HSBC Gold Credit Card Review

The HSBC Gold Mastercard is a must-have addition to your wallet if you want to take advantage of amazing savings as a new account holder through a 0 percent introductory APR plus fantastic benefits whenever you shop or travel. If you know how to put this card to work, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars your first year! HSBC is a master in the financial sector and the offerings through the Gold Mastercard show how much they care about their members and how carefully they design their programs.

Unbelievable Introductory APR for New Account Holders

When you become an HSBC Gold Mastercard member, you get access to interest free purchasing power for the first 18 months you have your card. That’s absolutely amazing — a full year-and-a-half to save on costly monthly interest fees while you make the purchases you need.

Think about what a benefit this represents if you’re about to make some large purchases for a new house or because of a major life event. You’ll get plenty of time to pay them off in full before interest kicks in. Along the way, you can still make and pay off your routine monthly purchases as well.

Let’s add some numbers to this scenario so you can really see how fast your savings might add up. Perhaps your new home needs a new living room set and bedroom suite, but you don’t want to open up an extra credit account with a retailer when you have this valuable Gold Mastercard already in your wallet. If you spend $4,500 furnishing those two rooms, you can pay off the expense by making a simple $250 payment per month for 18 months.

The interest rates HSBC charges to Gold Mastercard members range from 12.74 percent to 20.74 percent APR. At the low end, your $4,500 furniture purchase would rack up $467.43 over the 18 months it takes you to pay off the debt without such an introductory offer. At the higher end, that interest amount skyrockets up to $774.68 over the 18-month span. That's a huge savings, just by choosing the right card for your purchase and paying off your balance on time.

Low APR for Balance Transfers for 18 Months

Your interest savings don’t end with the purchases you make as a new cardholder. In fact, they’re just getting started. Consider the balances you have riding on other higher interest credit cards that you’re faithfully chipping away at every month. Whether you have $500, $1500 or $5,000 you’d like to transfer over, you can save major moolah by taking advantage of the 18 months of interest free time HSBC offers on balances transferred by new cardholders.

Time for some more math. We’ll use some easy figures and say that you’re transferring over $1,800 from another card that you can pay off $100 per month over the 18-month intro period. If that other card offers an industry standard APR of 18.99 percent, you’ll have saved $282.63 in interest fees. Now, HSBC does charge a transfer fee of either $10 or 4 percent, whichever is higher, so on that $1,800, you’ll pay a $72 fee. However, you’ll still save a total of $212.63. Not bad at all, especially when you add it on to the savings you accrued above on your introductory purchases!

Shopping and Travel Benefits Galore

We love that HSBC recognizes the challenges you can run into as you travel and shop. This card brings you peace of mind through extra benefits. Check out just a few of the thoughtful ways HSBC has your back when you’re out of town or out on the town.

Travel Benefits:

• Travel accident insurance totaling $1 million dollars — if the worst happens on your trip, you’re covered.
• HSBC’s MasterAssist® program helps with all your trip planning needs, plus it can help after your travel if you need assistance with lost luggage or have become stranded.

• HSBC’s Master RoadAssist® program ensures you have roadside assistance when and where you need it wherever you are in the United States. If your car breaks down, save time, money and hassle by relying on HSBC.

Shopping Benefits:

• Use PurchaseAssurance® to provide peace of mind in the event your item becomes damaged or stolen.
• Take advantage of price protection guarantees to recover the difference if you find an item advertised at a lower cost within 60 days of your purchase.
• Avoid costly extended warranty fees when HSBC automatically extends your existing warranty by up to a year.

• Never worry about identity theft again with HSBC in your corner protecting against those who seek to steal your credit and harm your financial future.

Pay Your Way, Wherever You Go

While it’s easy enough to whip out your card wherever you go to cover your purchases, conniving thieves are lurking to steal your data. HSBC has you covered! From chipped cards so you don’t have to use a card swipe to contactless payment options that enable the fastest checkout possible, HSBC leads the field in credit technology.

You can also take advantage of mobile wallet features by linking your HSBC Gold Mastercard to your Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay accounts. Then, simply use those apps at retailers who accept them or when making internet purchases. Could it be any simpler?

We love that HSBC has thoroughly thought out the benefits offered through this Gold Mastercard, from your introductory savings to long term ease of use. Take advantage and reap the savings and benefits for yourself.