💳 HSBC Live+ Credit Card — 10% Cashback on Dining, Grocery & Food Delivery
HSBC Bank • Cashback Card
Description
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.6/5)
Issuer: HSBC
Network: Visa
Best For: Dining, Food delivery, Groceries, Online shopping
The HSBC Live+ (formerly HSBC Cashback) is a simple, high-value cashback card aimed at people who spend heavily on groceries, dining and food delivery. Its headline USP is 10% cashback on those essential categories (subject to a ₹1,000 / statement cap) plus 1.5% unlimited cashback on other eligible retail spends — a clean rewards structure that avoids confusing points and redemption rules.
It’s targeted at salaried residents in major Indian cities and suits users who want straightforward statement-credit savings and useful extras like domestic lounge access (4 visits/year) and occasional lifestyle offers (BookMyShow BOGO on Saturdays, EazyDiner discounts). If your monthly budget is heavy on food and grocery line-items, Live+ can deliver meaningful savings.
Annual Fees
Welcome Benefits
₹1,000 cashback on spending ₹20,000 within 30 days of card issuance (and using HSBC mobile banking per offer terms).
₹250 Amazon voucher for completing video KYC (online application bonus).
These onboarding perks typically recover most of the joining cost if you can meet the short-term spending requirement.
Rewards
Earning structure (clear & simple):
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10% cashback on Dining, Food Delivery (Swiggy / Zomato / Blinkit) and Grocery (online & offline) — Max ₹1,000 per statement.
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1.5% unlimited cashback on all other eligible retail spends (no cap).
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Excluded categories: Fuel, e-wallets, rent, property management, education, government payments, insurance, jewellery, tolls, wholesale clubs, cash advances and select merchant categories.
Redemption: Cashback earned in a billing cycle is credited to your card account within 45 days of the statement date — automatic and hassle-free.
Eligibility
Age: 18–65 years.
Income: Minimum ₹4,00,000 p.a. (salaried) — self-employed applicants are generally not eligible unless they hold a high-balance HSBC savings account (rare exceptions).
Location: Available in select cities only (Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Pune, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad — confirm on application).
Must be an Indian resident.
Fees
Foreign currency markup: 3.5% + GST (~4.13% effective)
Finance charges: As per cardholder agreement (interest on revolving balances)
Cash advance / ATM fees: Standard bank schedule applies
Late payment / overlimit fees: Slab-based — check latest schedule with HSBC
Fuel surcharge waiver: Not available
Documents Needed
PAN Card (mandatory)
Aadhaar (ID + address)
Latest salary slips (salaried) or ITR (if asked)
Recent bank statement (may be requested)
Any additional KYC requested by HSBC
Value Illustration
Realistic monthly example:
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Groceries & food delivery: ₹8,000 / month → 10% = ₹800 / month → ₹9,600 / year (within ₹1,000 / statement cap).
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Other retail spends: ₹7,000 / month → 1.5% = ₹105 / month → ₹1,260 / year.
Total cashback ≈ ₹10,860 / year. After paying an annual fee of ~₹1,178 (₹999 + GST) — or waiving it with ₹2L spend — this card produces a clear net benefit for food-and-grocery heavy households.
Maximizing tip: The 10% bucket has a statement cap (₹1,000) — plan larger grocery/dining spends across cards if you want beyond-cap coverage.
Final Summary
Who should get it: Salaried urban residents who regularly spend on groceries, dining and food delivery — the 10% accelerated cashback is among the best on these essentials. The 1.5% on other retail spends makes it a good everyday backup card too.
Key trade-offs: Higher joining/renewal fee (₹999 + GST) and limited city availability; not suitable for self-employed users without an HSBC NRV. If you can meet the ₹2L waiver threshold or quickly use the welcome offers, Live+ becomes a strong, low-fuss cashback option.
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