Student credit cards
Aimed at students, this credit card can help you with your finances during your studies. It comes with a £500 credit limit which should be easier to manage than a higher credit limit.
See our range of HSBC credit cards
Check your eligibility without harming your credit score
See your likelihood of approval before you apply
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker not a lender. You must be 18 or over and a UK resident.
HSBC is one of the world’s biggest banks, providing customers with everything from current accounts to mortgages. And, as you’d expect from a global banking brand, it also offers a full range of credit cards to suit every wallet.
Unsurprisingly as one of Britain’s biggest banks, HSBC offer a variety of credit cards, such as:
Aimed at students, this credit card can help you with your finances during your studies. It comes with a £500 credit limit which should be easier to manage than a higher credit limit.
For frequent flyers, HSBC offers travel credit cards which you can use the reward points for travel-related perks.
Targeted at those who are new to credit, HSBC’s Classic Credit Card can help you build your credit rating as it comes with a relatively low credit limit and no annual fee.
You can earn rewards points on eligible purchases with HSBC’s Rewards Credit Card. The card also comes with an introductory interest-free period for balance transfers and purchases
There’s a wide range of HSBC credit cards designed for specific financial goals. The best HSBC credit card for you will depend on how you plan to use the card.
If you’ve never used credit before: If this will be your first credit card then HSBC’s credit builder card or Student Credit Card could be a wise choice. These cards both have low credit limits and don’t carry an annual fee, which can make them easier to manage than other cards aimed at more experienced borrowers.
You travel often: If you’re regularly abroad then you can benefit from HSBC’s travel credit cards, which come with perks such as airport lounge access and the ability to use your card abroad.
Need an all-rounder: HSBC’s Purchase Plus Credit Card offers up to 18 months of interest-free purchases and up to 16 months of interest-free balance transfers. The card carries a 3.49% fee.
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
As HSBC offers many different types of credit cards, the eligibility requirements for each one will vary. However, for most of their credit cards you’ll need to meet the following criteria*:
18 and over
A UK resident
have an annual UK taxable income or pension of £6,800 or above
Have some type of HSBC current account
Do not hold a HSBC Basic Bank Account
*Meeting the criteria does not guarantee acceptance
Comparing credit cards couldn’t be easier with MoneySuperMarket. Our eligibility checker tool will show you the cards you’re most likely to be approved for – and we'll protect your credit using a soft search.
We'll ask you a handful of simple questions about you and your financial circumstances, and what you need from a credit card
We'll sift through dozens of offers from across the market, and show you the cards we think will suit you best
You'll be shown a range of cards, which you'll be able to sort according to APR, features and your chances of being approved
That depends on your circumstances. But it’s worth noting that HSBC’s range of credit products includes credit-builder cards, which are designed for the needs of people with impaired credit ratings.
That means they should be easier to get. But it's important to be mindful that, as someone with a worse-than-usual credit rating, you’ll typically be offered a lower credit limit and higher APR than someone with a better credit profile.
You can reach HSBC on 03457 404 404, or on 03457 707 070 if you’re a Premier customer.
Its standard customer support service’s opening hours are 08:00 to 20:00 every day. Customer support for Premier customers is open 24/7.
It’s best to pay off your entire credit card balance every month if you can afford to – this way you won’t pay interest and you can avoid building up debt. If you can’t afford to pay off the full balance, you must pay off at least the minimum monthly payment – ideally more.
Avoid missing credit card payments – credit card providers will often charge a penalty if you miss a payment and you also risk harming your credit score.
Setting up a direct debit could be a good way to ensure you pay off at least the minimum amount of your credit balance each month.
Each time you make an application for a credit card, it leaves a record – known as a ‘hard search’ - on your credit report. Too many applications can make lenders think you are in desperate need for credit and your application may be rejected.
Some credit cards have extra benefits that reward you when you use them a certain way. While some of them can be tempting, it’s better to get a credit card that will give you rewards for the way you spend already. For example, an airmiles credit card is only going to be useful if you’re a regular flyer, but if you’re a regular shopper at a particular high street store, there might be a credit card that gives you cashback for shopping there.
If you’re planning to use your credit card overseas, check whether or not you’ll be charged for doing so. Many credit cards charge fees for foreign transactions, so it can be a good idea to look for a card that won’t charge you for using it abroad.
Some credit cards will charge a fee if you use them to take cash out of a cash machine, and on top of that you’ll be charged interest from the moment you receive your money. Avoid using your credit card for cash withdrawals unless it’s an emergency.
Credit card fraud, like any fraud, is serious – you should always take care when using your credit card and be careful where you keep it. Never tell anyone your PIN and regularly check your statements every month – or if your credit card has an app, check that regularly - to make sure there are no surprises.
If you’re applying for a credit card, you might be able to find a better deal if you look through offers from different providers before taking one out. With MoneySuperMarket you’ll be able to search through multiple credit cards and compare them by a range of factors, including their interest rates and any benefits and rewards they come with.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation, and our Eligibility Checker will show your chances of being accepted for different credit cards. This won’t affect your credit score, so you can run a check without any worries.
Once you know which card you want, you can normally apply by phone, online, or in person if the provider has a high street branch. However, when you do apply, the provider will usually run a hard credit check – which will show up on your credit report – to confirm whether they’ll give you the card. If you’re accepted they’ll tell you your credit limit and interest rate, and soon you’ll be ready to start using your credit card.
MoneySuperMarket gives you lots of clever ways to save a lot, by doing very little.
Take control of your credit score by checking and improving it for free with Credit Score
Never overpay again with Energy Monitor, our energy monitoring service
Over 50 ways to Get Money Calm
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy a product, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
But you might have other questions. Do we provide access to all the companies operating in a given market? Do we have commercial relationships or ownership ties that might make us feature one company above another?
We commit to providing you with clear and informative answers on all points such as this, so we have gathered the relevant information on this page.