAQs indicate earning will be shut down on 17th November, I don't see redemption being so mentioned. There is the implication that redemption needs to be done before the account is closed by them when the balance reaches zero after 17th November.

This is definitely confusing:

- You will continue to earn HSBC Rewards PlusPoints on eligible spend until 17 November 2026.
- You should ensure you redeem your available HSBC Rewards Plus Points via Online or Mobile Banking prior to closing your account
- From 18 November 2026, once your outstanding balance is $0 and there are no pending transactions, fees or charges on your account, we’ll automatically close your account.

So for charges in the month leading up to 17 November, your account will remain open until the balance is paid off and then it will automatically be closed. But the points from that billing cycle don't get posted until a few days after you have paid. It feels like they will be lost if your account has been automatically closed?

 

[serfty]

So for charges in the month leading up to 17 November, your account will remain open until the balance is paid off and then it will automatically be closed. But the points from that billing cycle don't get posted until a few days after you have paid. It feels like they will be lost if your account has been automatically closed?

Reading between the lines, I do not believe so; rather they would be only lost if not redeemed before the entire balance is paid out after the 17th November. There is nothing written there to indicate the points will be lost if the account is not closed.

Note, I am a transactor, paying the balance in full every month on/by the due date which is three weeks or a bit more after statement date. So with the way I have interpreted things my actions would be:

- Receive November statement (will be a week or so before 17th).
- Use CC until November 17th.
- Pay November statement balance in early December.
- Receive December statement (transactions up to 17th November).
- Redeem any remaining points by the end of December.
- Pay December statement balance in early January.
- Fin!

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Reading between the lines, I do not believe so; rather they would be only lost if not redeemed before the entire balance is paid out after the 17th November. There is nothing written there to indicate the points will be lost if the account is not closed.

Note, I am a transactor, paying the balance in full every month on/by the due date which is three weeks or a bit more after statement date. So with the way I have interpreted things my actions would be:

- Receive November statement (will be a week or so before 17th).
- Use CC until November 17th.
- Pay November statement balance in early December.
- Receive December statement (transactions up to 17th November).
- Redeem any remaining points by the end of December.
- Pay December statement balance in early January.
- Fin!

Ah, I was confused about the timing of when points are credited, you are correct, they are credited after the statement is issued, not when the balance is paid.

It would have been so much easier if another bank had just bought the whole thing!

 

[BJReplay]

I won't have enough points to be useful for a Cathay redemption - which is what I was planning to build my points balance for.

I (probably alone in this world) find Singapore business class uncomfortable to sit and sleep in (except the flip over seats that everyone else hates).

So it is Virgin.

I hate Virgin with a passion, having been forced to use them by my last employer - the incoming CEO had The Club membership, so swapped us from Qantas to Virgin.

I actually tried to burn my Virgin points on a trip to Fiji in July but they changed the flights on me (which didn't work for the pre-booked Islands we were going to) so I had to cancel for a refund - which was fine - I got the points refunded, but of course they didn't refund the credit card fees that they charged, which is just typical Virgin.