HSBC Premier vs Zenith+

Reviewed by Chandan Kumar Dash

Zenith+ has the lower annual fee (₹4,999 against ₹20,000). HSBC Premier has no spend waiver; Zenith+ waives its fee on ₹8,00,000 of spend a year. On all three sample spends below, Zenith+ comes out ahead after fees. The Saifu app works it out on your own spends, on your phone.

Feature	HSBC PremierHSBC India1 win	Zenith+AU Small Finance2 wins · ahead
Annual fee	₹20,000	Lower₹4,999
Joining fee	₹12,000	Lower₹4,999
Fee waiver	No spend waiver	Waived on ₹8,00,000 spend a year
Rewards	3 reward points per INR 100 spent; available to HSBC Premier customers	2 reward points per ₹100 on travel, dining and international spends; 1 per ₹100 on all other categories
Airport lounges	Moreunlimited domestic, unlimited international	4 a quarter domestic, 4 a quarter international
Forex markup	0.99% plus GST	0.99% plus GST
Points	HSBC Reward Points, about ₹1 a point	Reward Points, about ₹1 a point
Published minimum income and age	See bank page	Salaried ₹30,00,000 a year, self-employed ₹30,00,000 a year, age 21 to 65
Network	Mastercard	Visa / RuPay
Apply	Bank page	ApplyAffiliate link

Badges mark the lower fee, waiver spend or markup, and more lounge visits. Rewards are not scored here because they depend on where you spend. Affiliate link, costs you nothing extra, we may earn a commission, never changes how cards are ranked. Figures come from each bank's page and can change; check before you apply.

What each card earns in a year

Sample spender	HSBC Premier	Zenith+
Everyday spender₹30,000 a month	-₹10,280 a year₹9,720 rewards, less ₹20,000 fee	More-₹1,339 a year₹3,660 rewards, less ₹4,999 fee
Online shopper₹50,000 a month	-₹2,000 a year₹18,000 rewards, less ₹20,000 fee	More₹1,601 a year₹6,600 rewards, less ₹4,999 fee
Frequent traveller₹1,00,000 a month	₹14,200 a year₹34,200 rewards, less ₹20,000 fee	More₹18,840 a year₹18,840 rewards, no fee to pay

The sample spends and how this is worked out

Everyday spender, ₹30,000 a month: DMart ₹6,000, BigBasket ₹2,000, Swiggy ₹2,000, Zomato ₹1,500, Amazon ₹3,000, Flipkart ₹1,500, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹2,500, Airtel ₹1,000, Indian Oil ₹3,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹2,500, Uber ₹1,000, Other spends in shops ₹4,000.
Online shopper, ₹50,000 a month: Amazon ₹10,000, Flipkart ₹8,000, Myntra ₹3,000, Swiggy ₹4,000, Zomato ₹3,000, Blinkit ₹4,000, BookMyShow ₹1,500, Uber ₹2,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹3,000, Jio ₹1,000, Netflix ₹500, Restaurant (in person) ₹3,000, Other spends in shops ₹7,000.
Frequent traveller, ₹1,00,000 a month: MakeMyTrip ₹10,000, Cleartrip ₹5,000, IRCTC ₹2,000, IndiGo ₹10,000, Marriott Bonvoy hotels ₹8,000, Spends abroad ₹15,000, Uber ₹4,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹8,000, Amazon ₹10,000, Swiggy ₹5,000, DMart ₹8,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹4,000, Indian Oil ₹5,000, Other spends in shops ₹6,000.

Worked out with the same reward rules and caps the Saifu app uses. Points are counted at the cash value in the table above. The annual fee counts as waived when the spend reaches the waiver. Joining fees, welcome gifts and milestone vouchers are not counted. Your own spends will give different figures.

Common questions

Which is better, HSBC Premier or Zenith+?

On all three sample spends below, Zenith+ comes out ahead after fees. It depends on where you spend: compare the figures for the sample spender closest to you, or add your own spends in the Saifu app.

Which has the lower annual fee?

Zenith+ (₹4,999 against ₹20,000). Zenith+ waives it on ₹8,00,000 of spend a year.

Add a third card HSBC Premier Zenith+

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