HSBC Live+ Credit Card
Earn up to 800 welcome cashback
at HSBC's secure site
New primary cardholders only. Terms & conditions apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
"Six percent on dining and five on fuel are headline rates that actually survive contact with the fine print — the catch is simply size: 200 per category per cycle, then you're back to 0.5%. For a household that eats out, fills up and buys groceries, that's still 500+ a month of realistic cashback on a card that costs almost nothing to hold. Just don't make it your card for everything else."
Earning and redeeming Live+ cashback
Cross 3,000 of total retail spend in a statement cycle and the four bonus categories light up: 6% on dining, 5% on fuel, and 2% each on supermarkets and entertainment, with each category capped at 200 cashback per cycle. Everything else — school fees, utilities, shopping, telecom — earns a flat 0.5%, uncapped. Miss the 3,000 trigger and the whole card, bonus categories included, pays 0.5% that cycle. Categories follow Visa's merchant classification, and each transaction earns in exactly one category.
The caps translate to a practical ceiling of 800 a cycle from the categories: roughly 3,333 of dining, 4,000 of fuel and 10,000 each of supermarket and entertainment spend before the rates fall away. Cashback lands automatically by the next statement date every month, offsets your balance, and can't be transferred. Supplementary-card spend counts toward both the 3,000 trigger and the caps — useful for hitting the first, worth watching on the second.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 0 first year (approved by 31 Dec 2026); then 313.95 VAT inclusive, waived with 12,000 spend in the prior 12 months
- Interest rate
- 44.28% APR fixed (~3.69%/month) on purchases and cash withdrawals; up to +1%/month while overdue
- Interest-free period
- Up to 56 days on retail purchases when you pay in full by the due date
- Minimum payment
- 5% of the balance per transaction category or 100 (whichever is lower per plan), plus fees and any overlimit amount
- Minimum income
- From 5,000 (employees of approved companies) or 12,500 for other applicants; age 21–65; UAE resident
- Foreign currency fee
- 2.1% VAT inclusive, plus a Visa scheme fee of up to 1.21%; international transactions billed in carry 1.05%
- Cash advance
- 3.15% of the amount, minimum 105 (VAT inclusive) — cash advances earn no cashback
- Late payment fee
- 241.50 per instance (VAT inclusive)
- Overlimit fee
- 288.75 (VAT inclusive)
- Supplementary cards
- Free — their spend counts toward the 3,000 trigger and the category caps
Rates verified against HSBC's Key Facts Statement (effective 1 July 2026), Schedule of Services and Tariffs (1 August 2026) and the Live+ T&Cs, all VAT-inclusive. Always confirm on the issuer's site before applying.
Card benefits
6% dining, 5% fuel
The UAE's strongest everyday category rates once you spend 3,000 in a cycle — capped at 200 cashback per category, paid automatically every month.
Up to 800 to start
600 for 6,000 spend in your first 60 days, 100 for your first mobile-wallet payment, 100 for a supplementary card's first use. Until 31 Dec 2026.
12 lounge visits a year
Shared between you and your additional cardholders at 1,200+ lounges via Visa Airport Companion — after one USD 1+ international purchase per calendar year.
USD 500,000 travel insurance
Complimentary multi-trip cover for you and your family on trips up to 90 days, with a certificate of insurance.
2-for-1 cinema tickets
A free ticket every month at VOX, Reel and Roxy (booked online) plus up to 25% off F&B — with 6,000 spend in the booking month.
Zomato Gold & Careem Plus
Up to 50% off at 4,000+ restaurants with Zomato Gold, plus a complimentary 12-month Careem Plus subscription.
Pros and cons
- Genuinely high category rates — 6% dining, 5% fuel, 2% supermarkets and entertainment — with a modest 3,000 monthly trigger
- Accessible: income from 5,000 (approved companies) and a small 313.95 fee that's easy to waive at 12,000 a year
- Up to 800 welcome cashback for new cardholders until 31 December 2026
- 12 lounge visits a year shared with supplementary cardholders, plus USD 500,000 travel insurance
- Zomato Gold, 12 months of Careem Plus and 2-for-1 cinema at an entry-level price point
- Each bonus category is capped at 200 cashback per statement cycle — 6% only applies to your first ~ 3,333 of dining
- Everything outside the four categories earns just 0.5%
- Spend under 3,000 in a cycle and the whole card drops to 0.5% — including dining and fuel
- 2.1% foreign-currency fee plus up to 1.21% scheme fee makes it poor for overseas spend
- 44.28% fixed APR (~3.69%/month) if you carry a balance; groceries and entertainment at 2% are beatable
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- Dining, fuel and groceries dominate your spending and you clear 3,000 a month on the card.
- You want strong cashback without a big salary requirement or a fee you'll notice.
- You're new to HSBC — the 800 welcome package is among the better mass-market offers running.
Consider skipping it if
- Your spend is mostly outside the four categories — 0.5% base is weak, and a flat 1% card pays double.
- You regularly spend far past the caps — beyond 200 cashback per category you're earning 0.5%.
- Most of your spending is in foreign currency — the ~3.3% combined FX cost buries the cashback.
Alternatives to consider
A flat 1% on everything with no caps, plus 10% bonus tiers — but you'll need a 30,000 salary.
Best cashback cards →
Skywards Miles on every eligible spend from a 10,000 salary, with Emirates travel perks instead of cashback.
Best Emirates Skywards cards →
No annual fee at all as part of the Advance relationship — a simpler keep-forever card.
Best no-annual-fee 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
How does the Live+ cashback work?+
When you spend at least AED 3,000 on the card in a statement cycle, you earn 6% cashback on dining, 5% on fuel, and 2% on supermarket and entertainment spend — each capped at AED 200 cashback per cycle. All other spend earns 0.5% with no cap. If you spend under AED 3,000 in a cycle, everything (including the bonus categories) earns 0.5%. Spend categories are classified by Visa, and each transaction earns in one category only.
What is the Live+ welcome offer?+
Up to AED 800 for new primary cardholders approved by 31 January 2027 (applications until 31 December 2026): AED 600 for spending AED 6,000 in the first 60 days, AED 100 for adding the card to a mobile wallet and making one payment, and AED 100 for taking a first supplementary card and using it once. You must not have held an HSBC credit card in the 6 months before applying, and cancelling within 180 days claws the cashback back.
What is the Live+ annual fee?+
AED 0 for the first year if approved on or before 31 December 2026. From year two it is AED 299 (AED 313.95 inclusive of VAT), waived each year you spend at least AED 12,000 in the previous 12 months.
What salary do I need for the Live+ card?+
A monthly income starting from AED 5,000 for employees of approved companies, or AED 12,500 for all other applicants (HSBC's Key Facts Statement quotes AED 10,000, subject to further eligibility criteria). You must be 21 to 65 and live in the UAE; no HSBC account is needed.
Does the Live+ card include airport lounge access?+
Yes — 12 complimentary visits a year, shared between you and your additional cardholders, at over 1,200 lounges through the Visa Airport Companion app. You need at least one international purchase of USD 1 or more with the card once every calendar year, made 15 days before you travel (the first visit of the year is exempt). Visits beyond 12 are charged to the card.
When is the cashback paid?+
Automatically every month — cashback earned during a statement cycle is credited to your card by the next statement date. It offsets your outstanding balance and cannot be transferred or exchanged. Balance transfers, instalment plans, quasi-cash, cash advances, fees and refunded transactions don't earn cashback.
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.