HSBC Live+ Cashback
HSBC India · Visa
Best for: Foodies and families whose budget leans toward dining, delivery and groceries
- Joining fee
- ₹999 + GST
- Annual fee
- ₹999 + GST
- Fee waiver
- Waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend
- Welcome bonus
- Introductory cashback or voucher offers for new cardholders (varies)
Rewards
10% accelerated cashback on dining, food delivery and groceries (capped monthly) plus 1.5% unlimited cashback on other spends, with complimentary domestic lounge visits.
| Dining, food delivery & groceries | 10% cashback (capped ~₹1,000/month) |
|---|---|
| All other eligible spends | 1.5% cashback, unlimited |
| Crediting | Auto-credited to the statement |
Features & benefits
10% on food and groceries
Accelerated 10% cashback on dining out, food delivery apps and grocery purchases, capped at around ₹1,000 per month.
1.5% unlimited base rate
All other eligible spends earn 1.5% cashback with no cap, among the better base rates in the market.
Domestic lounge visits
Complimentary domestic airport lounge visits each year per the prevailing program.
Auto-credited cashback
Cashback posts to the statement automatically, no redemption thresholds or portals.
Global card controls
Full control over limits, channels and international usage via the HSBC India app.
Pros & cons
Pros
- 10% cashback on dining, food delivery and grocery spends
- 1.5% unlimited base cashback beats most cards' unaccelerated rates
- Complimentary domestic lounge visits each year
- Cashback credits to the statement automatically
- Reasonable ₹999 fee with a ₹2 lakh waiver bar
Cons
- 10% category cashback is capped at around ₹1,000 per month
- HSBC issues cards in a limited list of cities and serviceable pin codes
- 3.5% forex markup despite the international brand
Fees & charges
| Joining fee | ₹999 + GST |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | ₹999 + GST (waived on ₹2 lakh annual spend) |
| Interest rate | Around 3.49% per month (approx. 41.9% p.a.) |
| Forex markup | 3.5% on international transactions |
| Late payment fee | Up to ₹1,300 depending on outstanding amount |
Eligibility & documents
| Age | 21 to 65 years |
|---|---|
| Income | Around ₹4 lakh+ annual income; serviceable-city residence required |
| Credit score | 750+ recommended |
| Documents | PAN, address proof, and income proof (salary slips or ITR) |
In-depth review
Overview
The HSBC Live+ takes aim at the single biggest line item in most urban Indian budgets: food. Dining out, ordering in and grocery runs all earn 10% cashback, with a solid 1.5% unlimited rate underneath for everything else. It is HSBC's most mainstream Indian card in years, and a genuinely competitive one.
Rewards and benefits
The 10% rate on dining, food delivery and groceries is the widest food-category acceleration on any mainstream Indian card, though the monthly cap of around ₹1,000 in accelerated cashback means roughly ₹10,000 of monthly food spending captures the full benefit. Beyond the cap, and on everything else, the 1.5% unlimited base rate quietly does the heavy lifting, it beats the 1% floor most cashback cards offer. Cashback credits to the statement automatically, and complimentary domestic lounge visits are a pleasant extra at this fee level.
Fees and fine print
The ₹999 + GST fee is waived at ₹2 lakh annual spend, an easy bar for the card's target household. Interest is around 3.49% per month and forex markup a standard 3.5%. The bigger constraint is availability: HSBC issues cards only in a limited set of cities and pin codes, so eligibility depends partly on where you live.
Verdict
For a household spending ₹8,000-₹12,000 a month on food and groceries, the Live+ effectively pays for itself several times over from the accelerated category alone, with the 1.5% base making it a credible everything-card too. If you live in a serviced city and food dominates your budget, it deserves a place on your shortlist alongside the SBI Cashback Card.
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