One of the key ideas I push on Head for Points is that transferable, or convertible, points are better than non-transferable points. The best way to explain this is via American Express Membership Rewards points, earned from Amex Gold, Amex Platinum and the Amex Rewards […]
HSBC Premier Mastercard
The HSBC Premier Mastercard is the most generous Visa or MasterCard which offers Avios points. It can also be used to earn Etihad Guest, Krisflyer or Asia Miles points. You need to have a HSBC Premier current account to apply which, whilst free, requires specific income and investment criteria. My review of the card is here. A new World Elite version, with a £195 fee, was launched in 2016 and is reviewed here.
Get 5,000 Avios (or other miles) sign-up bonus with the free HSBC Premier credit card
8 January 2019 By
HSBC Premier has launched a special sign-up bonus on its free HSBC Premier credit card. Until 2nd March, you will receive 10,000 HSBC Premier points – the usual bonus is nothing – when you take out the free HSBC Premier credit card and spend £1,000 […]
What is the best credit card for foreign spend when someone else is paying?
21 November 2018 By
We write a lot on Head for Points about ways to minimise the 2.99% foreign exchange fee added to most credit and debit card transactions outside the UK. For personal travel you might want to get a separate free credit card to use abroad. There are no travel […]
What are the best Star Alliance credit cards for UK residents?
6 November 2018 By
If you have been following our series of UK credit card reviews over the last couple of weeks, we are now up to ‘M’ in the alphabet. The next article will be on the new Miles & More charge cards, recently launched with Diners Club […]
Credit & Charge Card Reviews (7): HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
1 November 2018 By
This is my review of the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard credit card. It is part of my series of articles looking at the major UK loyalty credit cards and discussing whether or not they are worth applying for. These articles will be linked to […]
Credit & Charge Card Reviews (6): HSBC Premier Mastercard
31 October 2018 By
This is my review of the HSBC Premier Mastercard credit card. It is part of my series of articles looking at the major UK loyalty credit cards and discussing whether or not they are worth applying for. These articles will be linked to the relevant […]
Bits: free £18 with a $ prepaid Mastercard, Virgin launches NYC Pride flight, HSBC Premier gives Langham status
11 October 2018 By
News in brief: Get £18 ‘free’ with a FairFX prepaid Dollar Mastercard Groupon is running an interesting offer on FairFX prepaid currency cards at the moment. Via this link you can, for £7, buy yourself a US$ prepaid Mastercard. When you load the card with […]
Bits: free hotel night with HSBC Premier credit card, Hilton to open at Silverstone
15 September 2018 By
News in brief: HSBC Premier credit card offering a free hotel night HSBC Premier has brought back its ‘free hotel nights’ offer on its free HSBC Premier Mastercard credit card. If you take out the HSBC Premier credit card before 9th November you can claim […]
Which five loyalty credit cards are worth keeping for their benefits even if you never use them?
28 August 2018 By
Typically there are three different types of travel loyalty credit cards you can apply for: Cards you get just for the sign-up bonus Cards you get primarily for the strong on-going earnings rate Cards you get but don’t use because they come with generous perks […]
Should you convert Clubcard, Amex, Heathrow or HSBC points to Avios on receipt?
24 August 2018 By
This article is another of the ‘how to’ pieces we have been running over August for the benefit of newer readers, although hopefully everyone will get some value from them. A regular email question I receive from readers is about ‘convertible’ points. There is a […]
Bits: 25% bonus on HSBC Premier to Avios transfers, new Heathrow Rewards sign-up bonus, 40% bonus buying Hyatt points
4 August 2018 By
News in brief: 25% bonus when you transfer HSBC Premier credit card points to Avios HSBC Premier has launched a (targeted?) 25% bonus on points transfers to Avios. This is a little surprising, since in October 2016 they said that they were ending their annual 50% […]
What is the best Visa or Mastercard travel loyalty credit card?
29 July 2018 By
I get a steady stream of reader emails looking for advice on the best Visa or Mastercard miles and points card. With earning rates being cut following the EU cap on interchange fees, it isn’t easy. The Head for Points credit card guide covers many […]
What is the best Avios credit card? (Part 1: comparing sign-up bonuses)
17 July 2018 By
What is the best credit card for earning Avios points? This is not as easy an answer as you might think and beginners to this hobby may not be aware of the full range of cards which are available. You have more options than you […]
Comparing UK lounge networks of Priority Pass, Lounge Club and LoungeKey
7 July 2018 By
If you are heading off on holiday soon, you may want to check if you can access an airport lounge at your departure airport. If not, it might still be possible to arrange free access via a credit card or by buying a pass. Many […]
Comparing the 11 Avios credit cards that can earn you points!
7 May 2018 By
What is the best Avios credit card? With the Lloyds Avios Rewards credit card now closed to new applicants, I wanted to take another look at the other remaining options for earning Avios points from a UK credit card and suggest your best strategy. If […]
HSBC Premier drops its income requirement to £75k – can you now get the best Avios Mastercard?
26 March 2018 By
I have covered the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard extensively in articles like this. It is a VERY attractive Mastercard product if you want to earn Avios. There is a £195 annual fee but you will receive 40,000 Avios points for spending £12,000 in the […]
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