Finally: HSBC points pooling to be added from May 2024

HSBC cardholders will be able to pool their points and enjoy 21 airline and hotel transfer partners from 28 May 2024, with a waiver of conversion fees till January 2025.

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.ย 

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,ย 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 โ€“ 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.ย 

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.ย 

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.

โœˆ๏ธ 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
asia miles logo 25,000 : 10,000
25,000 : 10,000
25,000 : 10,000
25,000 : 10,000
krisflyer logo 25,000 : 10,000
25,000 : 10,000
๐Ÿจ 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.ย 

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.ย 

Transfer Ratio
(Points : Miles)
HSBC T1
(Local)*
HSBC T1
(FCY)^
HSBC Revo
(Bonus)#
25,000 : 10,000 1.2 mpd 2.4 mpd 4 mpd
30,000 : 10,000 1 mpd 2 mpd 3.33 mpd
35,000 : 10,000 0.86 mpd 1.71 mpd 2.86 mpd
40,000 : 10,000 0.75 mpd 1.5 mpd 2.5 mpd
50,000 : 10,000 0.6 mpd 1.2 mpd 2 mpd
*3 points per S$1
^6 points per S$1
#10 points per S$1 on bonus categories

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’sย 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:

ย 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,ย which means no more 4 mpd on supermarkets, fast food, or misc. food stores like 7-Eleven and Nespresso.ย 

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.ย 

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.ย 

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.ย  There will also be a waiver on conversion fees till 31 January 2025, and all in allย this looks like a good day for HSBC customers.ย 

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.ย I’ll cover those in separate posts, so stay tuned.ย 

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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LML

While exclusions of MCCs are not good news and also with the exclusion of HSBC Revolution credit card to EGA interest rate, it’s great to see that points can be pooled together. I understand that points expiring in May will be extended till end of June, what about points expiring in end April now that the announcement is out?

Marc

If I am to cancel my TravelOne card in June, will the points still remain in my account, since I still hold the Revolution card?

Dutch

Am in same situation (hold both Revo and T1, thinking to cancel T1 cos incurred annual fee which they refused to waive)

Checked via HSBC chat (via app), reply was that points under T1 will not be forfeited if cancel T1

Last edited 6 months ago by Dutch
taroball

Just checked with via the chat, they are telling me that if you cancel one of the card while holding multiple cards with the rewards pooled, all the pooled points will be forfeited. Their reply as below

โ€œTo clarify, since your rewards point were consolidated for your TravelOne and Visa Revolution card, cancelling any of the card will forfeit the points. Hence, should you decide to cancel your TravelOne card, please redeem your available consolidated points first. Thereafter, once completely redeemed, please reach out again to cancel your TravelOne card.โ€œ

Sean

Loss of points for supermarket and food is a killer. Even though Revolution is free, I can’t really see where I’d use it now.

SydneySinger

Apparently, Atome and some other BNPL apps give 4mpd on payments too.

rei

Thanks for the writeup! To confirm, will revo cardholders also get access to the new transfer partners? Even if they don’t hold a travelone.

Benedict

Will I be able to access all transfer partners after 28th May even if I just have the HSBC Revo?