Does HSBC Have Transfer Partners?
Yes, for HSBC Premier clients
HSBC is one of the few banks outside the big names that lets you move card points into airline and hotel loyalty programs. The feature is called Rewards for Miles, and it is limited to two cards: the HSBC Premier World Mastercard and the HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard. HSBC’s other US cards earn points or cash back that stay inside HSBC.
Both eligible cards also require an HSBC Premier checking relationship before you can apply, which is the biggest reason HSBC rarely comes up in transfer-partner conversations. For people who already bank with HSBC Premier, though, the transfer option is real and covers some useful programs.
Every HSBC transfer partner and ratio
HSBC says Rewards for Miles covers 11 airline partners and 2 hotel partners. Here is the full list with the ratio for each, next to the best standing ratio you can get from Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, Bilt, or Wells Fargo for the same program.
| Partner | Type | HSBC ratio | Best ratio from the major banks |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways (Avios) | Airline | 1:1 | 1:1 (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt, Wells Fargo) |
| Iberia Plus (Avios) | Airline | 1:1 | 1:1 (Chase, Amex, Bilt, Wells Fargo) |
| Aer Lingus (Avios) | Airline | 1:1 | 1:1 (Chase, Amex, Bilt, Wells Fargo) |
| Emirates Skywards | Airline | 1:1 | 1:1 (Bilt only) |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Airline | 1:1 | 1:1 (Amex, Capital One, Citi) |
| TAP Air Portugal | Airline | 1:1 | 1:1 (Capital One, Bilt) |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Airline | 5:4 | 1:1 (every major bank) |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Airline | 5:4 | 1:1 (Amex, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, Wells Fargo) |
| Turkish Miles&Smiles | Airline | 5:4 | 1:1 (Capital One, Citi, Bilt) |
| Qatar Privilege Club (Avios) | Airline | 5:4 | 1:1 (Amex, Capital One, Citi, Bilt) |
| EVA Air | Airline | 5:4 | 1:1 (Citi) |
| Wyndham Rewards | Hotel | 5:4 | 1:2 (Wells Fargo) |
| ALL Accor Live Limitless | Hotel | 2:1 | 3:2 (Bilt) |
A 5:4 ratio means five HSBC points become four partner miles, so 10,000 HSBC points turn into 8,000 Flying Blue miles. Accor at 2:1 halves your points, which only makes sense for a specific Accor stay that is worth well over a cent per point.
One honest caveat about these numbers: HSBC does not publish its ratios on a public page. The list above comes from third-party trackers, and it matches HSBC’s own partner count and the 1.25 to 1 rate EVA Air lists for HSBC on its website. A few other sources describe every HSBC transfer as 1:1, so look up the current rate in your HSBC account before you move anything. You can also see these partners laid out against the other programs on our transfer partners cheat sheet.
How HSBC compares with the major transfer banks
Six of HSBC’s thirteen partners transfer at 1:1, which ties the best rate available from the big banks, and the other seven are worse. None of them is exclusive, so there is no airline or hotel that only HSBC can reach. That is the main difference from programs like Chase, which owns World of Hyatt with Bilt, or Amex, which is the only door to Delta and ANA.
Emirates Skywards is the one place HSBC stands out. Its 1:1 rate matches Bilt and beats Amex at 5:4, Capital One at 2:1.5, and Citi at 1:0.8, so an HSBC Premier client who flies Emirates gets a genuinely good rate. The three Avios programs at 1:1 are also handy, since British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus Avios work well for short flights and partner awards. See our best points for Avios guide for how those compare.
Transfers take 5 to 14 days
Speed is the biggest weakness. HSBC’s program rules say points usually arrive within 5 days but can take up to 14 for some partners. Most transfers from Chase, Capital One, Citi, and Bilt post instantly, and even the slower Amex partners usually take a day or two.
That gap matters because award seats disappear. If you find a seat today and the points take ten days to land, there is a good chance the seat is gone when they arrive, and the transfer cannot be reversed. HSBC also only lets the primary cardholder transfer, and only into a loyalty account in that person’s own name. There is no minimum, so at least you never have to move more than the award costs. For more on timing, see how long point transfers take.
Is it worth using?
If you already bank with HSBC Premier and hold one of these cards, Rewards for Miles is a useful extra, especially for Emirates and the Avios programs at 1:1. Plan around the slow transfers by choosing awards with plenty of open seats, and check the ratio in your account first. Our step-by-step guide on how to transfer HSBC points walks through the process.
It is not a reason to open an HSBC Premier relationship, though. Every partner on the list is available at the same or a better ratio from a bank anyone can apply with, and those transfers are usually instant. If award travel is the goal, a card from one of those programs is the easier tool. Our guide to transferable points explains how they work, and we value HSBC points, like every other point on Cardocrat, at a flat 1 cent.
Stop guessing at point values. Look up the real award price and live availability for a specific trip before you transfer.
Search award flights on seats.aero → · Search award stays on rooms.aero →Frequently asked questions
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