HSBC Live+ Credit Card Review (2026): 10% Cashback, Lounge Access, Fees & Is It Worth It?

The card also includes travel and lifestyle benefits such as airport lounge access, Visa Infinite privileges and a low forex markup making it a strong choice for both domestic and international spending.

Accelerated cashback categories are capped at ₹1,200 per statement month, which limits returns for users with very high spending. The card also excludes cashback on transactions such as fuel, rent, insurance, education, government payments and wallet transactions. 

Key Takeaways

• Joining fee: ₹999 + GST

• Annual fee: ₹999 + GST

• Welcome offers: Eligible new cardholders can receive cashback, shopping vouchers and limited-time partner offers, subject to the applicable offer terms. 

• Accelerated cashback: 10% on dining, grocery, food delivery, shopping and utility bill payments

• Other eligible spends: Unlimited 1.5% cashback

• Maximum accelerated cashback: ₹1,200 per statement month 

• Forex markup: 1.99%

• Airport lounge access: 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits every year (maximum one visit every six calendar months) and 1 international lounge visit every year from 1 September 2026

• Card network: Visa Infinite

Fees And Charges

Here's a quick overview of the card's fees and annual fee waiver.

*HSBC determines eligible spends as per the applicable card terms and conditions.

Compared to many premium cashback cards, the HSBC Live+ Credit Card has a relatively low annual fee. If you spend ₹2 lakh or more in an anniversary year, the annual fee is waived, making the card effectively free for regular users.

What Welcome Benefits Do You Get?

Apart from its cashback programme, HSBC also offers several welcome benefits for eligible new cardholders such as: 

Additional Offers

These are partner-specific promotional offers that may be available separately:

These promotional offers are available for eligible applicants and may be revised or withdrawn by HSBC at any time. 

Who Can Apply?

Applicants generally need to meet the following eligibility criteria.

Applicants must also:

• Be an Indian resident.

• Reside in a serviceable HSBC Credit Card city. (Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Pune, Surat and Vadodara) 

• Meet HSBC's internal credit assessment criteria.

Approval remains subject to HSBC's internal policies.

How Does the Cashback Structure Work?

Unlike reward point-based cards, the HSBC Live+ Credit Card offers direct cashback. Cashback is automatically credited to your credit card account according to HSBC's applicable terms, eliminating the need to redeem reward points.

Cashback Rates

*The ₹1,200 cashback cap applies across all eligible 10% cashback categories combined during each statement month, not separately for each merchant or category. 

The accelerated cashback is capped at ₹1,200 per statement month. This means you can maximise the benefit by spending approximately ₹12,000 across eligible categories during a statement cycle. Once the cap is reached, additional eligible spending in these categories will not earn further accelerated cashback until the next statement cycle. 

Cashback Exclusions

Cashback is not available on every transaction. Like most cashback credit cards, HSBC determines eligibility based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) assigned to the merchant. This means a transaction may not earn cashback even if it appears similar to an eligible category.

Cashback is not available on the following transaction categories: 

• Fuel transactions

• Rent and property-related payments

• Insurance premiums

• Education payments

• Government transactions

• Wallet loading and prepaid wallet transactions

• Hospital payments

• Cash advances and ATM withdrawals

• Money transfers

• Foreign currency purchases

• Cryptocurrency transactions

• Jewellery and precious metal purchases

• Toll, bridge and road fee transactions

• Charity donations

• Wholesale club purchases

• Bus and metro transit

• Most business-to-business (B2B) transactions

International transactions also do not earn cashback, even though they are charged at a lower forex markup.

What Other Benefits Does the Card Offer?

Besides cashback, the HSBC Live+ Credit Card includes several travel and lifestyle benefits that can add value depending on how you use the card.

Visa Infinite Benefits

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card is issued on the Visa Infinite network, giving cardholders access to Visa Infinite travel, dining and lifestyle offers from participating merchants. Available benefits may change from time to time and remain subject to Visa's terms and conditions. You can read more about the HSBC Live+ Credit Card devaluation and the changes introduced. 

Complimentary Airport Lounge Access

While the lounge programme is relatively modest compared to premium travel cards, it is a useful addition for a cashback-focused credit card.

If you are comparing cards mainly for airport lounge benefits, you can explore our guide on the best credit cards for airport lounge access in India. 

Low Forex Markup

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card charges a 1.99% forex markup, which is lower than the industry standard of around 3.5% charged by many credit cards.

Although international transactions do not earn cashback, the lower forex fee helps reduce the overall cost of overseas spending.

Although the HSBC Live+ Credit Card charges a low 1.99% forex markup, users who frequently spend internationally may prefer a 0% forex markup card like Scapia Credit Card. 

Other Charges You Should Know

Apart from the joining and annual fee, the following charges may apply depending on how you use the card.

Applicable taxes, including GST, are charged separately wherever applicable.

How Can You Waive the Annual Fee?

The ₹999 annual fee is waived if you spend ₹2 lakh or more during the previous anniversary year.

This works out to an average monthly spend of approximately ₹16,700. However, it is recommended to use the card primarily for accelerated cashback categories like dining, groceries, food delivery, shopping and utility payments to maximise returns. 

For users who regularly spend on dining, groceries, food delivery, shopping and utility bill payments, achieving this spending milestone should be relatively straightforward. However, HSBC determines eligible spends according to its applicable terms and conditions, so certain excluded transactions may not count towards the annual fee waiver. 

Is the HSBC Live+ Credit Card Worth It?

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card is best suited for users who want to maximise cashback on their everyday spending rather than earn airline miles or reward points. It is also one of the best HSBC credit cards for cashback on everyday expenses, because of its 10% cashback across multiple lifestyle categories and 1.5% unlimited cashback on other eligible retail spends.

Beyond cashback, the card also offers a low 1.99% forex markup, Visa Infinite benefits and complimentary airport lounge access. 

However, it may not be the best choice if most of your spending falls under excluded categories such as rent, fuel, insurance, education or government payments. Similarly, users looking for 0% forex or airline and hotel rewards may find a travel-focused credit card more suitable.

HSBC Live+ vs Other Cashback Credit Cards 

If you're looking for a cashback card with different benefits, here are a few alternatives worth considering. 

Not sure whether the HSBC Live+ Credit Card is right for you? Add your cards to SaveSage to compare cashback, annual fees, lounge access and reward rates across multiple credit cards. You can also estimate cashback on future spends and receive personalised recommendations based on your spending habits. 

FAQs

1. What is the maximum cashback I can earn with the HSBC Live+ Credit Card?

You can earn up to ₹1,200 cashback per statement month across eligible 10% cashback categories. Once this limit is reached, additional eligible spending won't earn further accelerated cashback until the next statement cycle. 

2. Does HSBC Live+ offer cashback on Swiggy and Zomato?

Yes. Eligible food delivery transactions, including platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato, qualify for 10% cashback, subject to the monthly cashback cap and HSBC's programme terms. 

3. Does the HSBC Live+ Credit Card offer airport lounge access?

Yes. The card offers two complimentary domestic airport lounge visits every year (limited to one visit every six calendar months) and one complimentary international lounge visit every year from 1 September 2026.

4. Does the HSBC Live+ Credit Card earn cashback on international transactions?

No. International transactions do not earn cashback. However, the card charges a competitive 1.99% forex markup, which is lower than many standard credit cards.

5. Can the HSBC Live+ Credit Card annual fee be waived?

Yes. The ₹999 annual fee is waived if you spend ₹2 lakh or more during the previous anniversary year. Eligible spends are determined by HSBC according to the applicable card terms and conditions.