AU Bank vs HSBC Credit Cards: 12% on a Cap or 10% With a Bigger Budget

Both banks pitch cashback on everyday categories, but they ask for different incomes and give different ceilings. AU's best everyday cards are lifetime-free and RuPay. HSBC's are paid, Visa Infinite or RuPay, and cap rewards per category. The cleanest question is how much you spend each month.

Headline cashback

AU's CheQ card is lifetime-free and pays up to 12% on online shopping and utilities, capped at ₹5,000 a month, plus 2.5% elsewhere. The AU LIT pays 5% on dining and online shopping (₹500 monthly cap each). HSBC Live+ pays 10% on dining, groceries, utilities and online shopping, with a ₹1,200 monthly cap per category, at ₹999 a year, waived at ₹2 lakh. See the Live+ review.

For a card that costs nothing, CheQ is stronger, though its rewards come in CheQ's own points. For a broad spread of categories with a higher dining and groceries ceiling, Live+ is more flexible, but it needs ₹100,000 a month of income.

RuPay on UPI

HSBC's RuPay Cashback costs ₹499, pays 10% on dining and groceries (₹400 monthly cap) and needs ₹30,000 monthly income. AU has more RuPay cards: LIT, CheQ, KOSMO at 1.5% and Paytm AU, which is lifetime-free. Paytm AU gives up to 12 domestic airport lounge visits a year, and its 2% on Paytm Scan & Pay stays inside the Paytm app. If you want a UPI-linked credit card, see our RuPay credit cards on UPI guide. AU has the longer RuPay list.

Fees from entry to mid-range

AU's Altura costs ₹199 and its Prathama ₹100; both are small and waivable. HSBC's lifetime-free Visa Platinum and RuPay Platinum have low base rewards and mostly serve as fuel-waiver cards. At the low end, AU gives more.

Travel

HSBC TravelOne costs ₹4,999, waived at ₹8 lakh, with 4 international and 6 domestic lounge visits a year, 4% on travel and 1:1 transfers to 14+ partners, at a 3.5% forex markup. AU's Zenith costs ₹7,999, gives 2 lounge visits of each type a quarter and charges 3.49%; Zenith Plus lists 16 of each a year at 0.99%. HSBC wins on transfers; AU on lounge count and forex.

Super-premium

HSBC Premier costs ₹20,000 a year, charges 0.99% forex, and needs ₹300,000 a month of income. Taj and Privé are above it. AU has nothing equivalent. That part of the comparison is lopsided toward HSBC, with the caveat that Premier ties to HSBC's banking tiers.

Who should take which

A student or young professional on UPI should start with AU CheQ or LIT. A household with ₹100,000 monthly income and spread spending should price Live+. A frequent flyer who values miles should price TravelOne, while one who values lounge visits should look at AU Zenith Plus.

Further reading

See the AU Bank credit cards guide and the HSBC credit cards guide. For HSBC's cashback card against a big-bank rival, read HSBC Live+ vs HDFC Millennia.