2025 - Credit Cards / Deals / Discounts / Cashbacks

[becomjapanHK]

So that is ~HK$12,500 cost per year at 5%........with that factored in its still worth it?

[poiasd]

I think that's upto you to calculate, e.g. would you spend enough on the Mox card to make the miles earned equivalent to HK$12,500? How do you normally redeem your miles?

[freeier]

Wondering if you've considered the BoCHK Cheers card? Seems like that card is quite unpopular here in this forum. The Cheers card (VISA Infinite) is a 4% rebate and $1.5/mile so wouldn't it be a better choice?

On a side note, has anyone else had experience with this card or BoCHK cards in general? I've recently had a new card issued (card only customer) and the BoCHK app kinda sucks. Unlike the HSBC app which instantly shows your credit card transactions, the BoCHK app only deducts your credit limit and doesn't actually show your purchases nor your gift points. Has anyone else had this problem or is it just me?

PS: new to the forum so may have hijacked it for my app tech problem

I use the cheers card quite regularly now. this year the cash back requirement is adjusted, need to spend at least 5k before you get the 4% rebate.. which is fairly decent still. Similarly the Citic imotion that gives 6% cashback up to 200HK$ also need minimum spending of 3800 hkd p/m now.... seems credit card issuers are getting more stingy.

As to the App, credit card transactions are shown only after the merchant submit the charging bill to the bank. sometimes the posting can take 1/2 or even up to a week, then we won't see in the banking statement whether its boc or hsbc. I don't recall BOC being that much slower than HSBC on updating transactions on the app, maybe just 1 day later if there is actually any lag. And none of the banks actually give you the attributable points/cash to each transaction.. you just need to compute it yourself.

[poiasd]

And none of the banks actually give you the attributable points/cash to each transaction.. you just need to compute it yourself.

Actually AMEX does (though I guess not a "bank"). They are pretty detailed and go into how the bonus points by offer etc. as well. I posted on the Flyertalk thread but this is what it looks like:

[freeier]

ic. thanks for letting me know. i have given up on Amex pretty much.

[elitemem]

The 4% is only on Dining and Travel, and if you accumulate HK$5000 in that month. Also I think it is not super clear how waivable the annual fee is.

I've used BoC Chill Card for McDonalds / IKEA, and also for free movie tickets at Cinearthouse since its near me (1+1 on Saturdays IIRC).

BoC Taobao Card has 0% FX fee, so sometimes I use it internationally if they don't take AMEX (I don't like Mox).

I eat out a lot so the $5,000 won't be much of a problem. On my first year with the card so I'll just cancel it next year if the fee can't be waived. Can always drop back to the HSBC Visa Sig.

I use the cheers card quite regularly now. this year the cash back requirement is adjusted, need to spend at least 5k before you get the 4% rebate.. which is fairly decent still. Similarly the Citic imotion that gives 6% cashback up to 200HK$ also need minimum spending of 3800 hkd p/m now.... seems credit card issuers are getting more stingy.

As to the App, credit card transactions are shown only after the merchant submit the charging bill to the bank. sometimes the posting can take 1/2 or even up to a week, then we won't see in the banking statement whether its boc or hsbc. I don't recall BOC being that much slower than HSBC on updating transactions on the app, maybe just 1 day later if there is actually any lag. And none of the banks actually give you the attributable points/cash to each transaction.. you just need to compute it yourself.

Going to use Cheers as the main dining card as well. Still the best $/mile card out there if you can hit the spending requirements Definitely feels like the banks are putting in more caveats to the better deals but they're still acceptable to me.

BoC app definitely feels ALOT slower than HSBC. I normally see the coffee txn within a day if not within a few hours on HSBC (though it would still be a pending txn). I just checked my BoC app again and the coffee txn (same cafe) from 4 days ago just showed up. Guess their systems aren't updated as frequently.

HSBC's Reward+ app doesn't attribute the points but that's fine at least the points are allocated to your account when the transaction gets posted. Not the BoC app though...still showing 0 points. Maybe they allocate the points at the end of each month to take into account the $5,000 requirement.

