HSBC Taj Credit Card Review 2026: ₹1.1 Lakh a Year, and a Point Worth ₹0.667
The HSBC Taj Credit Card costs ₹1,10,000 to join and again from year two. It earns 5 points per ₹100 at Taj hotels — but its points are worth ₹0.667, not ₹1. Full review.
The HSBC Taj Credit Card is invite-only, costs ₹1,10,000 to join, and charges it again from the second year. That makes it the most expensive card in this dataset to hold.
It is also the one HSBC card whose points are not worth ₹1.
HSBC Taj Credit Card Quick Overview
| **Card type** | Super Premium co-brand |
|---|---|
| **Best for** | An invited IHCL regular who will use the hotel benefits |
| **Joining / renewal fee** | ₹110,000 + GST, same on renewal |
| **Network** | Mastercard |
| **Base reward rate** | **1.0%** |
| **Top reward rate** | **3.33%** — travel |
| **Reward currency** | HSBC Taj Reward Points, valued at ₹0.667 each |
| **Lounge access** | **Unlimited** complimentary domestic lounge access |
| **Forex markup** | 3.5% |
Reward Structure: How You Earn
1.5 Reward Points per ₹100 on standard purchases — 1.0% at the Taj Wallet rate.
5 Reward Points per ₹100 at Taj, SeleQtions, Gateway and Vivanta hotels and amã Stays & Trails bungalows — 3.33%.
| Spend | Effective rate |
|---|---|
| travel | **3.33%** |
| Everything else | 1.0% |
| Fuel, rent, wallet loads, government, gaming | **0%** |
The point is worth ₹0.667 here, not ₹1
Taj Reward Points convert to the HSBC Taj Credit Card Wallet at 1.5 points = ₹1, which is ₹0.667 a point. That is the only rupee rate HSBC publishes for this card.
The ₹1-per-point Apple and Travel with Points rate that governs the rest of HSBC's range is never stated for Taj. If Taj points do reach that channel, every percentage here understates the card by half — but HSBC does not say either way, so this review uses the rate it does publish.
The hotel band is scoped by brand, not by category
The 5-point rate applies at IHCL properties specifically. A stay at any other hotel — billed under exactly the same lodging merchant category — earns the 1.5-point base. Any calculator that resolves rates by merchant category alone will overstate this card's hotel earning.
Lounges, which are the real benefit
Unlimited airport lounge access globally. Separately, The Chambers Lounge and the Taj Club Lounge up to 12 times a year each, for you and a guest.
Where this sits in HSBC's range
| Card | Joining | Forex | Base rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taj | ₹1,10,000 | 3.5% | 1.0% |
| Premier | ₹12,000 | 3.5% | **3.0%** |
| TravelOne | ₹4,999 | 3.5% | 2.0% |
| Live+ | ₹999 | **1.99%** | 1.5% |
| RuPay Cashback | ₹499 | 3.5% | 1.0% |
| RuPay Platinum | **Free** | 3.5% | 1.33% |
| Visa Platinum | **Free** | 3.5% | 1.33% |
Charges, which are identical across the range
HSBC's Key Fact Statement quotes the same figures for all seven cards:
- Interest: 3.75% a month, 45% a year, computed from the transaction date
- Interest-free period: up to 45 days — void if any part of last month's bill is still outstanding
- Late payment: 100% of the Minimum Payment Due, floored at ₹250 and capped at ₹1,200 a month. Charged only if the minimum fails to reach HSBC within 3 days of the due date — a grace period HSBC states explicitly
- Rent: 1% processing fee on rental and related payments
- Fuel: a 1% transaction fee, and no rewards. There is no surcharge waiver
Category Restrictions: Where You Won't Earn
- Where you earn nothing: Fuel and cash withdrawals earn nothing.
- Point expiry: Not published for this card in the uploaded sources. Not published is not the same as never expiring.
Fees and Charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Joining fee | ₹110,000 + GST |
| Renewal fee | ₹110,000 + GST |
| Finance charges | 3.75% per month (45% per annum), computed from the date of the transaction. Stated identically for every card in the Key Fact Statement. |
| Interest-free period | Up to 45 days. Not valid if any balance from the previous month's bill is outstanding. |
| Cash advance interest | Charged at the card's monthly rate from the date of withdrawal, with no interest-free period. |
| Forex markup | Set per card: 1.99% on Live+, 3.5% on every other card. On the Taj card the 3.5% is waived for India's executive banking clients. |
| Late payment | 100% of the Minimum Payment Due, subject to a minimum of ₹250 and a maximum of ₹1,200 per month. Charged if the minimum payment does not reach HSBC within 3 days of the payment due date — a 3-day grace the Key Fact Statement states explicitly. |
| Overlimit | Applicable where total outstandings exceed the assigned credit limit. |
| Payment return | Charged on a bounced cheque, a dishonoured standing instruction or an unsuccessful NACH payment. |
| Rent payment | 1% processing fee plus applicable taxes on rental and related payments, with effect from 25 January 2023. |
| Fuel transactions | 1% of the fuel transaction value. |
| GST | 18% on all fees, interest and charges. |
Is the HSBC Taj Credit Card Worth It?
At ₹1,10,000 a year, the card has to be justified by the hotel programme, not the points. At 3.33% even the accelerated IHCL band needs ₹33 lakh of Taj spending a year just to return the fee in points alone.
The forex markup is 3.5% — but waived for India's executive banking clients, a carve-out HSBC states in the MITC.
One figure to confirm before you rely on it. HSBC's own MITC prints the renewal fee as ₹110,00 + taxes — a digit is missing in the bank's document. This review records ₹1,10,000 to match the joining fee and the Key Fact Statement, but ₹11,000 cannot be ruled out from the PDF alone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is an HSBC Taj reward point worth? ₹0.667. Taj points convert to the HSBC Taj Credit Card Wallet at 1.5 points = ₹1, and that is the only rupee rate HSBC publishes for this card — the ₹1-per-point rate used across HSBC's other cards is not stated for Taj.
Does the Taj card's 5-point rate apply at any hotel? No. It applies at Taj, SeleQtions, Gateway and Vivanta hotels and amã Stays & Trails bungalows. Any other hotel earns the 1.5-point base, even though it bills under the same merchant category.
What is an HSBC Reward Point worth? ₹1.00 when redeemed on Apple products or Travel with Points — HSBC publishes that rate itself in its own value calculators. Points also transfer to airline and hotel programmes at 1:1, but HSBC publishes no rupee value for a transferred mile.
What interest does an HSBC credit card charge? 3.75% a month, which is 45% a year, computed from the transaction date. The interest-free period runs up to 45 days but is lost entirely if any part of the previous month's bill is left outstanding.
Do HSBC credit cards earn rewards on fuel? No. Fuel earns nothing across the range, and HSBC levies a 1% fuel transaction fee on top. There is no fuel surcharge waiver on any of the seven cards.
Cards Mentioned in This Article
