Strategy to obtain US Amex

[Darkpulsar]

HSBC DP:
- Applied online - only AU contacts used, no plans to move to US
- Email query 25 hours later asking if monthly wires from Australia will be from HSBC AU or OFI (application asked if will have monthly in/outward international payments)
- Replied to email 8 hours later
- Accounts opened (Premier checking, relationship savings, premier savings) 12 hours after reply
- Email from Welcome Care Advisor 24 hours after accounts opened asking to book appointment to discuss accounts, debit card delivery

Specified in application that was interested in CCs which I assume the Welcome Care Advisor will also handle.

Overall very seamless process, total time from application to account opening <48 hours

 

[desafinado74]

Hi everyone,
I am currently a HSBC Premier customer, and would like to open a US HSBC Premier checking account.
Is this the correct link to open the US checking account ?

Applying for a U.S. Premier Checking Account – HSBC Bank Account

 

[georgie23]

Yes it is

 

[http_x92]

With HSBC Premier US, might as well go for one of their CCs as well like the Premier with the 50k offer they have. Is it relatively easy to get approved for the Premier CC once there?

 

[Grrr]

With HSBC Premier US, might as well go for one of their CCs as well like the Premier with the 50k offer

Check to see if the airline partners are worth it for you - wasn't for me. It's a much more limited selection compared with Chase or C1

 

[http_x92]

Check to see if the airline partners are worth it for you - wasn't for me. It's a much more limited selection compared with Chase or C1

Looks like there is Qantas, Avios, Emirates, Accor etc now. They might have recently expanded and its pretty good.
No Krisflyer or Asia Miles though like in the AU market

 

[albyd]

I concur with @sudoer, though I've had a HSBC AU account for ages, the process of getting a US account was very simple to get a US account.

I do have a question which I'm hoping there's a DP for. I upgraded my Personal Green to Platinum. I'm expecting they will deliver it to me by courier and face some issues (Citi couriered me a new ATM card and wasn't able to deliver it). I was able to get my Citi card replaced.

What will happen when Amex try to courier my card and my provider will likely refuse delivery like they did with Citi?

Amex said I can request a replacement card to be delivered to me while "traveling" or do I wait to see what happens with this one?

TIA for your help.

Just looping back on this one. As expected, delivery was rejected at my US postal service. I've called and arranged for a new card to be delivered to me in AU which should be in over a week - supposedly by courier but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. They've added my AU address as a secondary address as well.

Hoping to get it within the next week and start on my SUB spend.

 

[georgie23]

Just looping back on this one. As expected, delivery was rejected at my US postal service. I've called and arranged for a new card to be delivered to me in AU which should be in over a week - supposedly by courier but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. They've added my AU address as a secondary address as well.

Hoping to get it within the next week and start on my SUB spend.

Just had a card delivered this week by Amex - all of mine have been DHL - all under 5 days usually

 

[Darkpulsar]

With HSBC Premier US, might as well go for one of their CCs as well like the Premier with the 50k offer they have. Is it relatively easy to get approved for the Premier CC once there?

Reading here it doesn't seem to hard. Perks and SUB don't seem the greatest though.

$95 AF Premier at least could get decent ROI with the $60 streaming credit, not sure can get the calculation working on the $495 Elite even with $120 rideshare credit, 5x travel, and PP restaurant + 2 guests since already have regular PP from Amex Plat AU...

 

[Darkpulsar]

https://www.fastcompany.com/91422873/this-new-credit-card-is-giving-the-worlds-wealthy-an-amex-platinum-alternative-no-ssn-required

Karta: US Credit Card For Global Citizens

Get Karta Visa Infinite credit card. Up to $200K credit limit, no SSN required, approved in minutes for global citizens. No international fees. Apply today!

www.conkarta.com

Something to keep an eye on to see if it's actually real, just seems like this article and paid press releases on it so far. Articles mention $150k US assets needed though the website says $50k

 

[albyd]

Looks interesting & it’s a Visa so better acceptance.

Doesn't allow me to click on the "points" panel. Does anyone know what the rewards are for this card?

High cash threshold though. I don’t have that kind of $$ in my US accounts - just enough for my CC bills.

 

[metaphase]

With HSBC Premier US, might as well go for one of their CCs as well like the Premier with the 50k offer they have. Is it relatively easy to get approved for the Premier CC once there?

So I ended up going down the HSBC US Prem route too I've already had a Prem account domestically for years.

Applied online, approval process took a while with some back/forth requesting extra proof of US travel. Have been a few times recently so included flight confirmations as well as some upcoming hotel stays made on points. All approved and card (finally) arrived quite a few weeks later. They then called me after I'd received it to say they couldn't accept the forward bookings after all(!) - I just said I also had US investment plans and that seemed to placate them but a pretty weird process.

I then applied for the HSBC US Premier Elite card - higher card fee but 5x earn on travel was decent and the 60k points for $4k in 3m a decent SUB. If you then cash out for travel spend you can increased value. Points at 1:1 for most airlines although 1.25:1 for KLM (amusingly 3:2 for QR despite being 1:1 for BA and EI!). Also $400 travel credit for bookings via the portal ($100 c/back per $2k spend). The application process for this was even more tortuous than the main account. I made a lot of use of my 'welcome adviser' here to try and help manage it. The online application site wouldn't even let me apply so I had to do this over the phone. A week or so later they then sent me a PDF with the phone details to add some more bits and then sign electronically. No word then for another couple of weeks. They then wouldn't accept the scans of my payslips from my employer as they didn't have a logo on them(!) - thankfully there was an online version I could also obtain that had a logo and that seemed to satisfy them. Credit limit was pretty decent and card arrived by DHL (same as the debit card). I've updated mailing address to US and it's showing on the card statement (just waiting for my bank statement with updated address before reapplying to Amex).

The online rewards portal seems a bit picky about IP addresses but when you can get in it's much easier than being on mobile for using the travel website. Bonus points for category spend takes quite a few days to post but has come through fine for non-US trains, planes, etc. I was expecting physical PP like Amex, but instead you just register online using your HSBC Elite card number. I've already got PP via Amex Plat however this one includes 2 (rather than 1) free guest and also all the restaurant options so definitely a better tier of PP! $120 credit for GE once per 4.5 years will be useful in due course. I couldn't add the card to my Uber account so not been able to trigger the rideshare credit yet, will see if I have any luck when in the US. Setup a PIN on the card then confused why I was never asked for it - agent said it's because it's only for ATM withdrawals and not used for anything else - welcome to dodgy US card security I couldn't add it to Google Pay but phone agent (freephone 800 number) was able to sort. It also didn't seem to have my US number properly in the system for SMS confirmation for online payments but you can also receive by email - she promised that's sorted now too but not tried it yet.

Exchange rate seems to match spot rate for the day with no fees so happy with that. Have setup auto billpay from my HSBC US Prem account. Have also opened a linked savings account (only 3.4% but better than nothing and at least this time the online application worked!) so when keeping money over there I'm at least getting something.

Hope the above helps some folks, I couldn't find much about the HSBC Elite online, I guess as for US residents there are more appealing options but with the exchange rate + 5x travel bonus I'm pretty happy with it.