[bsc1280]

i got Citi Prestige Card. i wanted to ask if $4 to 1 mile is a a good deal (if not the best in town) for accumulating the card

i currently use HSC Visa signature card and want to use the best way to accumulate Miles. especially some program where I could use Qatar or Emirates or Thai (in addition to Cathay)

thanks!

[vyral_143]

Got a notice from PrimeCredit for their EarnMore UnionPay credit card term changes in 2025.

They had 2% flat cashback on all spends credited back in statement every month except Octopus AAVS (it gets 1%) - up to HK$150,000 spend/annum. For 2025, this has now been brought down to 1% for all spends and 0.4% for Octopus AAVS.

Seems, SCB Simply Cash is alternate with 1.5% flat on everything. There is also Citi Cashback card which gives 1% back on everything and 2% back on dining.

Seems PrimeCredit have quietly went on to continue same promo as last year. Every "eligible/designated" txn gets 1% base rebate and 1% extra/bonus rebate. Octopus AAVS is 0.4%. Extra 1% is capped at $1500/year which is HK$150K yearly spend.

[vyral_143]

My combo for now is

Rent Payment
1. 2x Aeon Wakuwaku - 6% rebate on first $5000 - valid till April, 2025
2. HangSeng MMPower - 5% rebate - minimum spend 5000/month - max rebate $500/month - valid till December, 2025

Online
1. HangSeng MMPower - 5% rebate - minimum spend $5000/month - max rebate $500/month (equals to $10,870 max spend) - valid till December, 2025
2. HSBC Red - 4% rebate on spends of up to $10k/month - valid till December 2025

Dining
HSBC Visa Signature - 3.6% rebate up to $100K/year - valid till December 2025

Bill Payment (via UnionPay app)
PrimeCredit EarnMore Diamond Card - 2% rebate on spends of up to $150k/year - valid till December 2025

All misc
1. (via Apple Pay) 2x PrimeCredit EarnMore Wewa card - 6% rebate on spends of up to $3572/month - valid till March 2025
2. PrimeCredit EarnMore Diamond Card - 2% rebate on spends of up to $150k/year - valid till December 2025

TaoBao
1. PrimeCredit EarnMore Diamond Card - 2% rebate - no handling fees on spends of up to $1k/month - valid till December 2025
2. A. Point Card - no handling fees on 5 order/month

PayMe
HSBC Red - gets me monthly 12 RC when I load wallet with $3000 which can always be transferred to bank in "special circumstances"

Apart from this I still have following
1. Citi Cashback card - 1% on everything and 2% on dining (I use it as sort of cash advance credit card via CitiPayall if needed to put money in term deposit when rates are good, but I do not have liquid funds)
2. SIM Credit Card - 8% back on online spends of $2500 (Additionally requires offline transaction of HK$500) - current set of promos valid till 31/Jan, 2025 - will figure if I can put this card to any usage depending on rebate program update

2 cards I am planning to discontinue
1. Stanc Smart
2. CCB JD

Backup cards for future if current ones (for which rebate program ends in next few months) do not renew rebate program favorably;
Replacement for Aeon WakuWaku
1. BoC Chill - 5% upto spends of ~$3250 - valid till June/2025
2. CNCBI Inmotion - 6% but minimum spend of $3800 and max rebate of $200 - valid till June/2025
3. Getting MMPower for wife and use it


Replacement for PrimeCredit Wewa
1. BoC SOGO - 5.4% up to $2000/month (valid till December 2025)

[poiasd]

TaoBao
1. PrimeCredit EarnMore Diamond Card - 2% rebate - no handling fees on spends of up to $1k/month - valid till December 2025
2. A. Point Card - no handling fees on 5 order/month

How's the exchange rate on those? In my experience the exchange on AlipayHK is ~1% worse than BoC directly via Credit Card. Need to PoC a bit more though to confirm my hypothesis