Is the HSBC Live Plus Credit Card Worth It?
Enter what you spend where this card pays more, and the benefits you would use. See what it is worth to you in rupees, after its fee.
- 207Cards to check
- FreeCost
- Dining card
- Needs ₹50,000 a month income
- ₹1,179 fee a year (with GST)
- Fee waived from ₹16,667 a month
- 1.5% base, up to 10% on dining
- 3 lounge visits a year
- Pays in cashback
- online shopping: 10% back, up to ₹1,200 a month
- dining: 10% back, up to ₹1,200 a month
- spending ₹16,667 or more a month: the ₹1,179 fee is waived
- flyers: 3 airport lounge visits a year
- spending abroad: 1.99% markup, most cards add 3.5%
- you spend less than ₹16,667 a month (₹2,00,000 a year, rent and wallet loads not counted): the ₹1,179 fee is then charged
- most of your spending is fuel, rent, insurance or education: those earn nothing on this card
- you pay mostly by UPI: a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI
- you rarely spend on online shopping, dining, groceries or utility bills: the 10% rate applies only there, everything else earns 1.5%
- you sometimes pay only the minimum due: interest of 3.75% a month (45% a year) outweighs any reward
Your spend a month, by kind
Terms on the normal rate: 1.5% cashback on most other spends, including OTT subscriptions and Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra; not earned on international spends or excluded categories
Total on the card: ₹0 a month
Abroad and benefits
Every rate on this card, and what your spend earns
| Spend category | Rate | Monthly cap | Where it applies | Your spend earns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPI payments (scan and pay) | Earns nothing | - | a Visa or Mastercard card cannot pay by UPI | - |
| Online shopping | 10% | ₹1,200, shared with other bonus rates | Apparel, department stores and other shopping MCCs, excludes Amazon, Flipkart and MyntraTerms: 10% on shopping, excludes Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, which earn the 1.5% base; SHARED ₹1,200 a month cap across dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities | - |
| Dining and food delivery | 10% | ₹1,200, shared with other bonus rates | Swiggy, Zomato, restaurant diningTerms: 10% on dining and food delivery, SHARED ₹1,200 a month cap across dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities | - |
| Groceries | 10% | ₹1,200, shared with other bonus rates | BigBasket, Blinkit, ZeptoTerms: 10% on groceries, SHARED ₹1,200 a month cap across dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities | - |
| Travel: flights, hotels, trains | 1.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
| Fuel | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Bills and recharges | 10% | ₹1,200, shared with other bonus rates | All merchants in the categoryTerms: 10% on utility bill payments, SHARED ₹1,200 a month cap across dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities | - |
| Rent | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Insurance premiums | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| School and college fees | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Wallet top-ups | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Taxes and government payments | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Spend abroad or in a foreign currency | Earns nothing | - | earns nothing on this card | - |
| Everything else | 1.5% | No cap | The card's normal rate | - |
Common Questions
When is a credit card worth its annual fee?
When the rewards you actually earn in a year are more than the fee plus 18% GST, or when you spend enough for the bank to waive the fee. This calculator works out both from the card's own published terms.
Why is GST added to the fee?
Card fees carry 18% GST, so a ₹1,000 fee costs ₹1,180. Where the bank already quotes the fee with GST, it is not added twice.
What does 'capped' mean?
Many cards limit the reward you can earn in a month in a category. Spending above the cap earns nothing extra, so the calculator stops counting there.
Is a lifetime free card always better?
Not always. A paid card with higher rewards can leave you with more once you spend enough. The break-even line shows the monthly spend where that starts.
Guides in Plain Words
Short reads that explain how it works before you decide.
- GuidesBest Credit Cards Under ₹500 a Year in India (2026)Credit cards with an annual fee of ₹500 or less (before GST) in 2026, ranked by the reward rate each bank states, with fee waivers.Read the guide →
GuidesNo-Cost EMI: What It Really Costs You, With a Worked ExampleNo-cost EMI is not a trick, but it is rarely free. Here is where the money goes: the discount you give up, the processing fee, and GST on the interest, worked out on a Rs 30,000 phone.Read the guide →- GuidesBest Online Shopping Credit Cards in India (2026)The credit cards that pay the most back on online shopping in 2026, which sites count, the monthly cap and the annual fee.Read the guide →
