American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs HSBC TravelOne Credit Card
American Express · HSBC Bank — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
American ExpressScoreGood
Annual Fee₹1,500
Max Reward2%
HSBC BankScoreExcellent
Annual Fee₹4,999
Max Reward6%
HSBC TravelOne Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 80/100 (+20 pts over American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
American vs HSBCReward Power
35%American24/35
HSBC34/35
HSBC Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%American20/25
HSBC14/25
American Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%American4/20
HSBC18/20
HSBC Wins
Forex & Access
20%American12/20
HSBC14/20
HSBC Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 60
- 80Best
- Rating Verdict
- Good
- Excellent
- Reward Power (35%)
- 24/35
- 34/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 20/25
- 14/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 4/20
- 18/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 12/20
- 14/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- American Express
- HSBC Bank
- Network
- Amex
- Visa
- Card type
- Regular
- Premium
- Best for
- Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends
- Frequent flyers — transfer air miles to 10+ airlines at 1:1 ratio
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹1,500Best
- ₹4,999
- Annual fee
- ₹1,500Best
- ₹4,999
- Fee waiver
- ₹90,000Best
- ₹12,00,000
- Interest-free days
- —
- 45
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 42%
- 42%
- Late payment fee
- —
- ₹1,200
- Cash advance fee
- —
- 2.5%
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- miles
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1.5%Best
- Max rate
- 2%
- 6%Best
- Points / ₹100
- 2
- —
- Point value
- ₹0.25
- —
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 0
- 1Best
- Intl lounge / year
- 0
- 4Best
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 1.5%Best
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 18
- 18
- Min income / month
- ₹25,000
- ₹1,00,000
- Min CIBIL
- 720Best
- 750
- Invite only
Rows won
04of 10
06of 10
| Attribute ↓ | Column A | ★ Overall pick Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 60 | 80Best |
| Rating Verdict | Good | Excellent |
| Reward Power (35%) | 24/35 | 34/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 20/25 | 14/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 4/20 | 18/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 12/20 | 14/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | American Express | HSBC Bank |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
| Card type | Regular | Premium |
| Best for | Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends | Frequent flyers — transfer air miles to 10+ airlines at 1:1 ratio |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹1,500Best | ₹4,999 |
| Annual fee | ₹1,500Best | ₹4,999 |
| Fee waiver | ₹90,000Best | ₹12,00,000 |
| Interest-free days | — | 45 |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42% | 42% |
| APR (max) | 42% | 42% |
| Late payment fee | — | ₹1,200 |
| Cash advance fee | — | 2.5% |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | miles |
| Min rate | 1% | 1.5%Best |
| Max rate | 2% | 6%Best |
| Points / ₹100 | 2 | — |
| Point value | ₹0.25 | — |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 0 | 1Best |
| Intl lounge / year | 0 | 4Best |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 1.5%Best |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 18 | 18 |
| Min income / month | ₹25,000 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 720Best | 750 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 04of 10 | 06of 10 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | HSBC TravelOne Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 60/100Good | 80/100Excellent |
| Annual Fee | ₹1,500 | ₹4,999 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹90,000/yr | ₹12L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 2% | 6% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | None | 1 / quarter |
| International Lounge | None | 4 / year |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 1.5% |
Choose American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around consistent earner — mr points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 mr for 4 monthly spends and you want direct partner rewards with American Express.
Choose HSBC TravelOne Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with frequent flyers — transfer air miles to 10+ airlines at 1:1 ratio and you prioritize HSBC Bank's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs HSBC TravelOne Credit Card
- Which is better: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or HSBC TravelOne Credit Card?
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 80/100 (Excellent) compared to 60/100 (Good) for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (a lead of +20 points). HSBC TravelOne Credit Card is classified in our Elite tier due to superior spend returns and comprehensive travel perks.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹1,500 with an annual spend threshold of ₹90,000 for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, HSBC TravelOne Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹12 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card and HSBC TravelOne Credit Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 2% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, HSBC TravelOne Credit Card offers a base rate of 1.5% and up to 6% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or HSBC TravelOne Credit Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card provides no complimentary domestic lounge access. On the other hand, HSBC TravelOne Credit Card provides 1 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 4 international lounge visit(s)/yr. Note that most issuers now require meeting minimum quarterly spend criteria (typically ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 in the preceding quarter) to unlock lounge access.
- Which card is better for international foreign currency spends?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while HSBC TravelOne Credit Card charges 1.5%. Lower forex markup directly reduces costs when transacting overseas or on international e-commerce platforms.
- Is CardCheck's comparison data unbiased and verified against official bank MITC?
- Yes. All credit card fees, interest rates, lounge visit quotas, and reward calculations on CardCheck are 100% unsponsored and verified directly against each bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC).