The HSBC Revolution Card received a major overhaul in 2020, which added 10X points (4 mpd) on a wide range of bonus categories including travel, shopping, dining, and transport. The annual fee was permanently removed, and cardholders get a free copy of The Entertainer on top of all that.
These changes have made the HSBC Revolution one of my go-to cards, and I religiously max out the monthly 10X cap (S$1,000) without fail.
For those of you yet to get one, the HSBC Revolution has just launched a new sign-up offer which runs from now till 28 February 2021.
 HSBC Revolution |
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| Income Req. | Annual Fee |
| S$30,000 | None |
| Apply here | |
| Read the Full Review | |
HSBC Revolution Sign-Up Offer: New Customers
New-to-bank customers who apply by 28 February 2021 can choose between S$180 cashback or S$200 of Lazada vouchers when they spend a minimum of S$800 during the qualifying spending period (see below).
| New-to-bank customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal HSBC credit card, and have not in the last 12 months |
The qualifying spending period depends on when your card was approved:
| Card Opening Date | Qualifying Spend Period | Notification Date |
| 1-31 Jan 2021 | 1 Jan- 28 Feb 2021 | By 31 Mar 2021 |
| 1-28 Feb 2021 | 1 Feb- 31 Mar 2021 | By 30 Apr 2021 |
| 1-15 Mar 2021* | 1 Mar-30 Apr 2021 | By 31 May 2021 |
| *Why “1-15 Mar 2021” when the deadline is 28 Feb 2021? The latter refers to the application submission date, while the former refers to the card approval date | ||
The mechanics mean that it’s always better to apply towards the start of the month, as it gives you up to two months to meet your qualifying spend.
For the sake of comparison, the previous sign-up gift was a choice of S$150 cashback or a Samsonite Prestige 69cm Spinner Exp luggage.
HSBC Revolution Sign-Up Offer: Existing Customers
Existing customers who apply by 28 February 2021 will receive S$30 cashback when they spend a minimum of S$800 during the qualifying spending period (see below).
An important point to note: HSBC is doing something rather unusual with their definition of “existing customers”. While most banks simply define them as “anyone who isn’t a new customer”, HSBC adds the further conditions:
- Existing HSBC Credit Card* must be issued more than 12 months earlier;
- Did not cancel any HSBC Credit Card* within last 12 months
*HSBC Visa Infinite cards are the exception to this rule
For example, if you applied for a HSBC Advance Credit Card in November 2020, you will not count as an existing customer for the purposes of this promotion. Likewise, if you cancelled a HSBC Advance Credit Card in December 2020, you will not count as an existing customer for the purposes of this promotion.
This means you’re neither here nor there, in a limbo of sorts- not entitled to the new or existing customer gifts. I guess they’re trying to disincentivize those who apply for a lot of credit cards in quick succession, and it’s almost like they want you to be a “new” existing customer…
The qualifying spend period for existing customers follows the same as that for new customers, i.e:
| Card Opening Date | Qualifying Spend Period | Notification Date |
| 1-31 Jan 2021 | 1 Jan- 28 Feb 2021 | By 31 Mar 2021 |
| 1-28 Feb 2021 | 1 Feb- 31 Mar 2021 | By 30 Apr 2021 |
| 1-15 Mar 2021* | 1 Mar-30 Apr 2021 | By 31 May 2021 |
| *Why “1-15 Mar 2021” when the deadline is 28 Feb 2021? The latter refers to the application submission date, while the former refers to the card approval date | ||
The mechanics mean that it’s always better to apply towards the start of the month, as it gives you up to two months to meet your qualifying spend.
Additional gift for both new and existing customers
As an added bonus, all customers (whether new or existing) get S$20 of Lazada vouchers when they apply online with MyInfo via SingPass. No spending is required for this gift.
What spending is excluded?
The minimum spend of S$800 does not include the following:
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The key exclusions to note here are insurance, utilities, education, government transactions as well as CardUp/ipaymy. These were all excluded from 1 July 2020 onwards as part of HSBC’s revised rewards terms and conditions.
The full T&C of this offer can be found here. The T&C for Lazada vouchers can be found here.
Conclusion
The HSBC Revolution is one of the most useful cards to have right now, and what I particularly like is that it awards 4 mpd on both dining and hotels. This solves the age old question of “what card should I use to pay at hotel restaurants?” It’s also the most straightforward way of earning 4 mpd at Cold Storage (remember: UOB cards will only earn SMART$ here), and paying for staycations.
All in all, it’s a great multi-role card, and one to add to your wallet.
For this promotion, does anyone know how the $200 total value is divided up amongst the Lazada and RedMart vouchers? Depending on the breakdown and the type of vouchers provided the $180 cashback could be better for some folks.
Applied and received the card in Jan. Spent $800 in Jan. Still waiting for my damn vouchers. Anyone else in the same boat?
In the exact same situation. Applied for and received the card in Jan, and spent $800 using the card in Jan. No news about the vouchers till now.
On a side note, I believe the application system also didn’t allow you to deselect the Visa Platinum i.e. you had to get both cards if you chose to get the vouchers, right?