American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card vs HSBC Premier 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₹5,000
Max Reward3%
HSBC BankScoreElite
Annual FeeFree
Max Reward5%
HSBC Premier Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 91/100 (+23 pts over American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
American vs HSBCReward Power
35%American27/35
HSBC34/35
HSBC Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%American18/25
HSBC25/25
HSBC Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%American15/20
HSBC18/20
HSBC Wins
Forex & Access
20%American8/20
HSBC14/20
HSBC Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 68
- 91Best
- Rating Verdict
- Good
- Elite
- Reward Power (35%)
- 27/35
- 34/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 18/25
- 25/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 15/20
- 18/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 8/20
- 14/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- American Express
- HSBC Bank
- Network
- Amex
- Visa
- Card type
- Premium
- Premium
- Best for
- AmEx's milestone-based travel card — Taj Hotel vouchers + lounge access
- HSBC Premier banking customers — zero forex, unlimited lounge, premium travel
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹5,000
- FreeBest
- Annual fee
- ₹5,000
- FreeBest
- Interest-free days
- —
- 48
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 42%
- 42%
- 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
- 3%
- 5%Best
- Points / ₹100
- 2
- —
- Point value
- ₹0.5
- —
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 2
- —
- Intl lounge / year
- 2
- 8Best
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 0%Best
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 18
- 18
- Min income / month
- ₹75,000
- ₹4,00,000
- Min CIBIL
- 740Best
- 800
- Invite only
Rows won
01of 09
08of 09
| Attribute ↓ | Column A | ★ Overall pick Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 68 | 91Best |
| Rating Verdict | Good | Elite |
| Reward Power (35%) | 27/35 | 34/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 18/25 | 25/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 15/20 | 18/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 8/20 | 14/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | American Express | HSBC Bank |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
| Card type | Premium | Premium |
| Best for | AmEx's milestone-based travel card — Taj Hotel vouchers + lounge access | HSBC Premier banking customers — zero forex, unlimited lounge, premium travel |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹5,000 | FreeBest |
| Annual fee | ₹5,000 | FreeBest |
| Interest-free days | — | 48 |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42% | 42% |
| APR (max) | 42% | 42% |
| Late payment fee | — | ₹1,200 |
| Cash advance fee | 3.5% | 2.5%Best |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | points |
| Min rate | 1% | 2%Best |
| Max rate | 3% | 5%Best |
| Points / ₹100 | 2 | — |
| Point value | ₹0.5 | — |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 2 | — |
| Intl lounge / year | 2 | 8Best |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 0%Best |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 18 | 18 |
| Min income / month | ₹75,000 | ₹4,00,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 740Best | 800 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 01of 09 | 08of 09 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card | HSBC Premier Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 68/100Good | 91/100Elite |
| Annual Fee | ₹5,000 | Free (₹0) |
| Fee Waiver Spend | No waiver | No waiver |
| Max Reward Potential | 3% | 5% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 2 / quarter | Check terms |
| International Lounge | 2 / year | 8 / year |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 0% |
Choose American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around amex's milestone-based travel card — taj hotel vouchers + lounge access and you want direct partner rewards with American Express.
Choose HSBC Premier Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with hsbc premier banking customers — zero forex, unlimited lounge, premium travel and you prioritize HSBC Bank's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card vs HSBC Premier Credit Card
- Which is better: American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card or HSBC Premier Credit Card?
- HSBC Premier Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 91/100 (Elite) compared to 68/100 (Good) for American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card (a lead of +23 points). HSBC Premier 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 Platinum Travel Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹5,000 with no official annual spend waiver milestone for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, HSBC Premier Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹0 (Lifetime Free / Zero Fee) with no official annual spend waiver milestone.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card and HSBC Premier Credit Card?
- American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 3% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, HSBC Premier Credit Card offers a base rate of 2% and up to 5% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card or HSBC Premier Credit Card?
- American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card provides 2 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 2 international lounge visit(s)/yr. On the other hand, HSBC Premier Credit Card provides standard lounge access terms subject to bank quarterly spend criteria. 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 Platinum Travel Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while HSBC Premier Credit Card charges 0%. 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).