Finally: HSBC points pooling to be added from May 2024

Back in May 2023, the HSBC TravelOne Card launched with 12 airline and hotel transfer partners, the most of any bank in Singapore. In the months that followed, more partners were added, including Singapore debuts for Air Canada Aeroplan and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.

As of today, there’s a whopping 21 options available, but there’s always been one missing piece of the puzzle: points pooling. 

Currently, only points from the HSBC TravelOne Card can be converted to these 21 partners. If you hold any other kind of HSBC card, such as the Revolution or Visa Infinite, you’re limited to just KrisFlyer and Asia Mile- and keep in mind, the latter has been unavailable for months now.

That will finally change from 28 May 2024, when HSBC gives its rewards system a major overhaul.

HSBC rewards system upgrade

To carry out this upgrade, HSBC will temporarily halt all credit card rewards redemptions from 20-27 May 2024.

During this period, you will not be able to perform any rewards redemptions via the following channels:

• Redemptions via Phone Banking (IVR): From 20 May 2024 onwards
• Redemptions via Online Banking: From 20 May 2024 onwards
• Redemptions via HSBC Singapore App: 20 – 27 May 2024 (temporarily unavailable)

When the upgraded rewards system launches on 28 May 2024, points redemptions will only be available via the HSBC Singapore app.

In the first statement generated following the upgrade, your unutilised points balance will be reflected under [Points Adjusted] instead of [Points Carried Forward] in the Rewards Summary box. 

Because of this rewards redemption “blackout”, HSBC will automatically extend the expiration date for rewards points expiring on 31 May 2024 by a further month, to 30 June 2024. 

Points pooling will be added

After the upgrade is completed, your total rewards points earned across all HSBC credit cards will be pooled together, and can be redeemed via the HSBC Singapore app.

This means that all HSBC cardholders will now be able to access the full range of 21 airline and hotel transfer partners, which includes some exotic names like JAL Mileage Bank, Club Vistara, Air Canada Aeroplan and Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles.

✈️ HSBC TravelOne Airline Partners
Frequent Flyer Programme	Conversion Ratio (HSBC Points : Partner)
	50,000 : 10,000
	40,000 : 10,000
	35,000 : 10,000
	35,000 : 10,000
	35,000 : 10,000
	35,000 : 10,000
	35,000 : 10,000
	30,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000

🏨 HSBC TravelOne Hotel Partners
Hotel Programme	Conversion Ratio (HSBC Points : Partner)
	30,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 5,000
	25,000 : 10,000
	25,000 : 10,000

The key thing to note here is that not all partners share the same ratio, so your effective mpd depends on which partner you choose. 

For example the HSBC Revolution earns 10 points per S$1 on its bonus categories, but that only works out to 4 mpd if you pick a partner with a 25,000 points = 10,000 miles transfer ratio. 

That has the potential to go as low as 2 mpd on the opposite extreme, though I have to say, the opportunity to earn Aeroplan points at 2.86 mpd could be appealing (the issue is that you’ll be limited to ~34,000 miles per year, which won’t get you anywhere fast).

Revision to conversion fees

Non-HSBC TravelOne Cardholders previously paid a flat S$43.60 annual fee for unlimited conversions to KrisFlyer or Asia Miles over a 12-month period. That scheme will be sunset from 20 May 2024.

I’m checking with HSBC whether customers can expect to receive a refund of their annual fee (one data point says yes), but either way there’s some good news. Earlier this month, HSBC TravelOne Cardholders learned that their free points conversions would be extended till at least 31 January 2025, instead of the previously-cited 31 May 2024.

Once points are pooled and everyone is on the new rewards system, it stands to reason that other HSBC cardholders will also be able to take advantage of this. That’s supported by the updated T&Cs, at Section E Point 6:

 For HSBC Credit Cardholders, the redemption fee for miles/hotel points redemptions will be waived up till 31 Jan 2025.

What this means for HSBC cards

2024 has not been a good year for the HSBC Revolution Card.

In January, MCCs 4722 and 7011 were dropped from the bonus whitelist, meaning the end of 4 mpd on Airbnb, Klook, Pelago and many hotels. In May, MCCs 5411, 5499 and 5814 will also be removed, which means no more 4 mpd on supermarkets, fast food, or misc. food stores like 7-Eleven and Nespresso. 

So the addition of points pooling represents a much-needed win, because a Revolution with 21 transfer partners is a heck of a lot more useful than a Revolution with just one. The main constraint here is the relatively low bonus cap of S$1,000 per month, which limits you to earning 24,000-48,000 miles per year, depending on which partner you choose. 

This is also good news for the HSBC TravelOne Card, whose key weakness has always been its earn rates. 1.2/2.4 mpd on local/overseas spend is decent for a general spending card, but it’s a far cry from the 4 mpd we’re so used to with the plethora of specialised spending cards at our disposal.

Add the fact that HSBC does not award points on CardUp/ipaymy, and no longer offers a tax payment facility, and it’s very hard to accumulate a critical mass of TravelOne points.

Now that points are pooled, you can tap the higher earning power of the Revolution to supplement your miles stash. Don’t forget that till 30 June 2024, HSBC is offering a welcome bonus of 50,000 points for new TravelOne Cardholders who spend S$500 by the end of the second month after approval. 

Conclusion

HSBC cardholders will finally be able to enjoy points pooling from 28 May 2024, opening up the TravelOne Card’s 21 airline and hotel partners to all.  There will also be a waiver on conversion fees till 31 January 2025, and all in all this looks like a good day for HSBC customers. 

There were other changes announced today as well, such as the cessation of the HSBC Visa Infinite Card’s step up earn rate, and revisions to complimentary travel insurance coverage. I’ll cover those in separate posts, so stay tuned.