i was thinking of closing my premier account as well but keep the card for aging... is it possible to switch to a no annual fee card?

could someone summarize why one should have this card? are the points transferable? it seems like not worth if you're not premier customer to begin with...and even then it hardly seems worth?

The points can be transferred to BA and SQ.

I imagine it would be possible to switch to the Platinum card, but your best bet is to call them and ask.

Answer varies by country of issue, and circumstances. If you benefit from the account relationship the USA credit card is a useful aspect.

Why HSBC Premier? We have two homes, one in Miami, one in London, HSBC branch within walking distance of each. Instantaneous transfers between USD and GBP accounts, UK cards issued based on USA relationship with same credit limit.

Why credit card? USA MasterCard Chip & Signature. Contactless works in UK. No foreign transaction fee. No annual fee. $1 = 1 point = 1 mile @ BA, CX, SQ. Targeted earning promotions with low caps. Transfer bonuses to BA.

UK MasterCard Chip & PIN. No contactless. 2.99% Foreign transaction fee. No annual fee. Rewards program recently revised due to EU transaction fee cap GBP 2 = 2 points = 1 mile @ BA, CX, EY, SQ.

Thank you for the prompt response guys. I now see why people have this card. It sounds pretty decent actually but it isn't for me though.

Has anyone used their US HSBC Premier debit card at a non-US ATM that charges third-party fees (e.g. most ATMs in Thailand)? I know HSBC explicitly states they will refund third-party ATM fees in the US (ex-NY) but I for sure received a nearly $7 refund from US HSBC when I was charged by a Chilean ATMs for making a withdrawal there back in 2013... not sure if the refund was a glitch on the parts of HSBC or this still works..

I am particularly interested to hear about experiences of using HSBC debit cards in Thai ATMs where most (maybe except for Citibank) ATMs charges non-Thai issued debit cards a 200 THB fee... Did you eventually get a refund from US HSBC?

I have used it in Thailand in January and did not get a refund. The system likely can't tell the difference because it's all just one crazy lumped converted amount. That is, in America you take out $500 and get hit with $3 and the system sees $503 and refunds $3. In Thailand I take out 20,000 THB and they add 200 THB but that's $569.23 and so the system doesn't know how to refund properly. I've used HSBC debit card for years in Thailand (and most recently in Jan) and again have never had a refund.

A trick to save is to go to Citibank on Sukhumvit & Asoke where they allow you to take out 30,000 THB at a time (so at least lowering the number of times you have to eat that fee).

Not HSBC related but my SF Fire CU Visa Debit card somehow knew what the ATM fee was in Japan (most ATMs in Japan are fee free, but I managed to find two that weren't :)

Hmmm, that's interesting. I have a Citigold ATM card that also reimburses fees. I always get reimbursed domestically, and never abroad. So basically HSBC Premier and Citigold ATM don't reimburse Internationally (and I've been to 70+ countries). Wild to see a card that reimburses. Might have to look into it.

i called and they were somewhat clueless. Said that many times the card is not downgraded, sometimes it is. not sure when.
the terms state a annual fee if not premier, but again, no timeframe when the fee would hit. the rep did not know about the annual fee at all.

ialto

HSBC Premier MasterCard (USA) transfer bonus:

Based on prior promotions this will likely be USA-only. Other markets have their own promotional calendar.

Yup, here are the T&C's. Making a transfer now :)

https://www.us.hsbc.com/1/2/home/per...r-world-mc/ba?

the 30% bonus seems tempting but has anyone recalled any past promotions to otherairlines? wondering if i should wait because i dont fly to england and if i do, i would jump on a airfare deal, and when they appear online, theres only a small chance with there being so many airlines, that it would be a flight sale from BA.

unless i can convert the avios points from them into cathay pacific asia miles?

example:

route 10,000 hsbc pts into BA, becomes 13,000 avios pts

route 13,000 avios into cathay asia miles pts

BA points cannot be converted to Asia Miles, but they can be redeemed for travel on flights operated by all OneWorld alliance airlines including American Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Spend some time reading this thread, including all of the posts 1 - 11:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...os-2016-a.html