Best Credit Cards in Hong Kong

Compare Hong Kong credit cards to earn most air miles, cashback and welcome offers, apply through MoneySmart to get extra rewards!

Best Credit Cards in Hong Kong 2022

Credit Card	Minimum Salary	Annual Fee
Standard Chartered Smart Card	HK$96,000	HK$0
Citi Rewards MasterCard	HK$150,000	HK$1,800
Standard Chartered Asia Miles Mastercard	HK$96,000	HK$1,800
Hang Seng MPOWER Card	HK$150,000	HK$0
DBS Black World Mastercard	HK$240,000	HK$2,000
American Express Cathay Pacific Elite Credit Card	HK$300,000	HK$1,800
American Express Platinum Credit Card	HK$300,000	HK$2,200
WeWa UnionPay Card	HK$0	HK$800
EarnMORE UnionPay Card	HK$0	HK$800
Citi Cash Back Visa Card	HK$240,000	HK$1,800
HSBC Red Card	HK$120,000	HK$0
DBS COMPASS VISA	HK$100,000	HK$1,800
Dah Sing ONE+ Credit Card	HK$150,000	HK$1,800

HK Credit Card Offers

HSBC Credit Cards

HSBC cards feature an attractive rewards program- the Red Hot Rewards. This program allows all cardholders to collect reward points for eligible transactions with the earning ration of HK$250 = 1 RewardCash, which can be converted into shopping coupons, air miles or cash rebates.

Standard Chartered Credit Cards

All Standard Chartered customers can earn rewards for eligible purchases. Rewards range from Asia Miles (with the Standard Chartered Asia Miles card), cashback, or 360° Rewards Points. Cardholders can exchange points for vouchers at merchants such as PARKnSHOP and IKEA. Other shopping categories include electronics, lifestyle products, and travel.

Citibank Credit Cards

Citi PremierMiles Card and Citi Rewards Card are the signature cards for Citibank. The former one is a good choice for collecting Asia Miles with the earning ratio of HK$8=1 mile with no mileage conversion fee while the latter one offers many travel perks including up to 12 times of free access to the airport lounge. Moreover, you can earn bonus reward points for spending in supermarkets and department stores. These points can be redeemed for cash coupons, miles, or used to offset purchases.

DBS Credit Cards

DBS Black Card is famous for collecting miles. All DBS personal credit card holders (except for COMPASS VISA cardholders) can earn DBS $1 for every HK$250 spending, which can be used for cash rebate or other rewards under the Reward Scheme. But changes to the type of reward scheme can only be made once a year.

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Air Miles

Miles Credit Cards

Standard Chartered Asia Miles Mastercard: HK$4/ mile for dining and online spending
Citi PremierMiles Card: HK$3/ mile for foreign currency transactions
American Express Cathay Pacific Elite Credit Card: HK6/ 1.5 mile for foreign currency spending

Cashback

Cashback Credit Cards

Standard Chartered Simply Cash Visa Card: 2% rebates on foreign currency transactions
Citi Cash Back Visa Card: 2% rebates on global dining and hotel spending
EarnMORE UnionPay Card: 2% rebates on all spending

Reward Points

Reward Points Credit Cards

Citi Rewards Card: 5x points all-year-round at supermarkets, department stores, and telecom providers
HSBC Visa Signature Card: Up to 14x “RewardCash” for selected categories

Year-Round Offers

Enjoy year-round privileges at dining, shopping and travel hotspot throughout the year with your credit card. For movie lovers, get buy-1-get-1-free on Friday movie tickets at UA Cinemas with UnionPay Diamond Credit Cards. Visa Signature cardholders can enjoy up to HK$200 off upon designated spending amount at restaurants like Limewood and Sip Song.

Free Airport Lounge Access

Credit Cards often provide complimentary airport lounge access which some might even allow free companions entry. Take AE Platinum Card as an example, the principal card owner is entitled to a free membership in Priority pass, which allows access to over 1,000 lounges in the world. Citi Prestige Card cardholders can also get access to Mastercard Airport LoungeKey lounges worldwide.

Welcome Gift

Welcome offers come in various types including cash rebate, air miles, coupons or gifts. Popular gift options including suitcases and electronic devices. For example, DBS COMPASS VISA gives you a Le Maurice suitcase and WeWa UnionPay Card gives you a Jabra wireless headphone as a welcome gift.

Step 1

Identify the type of card that best fits your lifestyle

Firstly, you want to make sure you are benefitting from the things that you spend the most money on. For example, if you spend the most on dining every month, it would make sense to get a card that maximizes the benefits you get from spending all that money eating out.

Step 2

Understand your intentions

It’s important to think about how you intend on using your card benefits. Do you prefer immediate cash rebates? Or would you prefer to collect and redeem Asia miles? Understanding what types of benefits you’d like is a major factor in deciding which card would be better for you.

Step 3

Consider the charges in the Terms and Conditions

Dig deeper into the card details to find one with the best overall value. For example, what is the expiry date for point redemptions? What are the international and domestic transfer fees? What is the required spending before you qualify for the sign-up bonus? These are a few of the important questions to think through as you shop for your new card.

5 Types of Hong Kong Credit Cards

Hong Kong credit cards are from 5 major card issuers. Visa and Mastercard take up most of the market, followed by American Express, UnionPay, and JCB. Visa and Mastercard are card issuers with a long history and are accepted everywhere in the world. On the other hand, American Express can be used in 130+ countries.

