Seedly rating: 4.3 stars

A cashback card for those who regularly splurge on dining, entertainment and shopping purchases, the HSBC Live+ Credit Card also offers cashback for streaming services, like your Spotify subscription. But is the 8% cashback worth it for the annual fee?

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Think of HSBC automatically waiving your first annual credit card fee of $196.20 as the first welcome gift of many. New HSBC Live+ Credit Card members will get $300 cashback for signing up and spending. They will also need to provide marketing consent and spend another $500, to redeem either a Samsonite ZELTUS Spinner luggage or $200 cashback. Spending another $500 on top of the first $500 will net them an additional $100 cashback. 

Already have an account with HSBC but eyeing a Live+ card? You can still get $50 cashback when you apply, by providing consent to marketing and spending at least $500.

>>  MORE: Bon Appétit! Here are the best dining credit cards of 2025.

Card type: Cashback

Annual fee: $196.20

Sign-up offer: $300 cashback for new HSBC members. Existing customers get $50 cashback.

Rewards: 

• 8% cashback on eligible dining, shopping and entertainment expenses. HSBC’s cashback on entertainment spend even covers streaming subscriptions, like Netflix, Spotify and Disney+.

• 5% cashback at Shell and Caltex stations, and up to 17% in fuel savings.

• 0.3% cashback on all other eligible spend.

• Complimentary coverage from AIG insurance on any losses or damages for online purchases.

• Discounted rates on comprehensive travel insurance from HSBC Travelsure, inclusive of Cancel For Any Reason coverage.

Foreign transaction fees: 

• Stopping for a quick coffee break while travelling outside of Singapore? That purchase could incur a currency conversion fee, which is 1% for Visa card members.

• Short on cash? Be mindful that transaction fees can apply for ATM withdrawals too. For example, $8 will be charged for withdrawals from overseas ATMs in the VISA, MasterCard, PLUS or Cirrus networks. (Withdraw from HSBC ATMs instead to get these fees waived.)

• The other fee you should know concerns credit card cash advances. Unlike your regular credit card bill, interest for cash advances start accumulating the moment you make the transaction—you can expect an annual rate of about 26%. They also carry high fees, either 6% of the withdrawn amount or $15, whichever is higher. 

>>  MORE: The best balance transfer credit cards in Singapore.

Relatively high cashback on purchases

Not only does HSBC offer relatively high cashback rates on your purchases at 8%, they also happen to be quite wide-ranging. For starters, dining spend includes caterers, eating places and restaurants, bakeries and fast food restaurants. There’s only one notable exception: hotel dining. HSBC card members can also enjoy cashback on both offline and online shopping spend, inclusive of duty free stores. For entertainment spend, digital goods, such as books and movies are included, as are streaming services. 

Save on fuel

With up to 21.15% fuel savings at Caltex and 18.3% fuel savings at Shell, the HSBC Live+ Credit Card is a great way for motorists to save while topping up on petrol. HSBC card members can also choose to enroll in the HSBC Shell GO+ Programme, to earn 1 Shell GO+ point for every $5 charged to your HSBC card—and turn their spending into free petrol.

Lifestyle benefits

If you believe in living life to the fullest, HSBC has got you covered. In addition to the perks we’ve already covered above, you can also get a 15% discount when dining in restaurants across Asia. This includes restaurants in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, The Philippines and Sri Lanka. Big proponents of retail therapy can take advantage of HSBC’s deals on lifestyle and shopping brands, to score new workout threads from Adidas, or unwind at a spa. 

>>  MORE: Credit card resources for maximising your spending.

Annual fees

Though HSBC will automatically waive your annual fee of $196.20 for your first year, you’ll need to pay for the full amount for the subsequent years of your membership. Though this is on par with other credit cards in the same range and may not feel like a large amount, you should still make sure you have room for it in your membership budget. Do note that if you spend more than $12,500 with your card per year, you can apply to get your annual fee waived.

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Minimum spend requirement

Like other cash rebates or cashback cards, you need to spend a minimum amount with your HSBC Live+ Credit Card to unlock higher cashback rates. For new card members, this will be $1,000 for the first calendar quarter and will drop to $600 for the next two quarters.

You’ll need to spend $1,000 for the first quarter and $600 for the following quarter for 8% cashback rates. For the subsequent quarter, however, your membership with HSBC would have passed the 6-month mark, which is when you’ll lose the additional 3% cashback. This means even if you hit your minimum spend requirement, you’ll only get a base cashback rate of 5%.

If keeping track of all this sounds like too much trouble, why not take a look at our pick for the ultimate in hassle-free unlimited cashback cards—the Citi Cash Back+ Card?

Every review is meticulously vetted and is 100% free, independent and impartial. They should not be regarded as financial advice or personalised recommendation in any way.

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card is a great pick for motorists who regularly spend on dining, shopping and entertainment. It’s also a fantastic choice for those able to fully utilise HSBC’s lifestyle benefits, such as  the 15% discount on restaurants in Singapore and around the region, as well as deals on fashion and wellness brands.

If you’re after even greater cashback rates on big purchases and don’t mind paying a higher annual fee, there’s always the American Express True Cashback Card.

Seedly rating: 3.9 stars

HSBC Advance Credit Card

Flexible cashback for big spenders

Who says that earning cashback has to feel like a hassle? The HSBC Advance Credit Card gives you up to 2.5% cashback on all local and overseas spend.

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