Update 10/20/24: Bonus now 50,000 points.
(Update 8/24/24: There’s now a $95; only private banking clients get the annual fee waived.)
HSBC offers their Premier World card for Premier relationship members with no annual fee and a $350 signup bonus. (This is a different card than the Premier World Elite card which has a $395 annual fee.)
Card Details
Direct Link to HSBC Premier Card
Card comes with 35,000 points signup bonus when spending $3,000 within the first 3 months. These points are worth either $350 as cash or $400 (possibly a little more) toward air travel. Points can also be transferred 1:1 to British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Emirates, Singapore, Turkish, Wyndham, Accor and others. Points can also be used through their travel portal (goes through Priceline) at a value of 1.25cpp.
$0 annual fee for Premier clients (card is only available for signup to Premier clients)
No foreign transaction fees
2x points on travel; 1x on everything else
Enjoy complimentary unlimited premium Wi-Fi at over a million secure hotspots worldwide with Boingo. Get simultaneous access for up to four devices.
Experience expedited airport screening with TSA Precheck. Receive a statement credit of $85 every five years as reimbursement for the application fee.
Standard Mastercard benefits.
Our Verdict
Some people will find the $350/$400 signup bonus worthwhile given the no annual fee; some might also like the points transfer value even more. This could work well for those who signed up for the HSBC checking bonus and are already Premier members.
Hat tip to reader Bruce