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HSBC: Credit card reviews

Name: Credit card
Rating: 3.47 (116 reviews)

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2.94

Based on 116 reviews, last reviewed 16th Sep 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

75% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

40%

20%

11%

23%

Latest highest rating:

4

The service is good. The service is good. I do not like the way they in branch business is done in public in the foyer. It feels scruffy, impersonal and not secure Reviewed on: 15th September 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

Not the simplest of credit cards Difficult to activate. Difficult to make on line payments. Just difficult all round, and no high street branch for 20 miles.. I've cut mine up. Reviewed on: 16th September 2025

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About this product

With the HSBC Purchase Plus credit card, you can get a period of interest free purchases and balance transfers.

There's no annual fee for the Purchase Plus credit card. You can use your card in all countries and regions supported by the Visa and Mastercard networks. Fees apply, and non-HSBC cash machines may also charge a fee.

HSBC Purchase Plus credit card reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used HSBC before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

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HSBC Credit card reviews (116)

Perfect

Very good and easy transaction at any time Reviewed on: 10th April 2019

HSBC - The World's Worst Bank

HSBC may be "the world's local bank", but more notably they're the world's worst! I have never had a worse banking experience than with HSBC, they are unhelpful (especially to existing customers), uncompetitive (both in terms of lending rates and banking services) and moreover they're completely incompetent. Thankfully it's been years since I held a current account with this shameful institution (never again shall I make that mistake) but last week I foolishly applied for a 0% balance transfer credit card with them. I'll bullet-point the chaos that ensued to save time: - Nearly a week after my application, without providing even an email confirmation to acknowledge that they had received it, they finally contacted me by email to request further information. - Despite me passing a credit check with ease, they requested that I upload copies of my last 3 payslips and last 3 month's bank statements. In hindsight this was a ludicrous request considering I had passed the credit check, but I figured I was committed by this point so I obliged and uploaded the documents through their frustrating online service. - A further 2 working days after this (again, no email confirmation) I finally receive a call from their frankly downright rude and abrasive credit card team. They start by challenging my declared salary, insisting that they've 'done the math' and it adds up to less than I've declared. Now, like any normal human being on this planet, I know what my annual salary is - so I questioned what 'math' they had done to arrive at this bizarre conclusion. It transpires they are calculating my annual basic salary post-tax and post corporate deductibles (company benefits, pension, etc.). That's not right is it? Damn straight it's not right, in fact, I've been back to their online application screen since to check and it clearly states that they want your annual income BEFORE tax. In any case, there was no reasoning with this particular moron who was adamant they had read my payslips correctly (they hadn't - my salary before tax is clearly stated and if you multiply it by 12, guess what? it adds up to my declared annual income!). In less polite words than I'm using now I 'requested' that they cancel my application and swipe their 0% card somewhere other than a card reader. - 20 minutes later I applied online for a similar card with Santander. - My application was accepted immediately. The moral of this story is: DON'T EVER BANK WITH HSBC, EVER, FOR ANY REASON! With love, Sam Reviewed on: 7th March 2019

excellent hsbc credit card

Whilst registering online is a bit daunting, this service is beyond reproach. Very logical set up and user interface, which is uncluttered and functional. Whilst up-to date, the website is old school, in that it does not bombard with millennial slang and remembers that many of us are over-25 and do not want pointless gimmicks. This it does very well. Good customer service too. I highly recommend this service. For once I cannot complain. Reviewed on: 2nd February 2019

How many security questions?

My main gripe was the complete nightmare it is to set up online banking, phone calls, telephone security codes, questions, phrases, stupid bits of plastic, downloading app to generate yet another code. No other bank I have dealt with makes it such a fiasco. The customer service were patronizing, sounded bored and reading from a script. Glad I'm only using for the 0% balance transfer so won't have much occasion to log in as I suspect I'll have to reset the whole lot again as I cant what was the security passphrase and which was the security passcode! Reviewed on: 30th January 2019

Excellent service

We always receive excellent service from HSBC for all our accounts. Their security features are excellent and good interest rates. Reviewed on: 13th January 2019

Helped me

Needed help in a tough time and the 0% credit card helped me so much Reviewed on: 4th January 2019

Easy simple product

would recommend credit card no issues Reviewed on: 17th December 2018

Great to start with First time banking in UK

There is no doubt to start a bank account at very first time in UK. Provides great flexibility to a customer to have banking account and credit card at very first day when you approach HSBC Bank unlike other banks in UK. surprisingly HSBC follows and provides great fraud prevention based on the usage of your credit cards. Especially fast balance option is great innovative idea to see my balance without logging on the app. Clear details and description on the card statements. Thanks HSBC for being my first bank in UK and provides Credit card on first day. Reviewed on: 7th December 2018

Nice product to improve your credit score.

Product born to build a credit score in the UK. Difficult re paying option. Reviewed on: 3rd December 2018

Standard Credit Card

Very boring credit card, doesn't really offer any benefits and doesn't have the best rates on the market. Reviewed on: 22nd November 2018

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