HSBC Advance Credit Card
Earn 1 Point per 1 — with no annual fee
at HSBC UAE's secure site
You'll need an HSBC Advance account to apply See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
If you already keep an Advance account, this card costs nothing and earns on everything — plus real extras like Zomato Gold and 90-day purchase protection. Just don't expect Premier's lounge allowance or any welcome bonus, and keep a small foreign-currency transaction ticking over each quarter or the lounge visits switch off.
Earning and redeeming HSBC Points
Every 1 of card spend earns 1 Point, at home or abroad, with no published category exclusions or caps. Points accrue to the HSBC Rewards programme — the bank's replacement for Air Miles (HSBC-earned Air Miles converted 1:1) — on a calendar-month cycle.
Redemption happens in the HSBC UAE app: travel bookings, Amazon shopping, vouchers, or exchanges into other loyalty programmes. HSBC doesn't publish per-point values or a transfer-partner list, so treat the Points as a bonus on spending you'd do anyway rather than a currency to chase.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 0 — no annual fee; supplementary cards free.
- Interest rate (APR)
- 44.28% fixed APR on purchases and cash withdrawals (~3.69%/month). Up to 56 days interest-free when you pay in full. Overdue accounts pay up to +1%/month more until regular.
- Foreign currency fee
- 2.1% (incl. VAT) on non- transactions, plus a possible card-scheme fee of up to 1.21%. International transactions billed in still pay 1.05%.
- Cash advance
- 3.15% of the amount, minimum 105 (incl. VAT). Exchange-house and quasi-cash purchases are treated as cash advances.
- Late payment fee
- 241.50 (incl. VAT) per instance.
- Over limit fee
- 288.75 (incl. VAT) per billing period while over limit.
- Minimum payment
- Broadly 5% of each balance category (or 100 if lower), plus instalments, interest and fees.
- Eligibility
- HSBC Advance account required; age 21–65; UAE resident. Advance = 10,000 monthly salary transfer or an 100,000 relationship balance.
VAT-inclusive figures from HSBC's Key Facts Statement (effective 1 Jul 2026) and Schedule of Services and Tariffs (effective 1 Aug 2026). Monthly rate shown is the published 44.28% APR divided by 12.
Card benefits
Purchase protection
90 days of theft and damage cover on card purchases — up to USD 5,000 a year, USD 2,000 per claim, insured by AIG via Mastercard.
4 lounge visits a year
Selected lounges worldwide via the Mastercard Travel Pass app; guests USD 32. Needs a USD 1+ cross-border transaction every 3 months to stay active.
Zomato Gold + 400 restaurants
Up to 50% off dining at 4,000+ UAE restaurants with free Zomato Gold, plus card-linked discounts at 400+ more.
BOGO cinema tickets
Free ticket with every ticket monthly plus up to 25% off cinema food and drink — if you've spent 6,000 on the card in the booking month.
Careem Plus + Airalo
12 months of Careem Plus free, and 15% off Airalo roaming data packages when you travel.
Hotel and rental discounts
15% off 5,500+ IHG hotels with late checkout, up to 7% back at Booking.com, 20% off Avis with free upgrades and 10% off Budget.
Pros and cons
- No annual fee and free supplementary cards
- Flat 1 Point per 1 on all spend worldwide, with no published caps
- 90-day purchase protection covering up to USD 5,000 a year (USD 2,000 per claim)
- Free Zomato Gold, Careem Plus and 400+ card-linked restaurant discounts
- Lower entry bar than Premier — 10,000 salary or 100,000 relationship balance
- Requires an HSBC Advance account — 10,000 monthly salary transfer or 100,000 in balances
- Only 4 lounge visits a year, at selected lounges, and access needs a USD 1+ cross-border transaction every 3 months
- 2.1% foreign-currency fee plus a possible scheme fee up to 1.21% — even -billed international transactions pay 1.05%
- Very high 44.28% APR, and overdue accounts pay up to +1%/month more
- No welcome offer, and HSBC Rewards point values and transfer partners aren't published
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You hold (or qualify for) an HSBC Advance account — 10,000 salary or 100,000 balances
- You want a genuinely free card that earns Points on all spend
- You value the dining stack — Zomato Gold plus 400+ restaurant discounts
- You occasionally travel and will keep the quarterly USD 1 transaction going
Consider skipping it if
- You qualify for HSBC Premier — that card is strictly better for the same 0
- You want a welcome bonus — this card has none
- Most of your spend is in foreign currency (2.1% + scheme fees)
- You ever revolve a balance — 44.28% APR plus a 1%/month overdue surcharge
Alternatives to consider
The Premier Credit Card doubles the lounge visits to 8, adds Mastercard travel insurance and a welcome offer worth up to 2,350 — for the same 0 fee, if you meet Premier criteria.
Best no-annual-fee cards →
HSBC Live+ pays up to 6% cashback on daily categories — more tangible value than Points if your spend is groceries and dining.
Best cashback cards →
HSBC's Skywards Signature converts your everyday spend into Emirates Skywards Miles instead of bank Points.
Best Emirates Skywards cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for the HSBC Advance Credit Card?+
You need an HSBC Advance account, to be aged 21 to 65, and to live in the UAE. Advance eligibility is either a minimum monthly salary transfer of AED 10,000 or an AED 100,000 relationship balance. If you stop meeting the criteria, HSBC can charge a monthly service fee (AED 105 incl. VAT) before converting your account.
Is there an annual fee?+
No. The Advance Credit Card has no annual fee, and supplementary cards are free as well.
How does the purchase protection work?+
Purchases made on the card are protected for up to 90 days against theft or damage, covered up to USD 5,000 a year (up to USD 2,000 per claim). The insurance benefit is provided by AIG through Mastercard, not by HSBC directly.
How do I use the airport lounge access?+
Register the card in the Mastercard Travel Pass app and book your visit there — you get 4 complimentary visits a year to selected lounges worldwide, with guests at USD 32 each. To keep access active you must make a cross-border transaction of USD 1 or more at least once every 3 months (and at least 72 hours before a visit); otherwise you're limited to 1 visit per calendar year.
What can I redeem HSBC Points for?+
Through the HSBC UAE app you can book travel, shop on Amazon, redeem vouchers or exchange Points into other loyalty programmes. HSBC Rewards replaced the old Air Miles programme, with existing HSBC-earned Air Miles converted 1:1.
Are there instalment or balance transfer plans?+
Yes — balance transfers, cash instalment plans and flexi instalment plans are available at a reducing-balance fixed APR of 0.00% to 29.88% depending on your circumstances and term, with AED 0 early settlement fees. A 2.10% fee (incl. VAT) applies only to instalment conversions of education purchases.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.