Travelling often? Get a credit card to make the most out of your trips

If your business or wanderlust takes you city-hopping in India and abroad, then take a travel credit card with you.

Travel credit cards offer different benefits to frequent travellers like international offers, complimentary lounge access at airports, frequent flier miles, access to club level rooms in hotels, cashback, discounts on your travel expenses, and much more. Not to mention your wallet will be much lighter.

A travel rewards credit card provides perks that help reduce your overall travel expenses^*.

There are cards that give you points for every rupee you spend with it. You can then convert these points into your preferred airline miles and redeem for free flight tickets or discounts. These conversions can significantly lower your cost while giving your journey experience a nice boost. Some cards like our HSBC Visa Platinum credit card offers exclusive instant discounts or cashback when you book international and domestic flight tickets and hotels, which go hand in hand with the extra perks from our HSBC home&Away. 

Travel cards may also come with an impressive range of perks. Examples include priority boarding on flights, premier lounge access at airports, extra baggage allowance, elite status at hotels, free room upgrades at partner hotel chains and even free breakfast.

On top of all the goodies, many travel credit cards offer impressive sign-up bonuses. These are added to your card once you spend over a specific amount within a given period. For example, if you spend over INR400,000 in a year with our HSBC Visa Platinum credit card, you can earn 5 times more points and accumulate it up to 15,000 points. Choosing a card that rewards you for signing up will give a great kickstart to your customer experience.

As you're having a great time abroad, do remember to key an eye on your spending. Generally, when you swipe your regular credit card abroad, you pay a percentage of the transaction’s value, known as the card processing fees. Since this can quickly add up, having a credit card that charges low transaction fees translates to significant savings during your journey abroad.

There are 5 factors to consider while choosing a travel credit card:

1. Annual fees: look for cards with low annual fees and introductory discounts on joining so maintaining your card won't be a burden.
2. Reward points earning: most cards offer a fixed number of reward points for every INR100 you spend, while some offer 2x, 3x or even 5x reward points for certain travel-related purchases like room bookings, car rentals, fuel bills, etc., so having a card with more rewards means you can stack up your points faster.
3. Zero transaction fees on purchases abroad: choose a card that has no transaction fees on purchases abroad so you can avoid paying extra.
4. Expiring reward points: some reward points have expiry dates while some don't, so check before choosing the credit card.
5. Other perks: make sure you consider other perks like sign-up bonus, cashback and instant discounts.

Having the right travel credit card is a great way to make your travel dreams come true. Make sure you check the credit card benefits to make the most out of it.

^*Check the foreign exchange rate for any purchase decisions before using your credit card at international location or websites.

Disclaimer:

This publication has been issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), India, Incorporated in Hong Kong SAR with limited liability, for the information of its customers only. This publication does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe to any investment. The information herein is derived from sources believed to be reliable and the concerned Information Provider(s) have duly authorised HSBC to use such information provided by them. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling the information, HSBC and the concerned Information Provider(s) do not guarantee, or make any representation or warranty and accept no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness and shall not be liable for damages arising out of any person's reliance upon this information or any action taken or not taken as a result of any material contained in the publication. Expressions of opinion are those of HSBC and the Information Provider(s) only and are subject to change without notice. HSBC has not independently verified any information provided by the Information Provider (s) or that has been derived from the sources believed to be reliable by HSBC. Opinions expressed herein do not have regard to specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person who may receive this publication. This document is for circulation in India only. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written permission of HSBC. Any liability is accordingly expressly disclaimed by HSBC, its officers, directors and employees.