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Our verdict

This frequent flyer card has a Gold Status offer and a $0 annual fee in the first year, which goes to $450 after that.

The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card is a unique frequent flyer credit card that’s linked to one of the world’s largest airline alliance networks. With this card, every 1 Star Alliance Point you earn can be converted to 0.8 points or miles with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air New Zealand Airpoints, United Airlines MileagePlus and other frequent flyer partners.

Instead of introductory bonus points, this card offers complimentary Star Alliance Gold Status when you spend $4,000 in the first 90 days. This gives you benefits including global airport lounge access when flying with partnered airlines, additional checked baggage and priority check-in. You just need to choose which of the frequent flyer programs you want Gold Status for. You can also get Gold Status after the first year if you spend $60,000 per year with the card – equivalent to $5,000 a month. The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card also has a $450 annual fee after the first year and a 19.99% p.a. interest rate, which puts it on par with other top-tier frequent flyer and rewards cards. So you’ll get the most value from it if you can get Gold Status for upcoming travel – and if you pay it off as you go to make use of the interest-free days.

Pros

Gold Status introductory offer
$0 annual fee in the first year
Up to 1 Star Alliance Point per $1 on eligible spending
Transfer points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeromiles and other partner airlines
Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance

Cons

$450 annual fee after the first year
Relatively low $3,000 spend threshold before earning fewer points in each statement period
Points transfer to frequent flyer programs at a reduced rate (e.g. 1 to 0.8 KrisFlyer Miles)
3% foreign transaction fee

The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card provides travel perks that can be used with Star Alliance member airlines – including Air New Zealand, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and United. It earns 1 Star Alliance Point per $1 on eligible spending up to $3,000 per statement period, then 0.5 points per $1 after that.

It also offers fast-tracked Star Alliance Gold Status when you spend $4,000 in the first 90 days from account opening. This gives you access to premium frequent flyer perks including over 1,000 airport lounges, priority check-in and additional baggage on eligible flights. You’ll also save in the first year with a waived annual fee. But the $450 annual fee after that is at the higher end of the scale, so you’ll need to make sure the value you get from points and other perks is worth it.

Details

Product details

Product Name	HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card
Balance transfer rate p.a.	0% for 12 months with 2% balance transfer fee, then 21.99%
Balance transfer limit	90% of available limit
Purchase rate p.a.	19.99%
Interest-free period	Up to 55 days on purchases
Cash advance rate p.a.	21.99%
Min credit limit	$6,000
Max credit limit	$25,000
Card type	Visa

Eligibility

Available to temporary residents	No
Minimum income	$75,000
Joint application	No

Rewards

Rewards program	Star Alliance
Bonus points	N/A
Rewards points per $ spent	1
Rewards points cap	Uncapped

Fees

Annual fee	$0 first year ($450 after)
Minimum monthly repayment	3% of the closing balance or $20, whichever is greater
Late payment fee	$30
Foreign currency conversion fee	3%
Cash advance fee	3% or $4, whichever is greater
Overseas cash advance fee	3% of transaction amount or $4 (whichever is greater)
Additional cardholder fee	$0

How to apply

It takes about 10 minutes to apply for the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card online, and you'll get a response from HSBC within 60 seconds of submitting your application. To get started, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and have all the required document details on hand.

Eligibility criteria

Minimum income. You must earn at least $75,000 per year.
Residency. You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Age. You must be at least 18 years old to apply for a credit card in Australia.
Credit history. You usually need to have at least a "good" credit score for this type of card.

Required documents

Personal information. This includes your full name, date of birth, residential address, email address, contact number and identification such as your driver's licence number.
Employment details. You'll need to provide details of your current role and salary, as well as your employer's contact details. You may also need to provide several recent pay slips to verify your income.
Financial information. This includes details of any assets such as property, shares or savings, as well as existing debts. You'll also need to estimate your regular household spending on essentials such as food shopping and gas, electricity, phone and internet bills.
Frequent flyer details. When you apply, you'll need to nominate a "preferred Status Airline" (for the Gold Status offer) and add your frequent flyer membership details.

Card benefits

Introductory Gold Status offer. The HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card offers you Gold Status when you spend $4,000 in the first 90 days from account opening. The status will be awarded through your nominated, partnered frequent flyer program – for example, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. You'll be asked to choose this Status Airline when you enrol in the Star Alliance Rewards Program. Benefits include access to over 1,000 airport lounges, priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling, excess baggage allowance and other frequent flyer perks through your chosen program. Status will be granted within 30 days of meeting the spend requirement.
$0 annual fee in the first year. This card waives its annual fee in the first year, saving you $450 compared to the annual fee that applies from the second year on.