UnionPay credit cards are great for spending in China. Many Hong Kong banks have launched UnionPay dual-currency credit cards, such as HSBC UnionPay Dual Currency Credit Card and Standard Chartered UnionPay Dual Currency Platinum Credit Card to benefit frequent travelers to mainland China.

JCB credit cards are perfect for those who travel often to Japan because they offer many discounts on spending in Japan. Currently, only BEA and AEON have launched JCB credit cards in Hong Kong.

What Are the Easiest Credit Cards to Get Approved for?

Low Income Requirement Credit Cards

Many credit cards specify a low minimum income and some cards such as EarnMORE UnionPay Card and WeWa UnionPay Card do not specify a minimum income, which is ideal for housewives/ freelancers or tertiary school students to apply. Submitting your proof of asset increases your chances of getting approved, but you may still get approved without it.

No Annual Fee Credit Cards

A credit card with no annual fee helps cardholders save on card costs and maximise the rewards cardholders earn. Cardholders can enjoy no fees for life or within the promotional period depending on the type of cards you apply.

What Credit Card is Best?

There is no absolute for the best credit card, you should choose credit cards based on your spending habits. Pick credit cards with different spending categories based on your habits to earn the most rewards. For reward point credit cards, you can redeem cash rebates, air miles, coupons, and other gifts, giving you higher flexibility. Air miles credit cards are suitable for frequent flyers who would take the effort to research on collecting miles. Cashback credit cards are suitable for those who don’t spend a lot and want to get rebates directly.

Which is better: Visa or Mastercard credit card?

Visa and Mastercard credit cards are both globally accepted and offer different perks for members in different tiers, the most common types of Visa and Mastercard credit cards include Visa Platinum, Visa Signature, Visa Infinite, Titanium & Platinum Mastercard, World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard.

Both Visa and Mastercard offer its own network benefits including travel, luxury hotel, dining and more when it comes to foreign spending, Mastercard often offers slightly better exchange rate, but for everyday card users, there is not much difference between Visa and Mastercard. It is suggested to find the right credit card by focusing on each card offer and perks of your choice, and be aware of annual fee, cash back, air miles or rewards that you are looking for.

How many credit cards can I apply for?

There is no absolute limit on the number of credit cards you can have. Having more than one credit card can allow you to get different credit card offers and benefits for different cards, you can also earn various rewards like air miles or cashback on your daily spending.

However, applying for too many credit cards at a time can hurt your credit score and the chances of credit card approval. Even though the damage on credit scores are only temporary, if you are hoping to get a mortgage or personal loan in the coming months, it is best to keep your credit report nice and clean.

Common Credit Card Fees

Annual fees aren’t the only type of credit card charges you might be paying. Many of these other common fees will impact the benefits you earn, so be mindful of them and actively monitor your spend.

Balance transfer fees

Charged when you move a balance from one card to another, usually 3-4% of the amount.

Late payment fees

If you don’t pay at least the minimum payment on your credit card payment due date, you may incur a late payment fee, usually $80-350 HKD.

Foreign transaction fees

If you love to travel, be cautious of this fee whenever a purchase is made outside of Hong Kong, as it is typically between 3-4% of the purchase amount.

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Travel Credit Cards

Types of Credit Cards

Frequently Asked Questions

What exclusive offers can I enjoy if I apply for credit cards through MoneySmart?: MoneySmart partners with various banks in HK to offer exclusive application offers: successful applicants of SC Smart Card/Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard can get $1000 Apple Gift card/Cash Coupon. Find out more exclusive offers on MoneySmart Now!
Can foreigners apply for credit cards in Hong Kong?: Non-permanent residents can submit credit card application online together with supporting documents which include identity proof (e.g passport), income/ employment proof and address proof for approval.
Which credit card is best in Hong Kong?: There is no single card that suits everyone. Card applicant should pick credit cards with different spending categories to earn the most rewards. For reward point credit cards, cardholders can exchange for cash rebates, air miles, coupons, and other gifts flexibly. Air miles credit cards are suitable for frequent flyers who don’t mind the complicated redemption procedure. Cashback credit cards are suitable for low spenders to get rebates directly.
Do taxis in Hong Kong accept credit cards?: Generally speaking, no. Taxi fare needs to be settled by cash in Hong Kong.
Which credit card has the best foreign exchange rate?: It varies from providers to providers. It is best to check on the card issuer’s website for the exact foreign exchange rate on the day of the transaction. To make your money go further, you should also consider other factors like transaction fees, earning ratio, etc. when choosing which card to use overseas.
Which credit card has no foreign exchange fee?: Most UnionPay Cards do not charge a foreign exchange fee. But it doesn’t mean that it’s best to use UnionPay Cards for foreign transactions. To make your hard-earned money go further, other factors like transaction fees, earning ratio, etc. should also be taken into consideration.
Does Hong Kong take credit cards?: Yes. Visa, Mastercard, Union Pay and American Express credit cards are widely accepted in Hong Kong.
Can I use my credit card in Hong Kong?: Visa and Mastercard can be accepted worldwide but cardholders need to be aware that foreign transactions fee may apply. If cardholders wish to pay in his/ her preferred currency other than the local currency, Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) will be charged in addition to the foreign transaction fee.