The HSBC China Premier credit card is a pair of cards for the bank's Premier clients in Mainland China. It has no fee as long as you stay a Premier client, and it comes with overseas travel perks. Its points are a different story: of the conversion ratios HSBC China lists, this card's is the least generous. This guide goes through what HSBC lists in October 2026, how the points rules fit together, and who should hold the card.
The card at a glance
- RMB 1,000
- Main-card annual fee
- 2 cards
- One set
- 35 to 1
- Points to miles
- 3 years
- Points validity
Free in the first year and while you remain a Premier client
A UnionPay RMB Platinum and a Mastercard USD World
Each redemption a multiple of 10,000 miles
As HSBC lists it
Who can hold it
HSBC China says only clients with a Premier or higher account can apply. The card is a set: one UnionPay RMB Platinum card and one Mastercard USD World card. Each customer can hold one set of HSBC China credit cards, and each main cardholder can hold one set of supplementary cards. Applications run online where supported: you apply, HSBC approves, the cards are sent, and you activate them face to face at a branch. If your city cannot apply online, you apply at a designated branch.
How points are earned
HSBC's points page splits its cards into two groups, and says some card types differ, with the card page as the authority. The Premier credit card falls in the second group.
| Card type | Earning rate | Third-party payments |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC China credit card, formerly the Premier Travel credit card | RMB 1 = 1 point, USD 1 = 7 points | Alipay and Tenpay allowed, capped at 10,000 points a month |
| Other card types, including the Premier credit card | RMB 2 = 1 point, USD 2 = 7 points | Alipay and Tenpay payments earn no base points |
- Base points
- The points earned on the amount spent, before any extra for a category or place.
- Double points
- What the Premier card page lists for overseas spending. HSBC does not print the resulting rate in the text this guide was written from.
- Premier client
- A client with a Premier or higher account, which this card requires.
- Redemption multiple
- The step a mileage transfer must follow: 1,000 miles for most cards and 10,000 miles for this one.
HSBC also lists what earns nothing: the annual fee, interest, cash advance fees and charges, transfers and cash withdrawals, and spending in categories including property management, car purchases, wholesale, hospitals, schools and universities, charity, fines, tax, government services and a published list of merchant codes. The list can change.
What the points can do
HSBC China lists gifts and vouchers in its points mall, miles with partner airlines and a benefits platform. The conversion ratio is where this card differs from its siblings. The redemption page lists 18 points to a mile for the Travel credit card and 35 for the Premier credit card, and it makes the Premier card move miles in steps of 10,000.
For how transfers to airline programmes work in general, see transferable points.
Other benefits
HSBC lists these on the card page.
No international transaction access fee when the transaction currency differs from the billing currency.
Selected Mastercard offers on car rental, accommodation, shopping, dining and attractions abroad.
Global merchant offers under its home&Away programme.
A data roaming pack for the Mastercard USD card from a Mastercard-designated provider, redeemed through the Flexiroam X app, with a choice of one of three SIM cards, data for 150 countries and a 15% spending discount.
Lost-card cover of up to RMB 10,000 for unauthorised ordinary spending in the 48 hours before you report a lost, stolen or robbed card.
HSBC also lists limited-time offers that trade 9 points for video, food, music and transport benefits once a month's eligible spending passes a set amount. They are campaigns, so check the terms before you plan around one.
Is it right for you?
Fits you
- You already hold a Premier account, so the fee is nothing.
- You travel abroad often and want a USD Mastercard with no international transaction access fee.
- You value the lost-card cover and the roaming pack.
Think twice
- You want to turn points into miles, where 35 to 1 and the 10,000-mile step make it slow.
- You pay mostly through Alipay or Tenpay, which earn no base points.
- You do not hold a Premier account and would have to qualify for one only for this card.
Confirm you qualify
The card needs a Premier or higher account with HSBC China. Check the account's own requirements first.
Read the fee schedule
HSBC links a PDF of fees for card services. Read it before you apply.
Choose how to earn
Pay with the card itself rather than through Alipay or Tenpay, and read the excluded categories.
Plan the points
Work out whether you will ever reach 350,000 points before they expire, or whether you want them for gifts.
See also HSBC China Travel card for the card with the 18 to 1 ratio.
Questions people ask
Who can apply for the Premier credit card?
HSBC China says only clients with a Premier or higher account can apply. Each customer can hold one set of HSBC China credit cards, and each main cardholder one set of supplementary cards. If your city does not support online applications, HSBC asks you to apply at a designated branch.
What does it cost?
HSBC lists a standard main-card fee of RMB 1,000. The first year is free, and later years stay free while you are still a Premier client. Supplementary cards are free. Its fee schedule is a separate PDF.
What does it earn?
HSBC's points page lists RMB 2 per point and USD 2 for 7 points on card types other than its HSBC China credit card, formerly the Premier Travel credit card. Payments through Alipay and Tenpay earn no base points, and a list of categories such as tax, education and government services earns nothing. The Premier card's own page lists double points on overseas spending and says points are valid for 3 years.
How do points become miles?
At 35 points to one mile, for Asia Miles, Air China Phoenix Miles, British Airways Avios, Hainan Jinpeng points and China Southern Pearl Club, among HSBC's listed partners. Each redemption has to be a multiple of 10,000 miles for this card, which is 350,000 points.
What else does it include?
HSBC lists no international transaction access fee when the transaction currency differs from the billing currency, selected Mastercard offers, a data roaming package through the Flexiroam X app, and up to RMB 10,000 of cover for unauthorised spending in the 48 hours before you report a lost or stolen card.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 9, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
Cards in this guide
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.