HSBC TravelOne Credit Card vs ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
HSBC Bank · ICICI Bank — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
HSBC BankScoreExcellent
Annual Fee₹4,999
Max Reward6%
ICICI BankScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹3,500
Max Reward4%
HSBC TravelOne Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 80/100 (+5 pts over ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
HSBC vs ICICIReward Power
35%HSBC34/35
ICICI31/35
HSBC Wins
Fee Value & ROI
25%HSBC14/25
ICICI18/25
ICICI Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%HSBC18/20
ICICI18/20
Tie (18/20)
Forex & Access
20%HSBC14/20
ICICI8/20
HSBC Wins
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 80Best
- 75
- Rating Verdict
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 34/35
- 31/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 14/25
- 18/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 18/20
- 18/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 14/20
- 8/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- HSBC Bank
- ICICI Bank
- Network
- Visa
- Visa
- Card type
- Premium
- Premium
- Best for
- Frequent flyers — transfer air miles to 10+ airlines at 1:1 ratio
- Premium lifestyle — lounge access, golf, dining and travel rewards
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹4,999Best
- ₹6,500
- Annual fee
- ₹4,999
- ₹3,500Best
- Fee waiver
- ₹12,00,000
- ₹6,00,000Best
- Interest-free days
- 45
- 50Best
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 42%
- 42%
- Late payment fee
- ₹1,200
- ₹1,200
- Cash advance fee
- 2.5%
- 2.5%
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- miles
- points
- Min rate
- 1.5%Best
- 0.5%
- Max rate
- 6%Best
- 4%
- Points / ₹100
- —
- 4
- Point value
- —
- ₹0.25
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- 1
- 4Best
- Intl lounge / year
- 4
- 4
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 1.5%Best
- 3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min age
- 18
- 18
- Min income / month
- ₹1,00,000
- ₹75,000
- Min CIBIL
- 750
- 750
- Invite only
Rows won
05of 09
04of 09
| Attribute ↓ | ★ Overall pick Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 80Best | 75 |
| Rating Verdict | Excellent | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 34/35 | 31/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 14/25 | 18/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 18/20 | 18/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 14/20 | 8/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | HSBC Bank | ICICI Bank |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
| Card type | Premium | Premium |
| Best for | Frequent flyers — transfer air miles to 10+ airlines at 1:1 ratio | Premium lifestyle — lounge access, golf, dining and travel rewards |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹4,999Best | ₹6,500 |
| Annual fee | ₹4,999 | ₹3,500Best |
| Fee waiver | ₹12,00,000 | ₹6,00,000Best |
| Interest-free days | 45 | 50Best |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42% | 42% |
| APR (max) | 42% | 42% |
| Late payment fee | ₹1,200 | ₹1,200 |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% | 2.5% |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | miles | points |
| Min rate | 1.5%Best | 0.5% |
| Max rate | 6%Best | 4% |
| Points / ₹100 | — | 4 |
| Point value | — | ₹0.25 |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | 1 | 4Best |
| Intl lounge / year | 4 | 4 |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 1.5%Best | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min age | 18 | 18 |
| Min income / month | ₹1,00,000 | ₹75,000 |
| Min CIBIL | 750 | 750 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 05of 09 | 04of 09 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | HSBC TravelOne Credit Card | ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 80/100Excellent | 75/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹4,999 | ₹3,500 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹12L/yr | ₹6L/yr |
| Max Reward Potential | 6% | 4% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | 1 / quarter | 4 / quarter |
| International Lounge | 4 / year | 4 / year |
| Forex Markup Fee | 1.5% | 3.5% |
Choose HSBC TravelOne Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around frequent flyers — transfer air miles to 10+ airlines at 1:1 ratio and you want direct partner rewards with HSBC Bank.
Choose ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with premium lifestyle — lounge access, golf, dining and travel rewards and you prioritize ICICI Bank's redemption benefits.
Frequently asked questions: HSBC TravelOne Credit Card vs ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card
- Which is better: HSBC TravelOne Credit Card or ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card?
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 80/100 (Excellent) compared to 75/100 (Very Good) for ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card (a lead of +5 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?
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,999 with an annual spend threshold of ₹12 Lakh for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹3,500 with an annual spend threshold of ₹6 Lakh.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between HSBC TravelOne Credit Card and ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card?
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1.5% and up to 6% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card offers a base rate of 0.5% and up to 4% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: HSBC TravelOne Credit Card or ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card?
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card provides 1 domestic lounge visit(s) per quarter and 4 international lounge visit(s)/yr. On the other hand, ICICI Bank Sapphiro Credit Card provides 4 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?
- HSBC TravelOne Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 1.5%, while ICICI Bank Sapphiro 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).