HSBC Taj Credit Card
HSBC
The single most expensive card in the catalog — genuinely hotel-loyalty-grade, not just a high-fee travel card.
₹1,10,000
Joining fee
₹1,10,000
Annual fee
Not found — no waiver mentioned on official page or aggregator (Rs 1,10,000 joining and annual fee).
2%
Forex markup
4.9 / 5
Rating
Eligibility
Estimated minimum income: ₹3,00,000+/month
Estimated — not officially confirmed by the bank.
Estimated minimum CIBIL score: 820+
Estimated — not officially confirmed by the bank.
Age: 25–75
Indian residents or existing HSBC account holders (including NRIs)
Restricted to ~20 named metro cities
Sources disagree: DISCREPANCY: official states income min Rs 36,00,000/year (salaried) / Rs 45,00,000/year (self-employed); Paisabazaar states Rs 40,00,000/year (salaried) / Rs 60,00,000/year (self-employed). Official page figure treated as primary.
Lounge access
Unlimited domestic & international lounge visits
Source says "unlimited global lounge access" — "global" read as covering both scopes.
Key features
- 2 breakfast-inclusive nights + 1 Taj Palace night on activation
- Unlimited room upgrades at IHCL hotels
- 12 golf games/year
- Unlimited global lounge access
- 5 pts/₹100 at Taj/IHCL properties
Reward details
1.5 reward points per Rs 100 spent
- 5 reward points per Rs 100 on Taj and other participating IHCL hotel chains (7 IHCL brands)
Redemption
Reward value works out to roughly 1% back on general spend per aggregator commentary
Ratio: 1.5 points = Rs 1 wallet credit
Excluded from rewards: fuel, e-wallet loading, education, insurance, cash withdrawals, cryptocurrency, utility payments
- Complimentary Taj InnerCircle Platinum (NeuPass) membership; free night stays and room upgrades at Taj properties; travel benefits reported to extend to two people, not just the primary cardholder
Real-world feedback
Sourced from user reviews and comparison sites (aggregator/user-sourced), not confirmed by the bank.
Praise
- Comprehensive hotel benefits across seven IHCL hotel chains; strong travel perks for premium/luxury users; benefits extending to a companion, not just the primary cardholder — Paisabazaar
Complaints
- Exceptionally high annual fee — described as 'one of the costliest credit cards in India'; steep income eligibility requirements; reward redemption narrowly focused on hotel stays; general (non-hotel) reward rate considered modest (~1% back) for a card in this premium fee bracket — Paisabazaar
Sources
- Official — fees, eligibility, lounge, rewards
- Aggregator — eligibility, forex, sentiment