Annual Gold Status offer. After the first year, you can maintain Gold Status by spending $60,000 per year on eligible purchases with the card. While a few Australian credit cards have previously offered frequent flyer status credits, this offer is unique in providing Gold Status without the need to fly or earn a set number of status credits.
Annual Silver Status offer. If you spend $30,000 on eligible transactions every 12 months, you'll get Star Alliance Silver Status. This gives you access to a priority waitlist and priority airport standby for all eligible Star Alliance airlines and flights. Other silver perks depend on your chosen frequent flyer program.
Points per $1 spent. This card earns 1 Star Alliance Point per $1 on eligible transactions up to $3,000 per statement period, then 0.5 points per $1. Eligible transactions include most everyday spending. But transactions that won't earn points include cash advances, balance transfers and account fees and charges.
Point transfers. You can transfer your Star Alliance Points to 7 partnered frequent flyer programs at the following minimum transfer rates:
- Air Canada Aeroplan: 1,000 Star Alliance Points = 800 Aeroplan points
- Air New Zealand Airpoints: 1,250 Star Alliance Points = 10 Airpoints Dollars
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands: 1,000 Star Alliance Points = 800 Infinity MileageLands miles
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 1,000 Star Alliance Points = 800 KrisFlyer miles
- South African Airways Voyager: 1,000 Star Alliance Points = 800 Voyager miles
- Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus: 1,000 Star Alliance Points = 800 Royal Orchid Plus miles
- United Airlines MileagePlus: 1,000 Star Alliance Points = 800 MileagePlus miles
Complimentary travel insurance. Get access to complimentary domestic and international travel insurance, including some potential cover for claims relating to COVID-19 for international travel.
0% interest for 6 months on eligible flights. Use this card to pay for flights directly through a participating Star Alliance member website and you'll get an interest-free period of 6 months. After that, a 19.99% p.a. interest rate will apply to any remaining balance from the flights.
Purchase insurance covers. Eligible purchases made with this card are covered by extended warranty insurance and purchase protection insurance.

Rates & fees

Annual fee. Outside of any promotions, the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card has a $450 annual fee.
Interest rate for purchases. This card has a 19.99% p.a. interest rate for purchases, which is similar to other frequent flyer credit cards.

Interest-free days. You'll get up to 55 days interest-free on purchases when you pay your full account balance (excluding any balance transfer, cash transfer and promotional purchases) by the due date on each statement.
International transaction fee. A 3% fee applies for transactions made overseas or online in a foreign currency.

Sources

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Justin

April 16, 2024

Are supplementary card holders covered by travel insurance if travelling separately than the main card holder

Sarah Megginson Finder

June 27, 2024

Hi Justin,

No, the condition of the insurance policy is that it’s valid for the cardholder and their spouse/children when travelling together. If the cardholder is not travelling, the policy isn’t activated.

Jody ZHANG

January 29, 2024

Hello, Does the additional care holder enjoy the Golden Star Alliance benefit? Like lounge access, private check-in?

Amy Bradney-George Finder

January 31, 2024

Hi Jody,

Additional cardholders are not eligible for HSBC Star Alliance Rewards membership, so the benefits and offer is limited to the primary cardholder. But if the primary cardholder gets Gold Status, they may be able to share some of the status benefits with an additional cardholder when they’re travelling together. I hope this helps.

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January 15, 2024

Is there an age limit requirement for seniors for the complimentary insurance provided

Sarah Megginson Finder

January 15, 2024

Hi KL, I reviewed the PDS and there’s no mention of an age limit on the travel insurance. Other cards specifically call out an age limit, usually 75-80, but this is not outlined in HSBC’s policy documents. For confirmation, you can contact the underwriters, Allianz Global Assistance on 1800 648 093. Hope this helps!

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RJ Jones

November 09, 2023

Can Star Alliance Points be transferred or used to book on Aeroplan (Air Canada) with an Australia based HSBC Star Alliance card? Or is that a different zone within the group?

Amy Bradney-George Finder

November 10, 2023

Hi RJ,

Yes, Star Alliance Points can be transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan, with every 1,000 Star Alliance Points converting to 800 Aeroplan points. I hope this helps.

Thom

November 04, 2023

I am already a lifetime gold member with United. I read somewhere that I can opt out of being granted gold status for minimum spend and get a credit of 40000 Star Alliance points for doing so year after year. Can you confirm that this is correct, and if so, how can I do that during the application process?

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Amy Bradney-George Finder

November 06, 2023

Hi Thom,

Yes, you could get 40,000 Star Alliance Points instead of status but it’s not an option you can choose during the application process. According to the terms and conditions, it requires you to meet the requirements for gold status and to not select a frequent flyer program that you wish to have status with (referred to as a Participating Status FFP). You’d then need to wait for the period when you could choose a Participating Status FPP to end (referred to as the Qualification Period). If you have further questions about status or points with this card, you may want to contact Star Alliance Australia or HSBC directly. I hope this helps.

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HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card

Pros

Cons

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Eligibility criteria

Required documents

Card benefits

Rates & fees

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