Compare Best American Express Air Miles Credit Cards in Hong Kong

Compare best American Express air miles credit cards in Hong Kong to earn frequent flyer miles, enjoy airport lounges access and all kinds of travel and flight rewards. Read More
We found 3 American Express Credit Cards for you!
American Express Explorer® Credit Card
MoneySmart Exclusive
No expiry date for Membership Rewards points
Min. Annual Salary
HK$300,000
Miles Conversion (Eligible Local Transaction)*
HK$4.5 = 1 Mile
Complimentary Plaza Premium Lounge Access
8 times per Calendar Year
📣MoneySmart Exclusive: Elevate Your Rewards, Extend Your Journey!】
From now on until 31 October 2024, customers who successfully apply for the American Express Explorer Credit Card via MoneySmart can earn 108,000 American Express Membership Rewards points (eqv. to 6,000 miles) upon the qualified spending of HK$7,000 within the first 3 months. Receive an extra HK$100 rebate by first top up HK$300 via iPhone or Apple Watch to your Octopus in the first 3 months.

🛫 Zoom to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan with Ample Time!
Within the FIRST 6 MONTHS,
earn HK$2=1 mile on eligible foreign currency transactions, up to 720,000 Points, enough to redeem for 40,000 miles. Plus, earn HK$4.5=1 mile on eligible local transactions, up to 432,000 Points, enough to redeem for 24,000 miles. That's a potential of up to 64,000 bonus miles! Enroll to earn as low as HK$1.68 = 1 mile of overseas spend!
Valid until 31 Oct 2024 - See more details below
Apply Now
The Platinum Card
MoneySmart Exclusive
Enhanced Welcome Offer
Miles Conversion (Overseas Spending)
HK$6 = 1 Mile
Discount at designated restaurants
40%
Miles Conversion (Local Spending)
HK$9 = 1 Mile
【Game-Changing ! The Ultimate Choice for High-Spending Mileage: Enjoy up to 55,555 Miles!】
From now till October 31, 2024, customers who successfully apply for the Platinum Card via MoneySmart and accumulate spending amount of $50,000 within the first 3 months, can earn up to 1,000,000 Membership Rewards points! 1,000,000 Membership Rewards points is equivalent to HK$3,333 statement credit or HK$6,666 travel credit or 55,555 air miles, which is sufficient to redeem round trip tickets to Japan for two or round trip tickets to Europe!

Or earn up to HK$6,200 statement credit upon accumulation of $50,000 spending amount within first 3 months after successful application!

💡Reminder: If you would like to select up to HK$6,200 Statement Credit, click here to apply. Alternatively, if you prefer 1,000,000 MR points, you can simply click "Apply Now" to complete the application.
Valid until 31 Oct 2024 - See more details below
Apply Now
American Express® Platinum Credit Card
MoneySmart Exclusive
Up to 50% savings at designated restaurants
Min. Annual Salary
HK$300,000
Miles Conversion (overseas spend)
$6 = 1 Mile
Miles Conversion (local spend)
$6 = 1 Mile
【📣 Upgraded Welcome Offer: Valued up to HK$5,060 upon card approval!】
Apply via MoneySmart by 31 October 2024, and seize the rewards! Enjoy 4 complimentary movie tickets and a limited-time offer of 300,000 MR points. An aggregate spend of HK$5,000 within the first 3 months grants you 🆕 HK$1,500 Apple Store Gift Card or 300,000 MR points! Don't miss out on the chance to earn rewards up to HK$5,060 OR rewards up to HK$3,560 with 16,666 miles (converted by 300,000 MR points) — APPLY NOW!

You can receive HK$100 statement credit on Octopus top-ups upon  topping up your Mobile Octopus HK$300.

300,000 MR points is equivalent to HK$1,250 if you apply Pay with Points Max which is enough to redeem a free round-trip flight to Taiwan!

💡Reminder: If you would like to select 300,000 MR points, please click here to complete the application. Alternatively, if you prefer HK$1,500 Apple Store Gift Card, you can simply click "Apply Now" to complete the application.
Valid until 31 Oct 2024 - See more details below
Apply Now

Disclaimer: At MoneySmart.hk, we strive to keep our information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific product’s site. For any discrepancy in product information, please refer to the financial institution’s website for the most updated version. All financial products and services are presented without warranty. Additionally, this site may be compensated through third party advertisers. However, the results of our comparison tools which are not marked as sponsored are always based on objective analysis first.

Best Credit Cards in Hong Kong

Credit CardMinimum SalaryAnnual Fee
Standard Chartered Smart CardHK$96,000HK$0
Standard Chartered Asia Miles MastercardHK$96,000HK$1,800
Hang Seng MMPOWER CardHK$150,000HK$0
DBS Black World MastercardHK$240,000HK$2,000
American Express Platinum Credit CardHK$300,000HK$2,200
WeWa UnionPay CardHK$0HK$800
EarnMORE UnionPay CardHK$0HK$800
HSBC Red CardHK$120,000HK$0

HK Credit Card Offers

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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Compare Credit Cards in Hong Kong

Air Miles

Miles Credit Cards

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

Cashback

Cashback Credit Cards

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

Reward Points

Reward Points Credit Cards

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

Credit Card Promotions

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.

How to Choose the Best Credit Card for You in 3 Steps

There isn’t one credit card that is better than the rest. The best card for you depends on your lifestyle and regular spending habits. Here’s 3 ways to decide which card is best for you.

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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Credit Card Recommendations

Which cards suit me the most?

There's no best credit card that suits everyone. Let's pick a card based on your spending habits!

Our customer reviews on applying credit cards through MoneySmart

Looking to apply a credit card? Check out what our customers say about their experience of applying credit cards through MoneySmart (from Google Reviews)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is MoneySmart Referral Program?

Successful application through MoneySmart and accumulating eligible transactions of HK$300 or above can get HK$1,600 Apple Gift Card/759 store e-voucher/Beosound Explore Waterproof outdoor speaker (retail value $1,898) and 9,000 Miles (108,000 Points) (Fulfilled by Citibank). Get extra $300 for every friend you refer to apply. The more you refer, the more rewards you get!

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.

What exclusive offers can I enjoy if I apply for credit cards through MoneySmart?

MoneySmart partners with various banks in Hong Kong, such as Citibank and SCB to give exclusive offers. Click now to find the latest offers!