HSBC Live+ Credit Card – Benefits, Fees & Eligibility

HSBC Live+ Credit Card

Introduction

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card, formerly known as the HSBC Cashback Credit Card, is designed for individuals who frequently spend on dining, shopping, and food delivery. It offers a high cashback rate of 10% on dining, food delivery, and grocery spends, capped at INR 1,000 per month. Additionally, it provides an unlimited 1.5% cashback on most other retail expenditures. This card simplifies rewards as cashback is automatically credited to the card account within 45 days of the statement date, eliminating the need for manual redemption. Cardholders also benefit from complimentary domestic airport lounge access and exclusive welcome offers.

Welcome Benefits

• Earn INR 1,000 cashback upon downloading and logging into the HSBC India Mobile Banking app and spending INR 20,000 within the first 30 days of card issuance.
• Receive an INR 250 Amazon eGift Voucher when applying online, completing video self-verification, and receiving the card. This offer is valid from August 19, 2025, to September 30, 2025.

Fees

• Joining Fee: INR 999 + GST
• Renewal Fee: INR 999 + GST
  • The annual/renewal fee is waived if the cardholder spends INR 2,00,000 or more in the preceding year.
• Rewards Redemption Fee: Nil
• Foreign Currency Markup: 3.5%
• Interest Rates: 3.75% per month
• Fuel Surcharge: 1% fuel surcharge is applicable on fuel transactions.
• Cash Advance Charges: 2.5% of the withdrawn amount, with a minimum charge of INR 500.

Rewards

• Cashback
  • Earn 10% accelerated cashback on dining, food delivery, and grocery spends, capped at INR 1,000 per billing cycle/month.
  • Enjoy 1.5% unlimited cashback on most other eligible retail expenditures.
  • Cashback Exclusions (1.5% unlimited cashback does not apply to transactions in these categories):
    • Fuel-related (MCC 5541, 5983, 5172, 5542, 5552)
    • E-wallets (MCC 6540)
    • Property management fees, rental commissions, rental payments (MCCs 6513, 7012, 7349)
    • Business to business transactions (MCCs 7399, 7311, 7372, 5045, 5047, 5065, 5072, 5111, 5013, 2741, 5137, 5192, 5193, 5131, 7361, 5085, 7333, 5039, 7379, 5021, 5199, 5122, 5099, 5198, 5139, 7829, 7395, 5051, 5046, 5169, 7375, 5074, 8734, 5044, 2842, 2791)
    • Education and government-related transactions (MCCs 9399, 8299, 8220, 8211, 8241, 9311, 8244, 8249, 9222, 9402, 9211, 9405, 9950, 9223, 8351)
    • Insurance (MCC 6300, 5960)
    • Jewellery and antique items (MCC 5944, 5094, 5932, 5937)
    • Gambling (MCC 7995)
    • Tolls and bridge fees (MCC 4784)
    • Cash withdrawals
    • Credit repayments
    • Foreign currency, liquid and cryptocurrency assets (MCC 6011, 6010, 6012, 6051)
    • Security broker services (MCC 6211)
    • Collection agencies (MCC 7322)
    • Charity (MCC 8398, 8641)
    • Money transfers (MCC 4829)
    • Wholesale clubs (MCC 5300)
    • Utilities - electric, gas, water and sanitary (MCC 4900)
  • Illustrative Cashback Example (monthly):
    • Dining: INR 11,500 transaction value, 10% cashback earned INR 1,150
    • Food delivery: INR 5,000 transaction value, 10% cashback earned INR 500
    • Groceries: INR 9,000 transaction value, 10% cashback earned INR 900
    • Hotel: INR 15,000 transaction value, 1.5% cashback earned INR 225
    • Medicine: INR 3,000 transaction value, 1.5% cashback earned INR 45
    • Shopping: INR 15,000 transaction value, 1.5% cashback earned INR 225
    • Utilities: INR 500 transaction value, 0% cashback earned INR 0
    • Grand total: INR 59,000 total transaction value, INR 1,495 total cashback earned (considering 10% cap)
• Dining
  • Up to 15% discount on dining with the Live+ Dining Programme at over 1,000 restaurants across major Indian cities.
  • Get 15% off on EazyDiner.
  • 10% cashback on dining and food delivery spends (part of the capped 10% cashback category).
• Movies
  • Buy 2 Get 1 Free offer on movie tickets via BookMyShow on Saturdays. The maximum price of the free ticket is INR 250, and tickets can be booked for any day of the week.
  • Earn 1.5% unlimited cashback on entertainment spending, including movies and shows.
• Travel
  • Domestic Lounge: Receive 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per year, limited to one visit per quarter.
  • Earn 1.5% unlimited cashback on selected categories when travelling abroad.
• Insurance
  • Receive an insurance cover worth INR 3,00,000 against card misuse, effective for up to 24 hours prior to reporting the loss of the card.
• Lifestyle
  • Access curated offers on the Visa Digital Concierge app.

Rewards Redemption Guide

• Cashback earned on the HSBC Live+ Credit Card is automatically credited to your credit card account.
• The cashback amount is typically credited within 45 days of the card statement date.
• This is a cashback-based card, and no separate reward points redemption process is required.

