The HSBC Visa Infinite Card will see some major changes from late May, with the step-up earn rate of 1.25/2.25 mpd on local/overseas spend eliminated in favour of a flat 1/2 mpd, and points pooled across all cards.
But there’s another change with regards to rewards exclusion categories, which will see hospitals no longer earning points. This was already on the exclusions list for other HSBC credit cards, though the HSBC Visa Infinite had managed to escape the restriction- till now at least.
HSBC Visa Infinite’s new reward exclusions list
For comparison, here’s the HSBC Visa Infinite’s rewards exclusion list now, and from 20 May 2024.
HSBC Visa Infinite Exclusion List: Till 19 May 2024
| ❌ HSBC Visa Infinite Exclusions List (Till 19 May 2024) |
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HSBC Visa Infinite Exclusion List: From 20 May 2024
| ❌ HSBC Visa Infinite Exclusions List (From 20 May 2024) |
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You’ll notice that HSBC is now defining its exclusion categories by MCC code and description instead of just description, which I do appreciate since it makes things a lot less ambiguous.
In terms of additions, the big new exclusion is for hospitals, and again, I want to emphasise that this is not a blanket exclusion on all healthcare-related transactions. You’ll still be able to earn miles at private healthcare and dental clinics, nursing homes, telemedicine apps like Minmed and Doctor Anywhere, even clinics within hospitals- though it’s always best practice to check the MCC before swiping your card.
To understand the full range of MCCs that healthcare-related transactions can code as, refer to the post below.
You might have noticed that the exclusions for CardUp and ipaymy, as well as Facebook ads, Google ads and AWS no longer appear. Don’t get too excited though. These exclusions still feature in the HSBC-wide exclusions list, so you still won’t be able to earn points on these going forward.
As was the case previously, the following transactions will continue to be ineligible for rewrads:
- Charitable donations
- Educational institutions
- Government services
- Insurance premiums
- Prepaid account top-ups (e.g. GrabPay, YouTrip)
- Utilities
Terms & Conditions
You can find the current and revised HSBC Visa Infinite T&Cs below.
I’ve taken the liberty of uploading both to Draftable for a side by side comparison.
HSBC Visa Infinite earn rates are getting cut
While HSBC Visa Infinite Cardholders will soon be able to access 21 airline and hotel transfer partners thanks to points pooling, the rest of the news isn’t all that good.
Cardholders who spend at least S$50,000 in the previous membership year currently enjoy a step-up earn rate of 1.25/2.25 mpd for local/FCY spending. This rate will be removed from 20 May 2024, and all cardholders will instead earn a flat 1/2 mpd on local/FCY spending (I wonder how cardholders who went out of their way to spend S$50,000 in their past membership year will feel about that?).
| Regular Earn Rate | Step-up Earn Rate | |
| Local Spend | 2.5 points per S$1 (1 mpd) |
3.125 points per S$1 (1.25 pmd) |
| Overseas Spend | 5 points per S$1 (2 mpd) |
5.625 points per S$1 (2.25 mpd) |
| ⚠️ Important note |
| The mpd figures assume that you transfer points to a partner with a 2.5 points = 1 mile conversion ratio. From 28 May 2024, HSBC Visa Infinite points can be converted to 21 different airline and hotel partners, with ratios ranging from 2.5-5 points = 1 mile. This means your earn rates could be as low as 0.5/1 mpd, depending on partner. |
HSBC has said that it will be making the step-up earn rate available to all cardholders for a limited period of time before the 20 May nerf comes around, but we’re still waiting for the details.
Conclusion
From 20 May 2024, the HSBC Visa Infinite will no longer award points on hospital transactions. This does not mean an exclusion for all medical-related transactions however, as private clinics and dentists often code under a different MCC.
For a rundown of alternative cards to use for hospitals and healthcare, refer to this post.
