American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

American Express · HSBC Bank — side-by-side CardCheck comparison

CardCheck Score Battle
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
61
ScoreGood
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
Annual Fee₹4,500
Max Reward7%
60
ScoreGood
HSBC TravelOne Credit Card
Annual Fee₹4,999
Max Reward6%

American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 61/100 (+1 pts over HSBC TravelOne Credit Card).

Rating Methodology →

4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown

American vs HSBC
Reward Power
35%
American35/35
HSBC34/35
American Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%
American14/25
HSBC14/25
Tie (14/25)
Lounge & Travel
20%
American4/20
HSBC4/20
Tie (4/20)
Forex & Access
20%
American8/20
HSBC8/20
Tie (8/20)
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
CardCheck Score
61Best
60
Rating Verdict
Good
Good
Reward Power (35%)
35/35
34/35
Fee Value & ROI (25%)
14/25
14/25
Lounge & Travel (20%)
4/20
4/20
Forex & Access (20%)
8/20
8/20
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
₹1,000Best
₹4,999
Annual fee
₹4,500Best
₹4,999
Fee waiver
₹90,000Best
₹8,00,000
Interest-free days
48Best
45
04—Interest
APR (min)
42%Best
45%
APR (max)
47.88%
45%Best
Late payment fee
—
₹1,200
Cash advance fee
3.5%
2.5%Best
05—Rewards
Reward type
points
points
Min rate
1%
2%Best
Max rate
7%Best
6%
Points / ₹100
2
2
Point value
₹0.5
₹1
06—Travel & Lounge
Lounge spend criteria
—
No spend condition
Intl lounge / year
—
4
Priority Pass
DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
Forex markup
3.5%
3.5%
Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
Metal card
Contactless
UPI linked
09—Eligibility
Min income / month
₹37,500
₹50,000
Invite only
Rows won
07of 10
03of 10
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
Key SpecificationAmerican Express Membership Rewards Credit CardHSBC TravelOne Credit Card
CardCheck Score61/100Good60/100Good
Annual Fee₹4,500₹4,999
Fee Waiver Spend₹90,000/yr₹8L/yr
Max Reward Potential7%6%
Domestic Lounge AccessCheck termsCheck terms
International LoungeNone4 / year
Forex Markup Fee3.5%3.5%

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.

Popular Comparisons for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card

Direct side-by-side MITC term matchups

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Popular Comparisons for HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

Direct side-by-side MITC term matchups

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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?
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 61/100 (Good) compared to 60/100 (Good) for HSBC TravelOne Credit Card (a lead of +1 points). American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card gains its scoring lead primarily through reward potential (35 vs 34) while tying on fee value & ROI and lounge & travel privileges and forex & terms.
How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,500 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 ₹8 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 7% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, HSBC TravelOne Credit Card offers a base rate of 2% 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 airport lounge access. On the other hand, HSBC TravelOne Credit Card provides 4 international lounge visits/year.
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 3.5%. 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).

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