HSBC TravelOne Credit Card Review

At a Glance

Joining Fee	₹4,999 + GST (₹5,899 all-in)
Annual Fee	₹4,999 + GST, fully reversed with GST on ₹8 lakh of eligible spends in the anniversary year
Best Suited For	Travellers who book flights often and want points they can move to airline and hotel programmes instantly
Reward Type	HSBC Reward Points, convertible 1:1 into air miles and hotel points in the HSBC app

The HSBC TravelOne Credit Card is HSBC India’s travel card, built around one idea: points that move into airline and hotel programmes at 1:1, instantly, inside the HSBC India app.

It earns 2 Reward Points per ₹100 on most spends and 4 on flights, travel agencies and foreign currency, adds 6 domestic and 4 international lounge visits a year, and waives its fee at ₹8 lakh.

The weak spot is the 3.5% forex markup, which is high for a card sold on travel. This review puts numbers on both sides.

Rewards & Benefits

Reward rate and earn structure

Spend	Reward Points per ₹100	Cap
Airlines, travel agencies and aggregators, foreign currency	4	50,000 accelerated points per calendar month, then 2
All other eligible spends	2	No cap
Utilities, fuel, insurance, education, government, rent, wallets, jewellery, tax, money transfers	0	Not applicable

The 50,000 point monthly cap on the travel rate only bites after at least ₹12.5 lakh of travel and foreign spending in a month, so most people will never reach it.

HSBC sorts spends by Merchant Category Code (MCC, the code a merchant’s payments carry), so a hotel booked directly with a hotel may not count as a travel agency spend. Instant EMI transactions earn no points.

Redemption and point value

Points convert 1:1 into partner air miles and hotel points from within the HSBC India app, with no waiting for a transfer request to be processed.

HSBC’s own value calculator counts 1 point as ₹1 when redeemed through Travel with Points or on Apple products. On that basis, the base earn is worth 2% and the travel and forex earn 4%.

How much an airline mile is really worth depends on the programme and the seat you book, so treat ₹1 as HSBC’s estimate rather than a guarantee.

Welcome and milestone benefits

Benefit	What you get	Condition
Welcome	₹1,000 cashback, ₹3,000 PostCard hotel voucher and 3 months of EazyDiner Prime	Log on to the HSBC India app and spend ₹25,000 within 30 days of account opening
Annual milestone	10,000 bonus Reward Points	₹12 lakh of net eligible spends in the anniversary year, primary card only
Online application	₹250 Amazon eGift voucher	Card issued after video KYC, on applications until 31 October 2026

Travel, dining and lounge access

Benefit	Allowance
Domestic lounges	6 visits a year
International lounges	4 visits a year
Golf	4 rounds and 12 lessons a calendar year (1 a month), plus 50% off additional green fees
Flight bookings	15% off on Yatra, EaseMyTrip, Paytm, Cleartrip and Goibibo with HSBC promo codes
StayVista	11% off, up to ₹3,000 a booking, 2 bookings a year
AdaniOne duty free	20% off up to ₹3,000 on ₹8,000 or more, once a year
Dining and movies	10% off up to ₹1,000 on EazyDiner; buy one movie ticket get one free twice a month on District
Purchase protection	Up to USD 20,000 a year

Fees & Charges

Item	Charge
Joining fee	₹4,999 + GST
Annual fee	₹4,999 + GST, fully reversed on ₹8 lakh of eligible spends (primary and add-on) in the anniversary year
Add-on card	Nil
Foreign currency markup	3.5%
Interest (finance charge)	3.75% a month, 45% a year
Interest-free period	Up to 45 days
Cash advance	2.5% of the amount, minimum ₹500
Late payment	100% of the minimum payment due, minimum ₹250, maximum ₹1,200 a month
Rent	1% processing fee plus taxes
Over-limit	2.5% of the over-limit amount or ₹500, whichever is higher
Fuel surcharge	1% of the transaction, with no waiver on this card
GST	18% on fees, interest and charges

The ₹8 lakh waiver works out to about ₹66,700 a month, and spends on add-on cards count. HSBC reverses the fee including GST, so you get the full ₹5,899 back rather than just the base fee.

The charge that catches people out is the 3.5% forex markup. With GST it costs about 4.13% on every foreign currency spend.

Earning 4 points per ₹100 abroad, worth about 4% at HSBC’s own valuation, only just covers it. Some of HSBC’s own cards charge less: the Key Fact Statement lists 1.99% on Live+ and 0.99% on Premier.

Eligibility & Documents Required

Criteria	Salaried	Self-employed
Age	18 to 65 years	25 to 65 years
Minimum income	₹6 lakh a year	₹12 lakh a year
Location	One of the 21 cities HSBC lists, including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur

You need your latest salary slip if salaried, plus proof of residence, identity proof and PAN. HSBC may ask for more during the application.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Instant 1:1 conversion to air miles and hotel points	3.5% forex markup on a travel card
4 points per ₹100 on flights and forex	No fuel surcharge waiver
Fee refunded in full, with GST, at ₹8 lakh	Available in only 21 cities
Welcome pack worth ₹4,000 plus EazyDiner Prime	Only 4 international lounge visits a year

HSBC TravelOne vs Competitors

Card	Annual fee	Fee waived at	Forex markup
HSBC TravelOne	₹4,999 + GST	₹8 lakh	3.5%
SBI Card Miles PRIME	₹2,999 + GST	₹10 lakh	2.5%
SBI Card ELITE	₹4,999 + GST	₹10 lakh	1.99%

Both SBI cards are cheaper to use abroad. TravelOne wins on the lower waiver threshold and on instant transfers. SBI Card Miles PRIME also transfers 1:1, but our review shows its return depends on crossing ₹8 lakh for bonus credits.

How to Apply

Apply online from HSBC’s TravelOne page, enter your income and employment details and complete video KYC to finish the application digitally.

Once the card arrives, activate it in the HSBC India app and plan ₹25,000 of spending in the first 30 days to unlock the welcome cashback and voucher.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the HSBC TravelOne annual fee waived?

Yes. The ₹4,999 annual fee, including GST, is fully reversed if primary and add-on cards together spend ₹8 lakh in the anniversary year.

How many lounge visits does HSBC TravelOne give?

6 domestic and 4 international airport lounge visits a year. HSBC’s value calculator shows these shared between the primary and add-on cardholders.

What is the minimum salary for HSBC TravelOne?

₹6 lakh a year for salaried applicants and ₹12 lakh a year for the self-employed. You must also live in one of the 21 cities HSBC serves.

What is the forex markup on HSBC TravelOne?

3.5% on foreign currency transactions, plus GST. You earn 4 points per ₹100 on those spends, which offsets most of it.

Which spends earn no points on TravelOne?

Utilities, fuel, insurance, education, government, rent, wallet loads, jewellery, tax payments and money transfers earn nothing. Instant EMI transactions are excluded too.

Bottom Line

Get the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card if you live in one of HSBC’s 21 cities, book flights through airlines or travel portals several times a year, and want to move points into airline and hotel programmes without waiting.

At ₹8 lakh of yearly spend, the fee comes back in full and the card returns 2% to 4% at HSBC’s own valuation.

Skip it if you spend a lot abroad, because the 3.5% markup cancels most of the travel rate. Skip it too if your spend is mainly fuel, bills and rent, which earn nothing here.