Card Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility Rules:
  • Applicants must be Indian residents.
  • Age of the applicant should be between 18 and 65 years.
  • Salaried individuals must have a minimum annual income of INR 4,00,000.
  • Applicants must reside in one of the following cities: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, or Pune.
• Documents Required:
  • For salaried employees: Latest salary slip.
  • Alternatively, if already a credit card user: Front side of the existing card and its latest credit card statement.
  • Proof of residence.
  • Identity proof.
  • Permanent Account Number (PAN) card.
  • Note: This is a reference list; additional documents might be requested during the credit card application process.

Card Review

The HSBC Live+ Credit Card is an excellent choice for individuals whose major credit card expenditures are on online shopping, dining, groceries, and food delivery, given its substantial 10% cashback on these categories. A significant advantage is the automatic crediting of cashback within 45 days of the statement date, eliminating the hassle of manual reward redemption and offering flexibility beyond specific brand ties. Key strengths include competitive cashback rates, valuable welcome benefits (up to INR 1,000 cashback and an Amazon eGift Voucher), and complimentary domestic airport lounge access, making it a well-rounded offering for everyday spenders.

• Pros:
  • High cashback (10%) on essential categories like dining, food delivery, and groceries.
  • Unlimited 1.5% cashback on most other retail spends.
  • Automatic cashback credit, simplifying the rewards process.
  • Complimentary domestic airport lounge access (4 per year).
  • Attractive welcome benefits including cashback and an Amazon eGift Voucher.
  • "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" movie ticket offer on BookMyShow.
  • Offers on dining programs (up to 15% off).
  • Supports contactless payments with Visa Paywave technology.
  • Free add-on cards available.
  • Cashback is applicable to EMI transactions.
  • Includes insurance cover against card misuse.
• Cons:
  • The 10% cashback on accelerated categories is capped at INR 1,000 per month.
  • A comprehensive list of exclusions applies to the 1.5% unlimited cashback category.
  • Eligibility is restricted to residents of specific cities.
  • A joining and renewal fee applies, although the renewal fee can be waived with a specific annual spend.
  • A foreign currency markup of 3.5% applies to international transactions.

Important Product Details

• Cashback System:
  • 10% accelerated cashback on dining, food delivery, and grocery spends, capped at INR 1,000 per billing cycle.
  • 1.5% unlimited cashback on most other eligible transactions.
  • Specific Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) are excluded from cashback eligibility, including fuel, e-wallets, rental payments, B2B transactions, education, government, insurance, jewellery, gambling, tolls, cash advances, foreign currency assets, security broker services, collection agencies, charity, money transfers, wholesale clubs, and utilities.
• Fees & Waivers:
  • Joining Fee: INR 999 + GST.
  • Annual/Renewal Fee: INR 999 + GST, which is waived upon spending INR 2,00,000 in the previous year.
  • Rewards Redemption Fee: Nil.
  • Foreign Currency Markup: 3.5%.
  • Interest Rate: 3.75% per month.
  • Fuel Surcharge: 1% is applicable.
  • Cash Advance Charges: 2.5% of the withdrawn amount, with a minimum charge of INR 500.
• Welcome Benefits:
  • INR 1,000 cashback for spending INR 20,000 within the first 30 days and logging into the HSBC India Mobile Banking app.
  • INR 250 Amazon eGift Voucher for online application with video self-verification.
• Dining & Entertainment:
  • Up to 15% discount with the Live+ Dining Programme and 15% off on EazyDiner.
  • Buy 2 Get 1 Free movie tickets on BookMyShow on Saturdays (maximum INR 250 value for the free ticket).
• Travel Benefits:
  • 4 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits annually (one per quarter).
• Security & Convenience:
  • Insurance cover of INR 3,00,000 against card misuse (up to 24 hours prior to reporting loss).
  • Supports contactless payments with Visa Paywave technology (no PIN required for transactions up to INR 5,000).
  • Card activation is available via the HSBC India Mobile Banking app for both primary and supplementary cards.
  • Add-on cards are available without any additional fee.
  • Cashback is also applicable to EMI transactions.
• Cashback Crediting: Cashback is automatically credited to the credit card account within 45 days of the statement date.

Other Details

• The card was previously known as the HSBC Cashback Credit Card before being rebranded as HSBC Live+ Credit Card.
• The card is best suited for individuals with significant spending on shopping and food.
• It operates purely on a cashback reward system, not a reward points system.
• Customer Care:
  • Toll-free numbers: 18002673456 or 18001212208.
  • General inquiries: Available from 6
    a.m. to 8
    p.m.
  • Reporting loss of card: Available 24x7.
• Card Activation: Primary and supplementary cards can be activated instantly via the HSBC India Mobile Banking app.
• Important Documents/Information Available for Download (PDFs):
  • Domestic Lounge List: Live+ Lounge Access
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Key things you should know
  • Live+ Credit Card Service Guide
  • Credit card limit review form
  • Acquisition offer terms and conditions