Rewards Credit Card FAQs

Q. What is Pay with Rewards?

A. Pay with Rewards is an innovative solution by Mastercard® that allows HSBC Rewards credit card customers to use their reward points against purchases they make at millions of participating locations worldwide, both for in store and online transactions.

Q. How does it work?

A. Simply register via the Pay with Rewards mobile app, or through the Pay and Rewards website.

You’ll earn points whenever you use your card to make a purchase but you won’t be able to see or spend your points until after you’ve registered.

You can redeem your points against a purchase at any time, even if you haven’t got enough points to pay for the whole of a transaction. You can even set your preferences so your points are automatically used for your next purchase. The original purchase, and the corresponding Pay with Rewards credit, will appear on your monthly credit card statement.

And don’t worry, if you forget to allocate your points before making a purchase, you can still use them against a valid transaction made within the last 7 days.

Q. What are the benefits of using Pay with Rewards?

A. With Pay with Rewards, you have endless opportunities for using points against purchases you make, in-store or online, at millions of eligible Mastercard locations, within and outside of the UK¹. You can view and redeem your rewards via mobile app or online. Set your Pay with Rewards preferences and simply use your card like you normally would. The monetary equivalent of your points will be credited to your card account.

¹Any Non-sterling transactions will be charged with a Non-sterling transaction fee of 2.99%. The fees will be applied on the entire transaction amount regardless of the points used. Reward Points can’t be used against the Non-sterling transaction fee).

Q. Will Pay with Rewards be available to other HSBC Credit Card holders?

A. Currently, Pay with Rewards is only available to HSBC Rewards primary credit card holders.

Q. Is there a fee to register or use Pay with Rewards?

A. No, there is no charge associated with Pay with Rewards.

Q. How do I get started?

A. Registering your HSBC Rewards Credit Card through the Pay with Rewards mobile app or website is simple and secure.

Mobile App:

• Simply download the Pay with Rewards app onto your mobile device from Google Play or the App Store.¹
• Set a four-digit passcode.
• Enter your primary HSBC Rewards card number and follow the on-screen instructions. The home screen will show your Rewards points balance, the cash equivalent of your Rewards points balance, and your current Pay with Rewards status. Simply tap “Next Purchase” (or “No Purchases”) to configure Pay with Rewards for your next purchase.

¹App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and Android are trademarks of Google LLC.

Website:

• Log on to the Pay with Rewards website for HSBC Rewards Programme.
• Enter your HSBC Rewards card number and follow the on-screen instructions.
• You can check your Rewards points balance, the cash equivalent of your Rewards points balance, and your current Pay with Rewards status. Simply tap “Next Purchase” (or “No Purchases”) to configure Pay with Rewards for your next purchase.

Q. Which mobile operating systems does Pay with Rewards support?

A. Pay with Rewards supports:

• Android – Requires 2.3 or above²
• iOS – Requires 7.1 or above²

²App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and Android are trademarks of Google LLC.

Q. Can I turn Pay with Rewards on through the call centre?

A. No. You can only turn on the functionality through the Pay with Rewards mobile app or Pay with Rewards website for HSBC Rewards Programme.

Q. What is the ‘Next Purchase’ button?

A. If you want to redeem your reward points for the next transaction, tap on the ‘Next Purchase’ button before making the purchase and use your card as you normally would.

Q. What options can I set for using my points?

A. You can opt to turn Pay with Rewards on for the next qualifying transaction by choosing ‘Next Purchase’, or select ‘No Purchases’ to build up your points until you’re ready to use them. The ‘Purchase Minimum’ feature allows you to set a minimum purchase value for which you’d like to use your points. For example, if you’ve set Purchase Minimum to £5, and you’ve opted for ‘Next Purchase’, your points will not be used for any purchase that’s less than £5. 

Q. Can I use Pay with Rewards with my digital wallet?

A. Yes. Set your preferences in the Pay with Rewards app or website before you make a purchase using your digital wallet.

Q. When can I start using Pay with Rewards?

A. You can start as soon as you’ve received your credit card. If you loaded your card directly onto your digital wallet, you’ll only start earning points on your purchases up to 24 hours after loading.

Q. Can I earn points on all transactions I make?

A. You can earn points anywhere Mastercard is accepted; this includes purchases you make online and in store, purchases you make abroad, recurring payments (for example, your phone bill or gym subscription). However, you won’t be able to earn points when you withdraw cash from an ATM, on cash advances or cash related payments, when you make a balance transfer, on tax payment transactions, or on any fees or charges you incur through use of your credit card.

Q. How many points do I earn when I make a purchase?

A. For every £5 you spend on the Rewards card, you earn 1 point.

Q. Is there a limit to how much I can earn?

A. There is no limit to how many points you can earn.

Q. Will I accrue points even if I don’t register on Pay with Rewards app or website?

A. You will continue to earn points on all eligible spending irrespective of your registration on Pay with Rewards; however, you will be unable to redeem those points. Once you have registered for Pay with Rewards, you’ll be able to redeem all the points accumulated so far, provided they have not expired.

Q. Can Pay with Rewards be used for any transaction?

A. Pay with Rewards can be used for most credit card purchases where Mastercard is accepted. (For full description please refer to the Rewards Programme Rules for more information). Also, note that withdrawal of cash at ATMs, cash advances or cash related payments, balance transfers, tax payment transactions, or any fees or charges you incur through use of your credit card cannot leverage Pay with Rewards.

Q. Is there a minimum number of points I need before I can start redeeming them?

A. No, there is no minimum number of points to start redeeming. 100 accrued points are worth £1.

Q. How do I receive redemption notifications?

A. After the points are redeemed, you will receive an email confirming this. A notification will also be sent to your phone if you have enabled In-App Communication Preferences on the Settings tab in the Pay with Rewards mobile app.

Q. Is there a maximum amount that I can redeem?

A. No, you can use all the points in your account to make a redemption.

Q. I forgot to use Pay with Rewards points on my last purchase. What should I do now?

A. You can redeem your points against qualifying transactions you have made in the past 7 days using the Mastercard Pay with Rewards app. To do this, select the activity sub menu (located below the card image) on the app to see the list of recent transactions. You can redeem your points against any transactions which have the ‘Redeem’ option against them.

Q. Accidentally, I used the points on my last purchase. Can I reverse it and pay by card instead?

A. Unfortunately, once points are redeemed, they cannot be reversed.

Q. What happens if I do not have sufficient points to cover the total cost of the transaction?

A. You can use all the available Rewards points in your account to cover part of the purchase. For example, if you have 1,500 points available and you’re making a purchase worth £20, you can use your points towards £15 of the purchase. The purchase price of £20 will be charged to your credit card and you’ll then be refunded £15.

Q. How can I track my points balance and activity?

A. You can see your points balance on the App and on the Pay and Rewards website for HSBC Rewards Programme. The points you’ve earned on your Pay with Rewards transactions (including any promotional points) will appear in your Pay with Rewards account within 2-3 business days.

Q. How soon will I see Pay with Rewards transactions hit my credit card account?

A. Pay with Rewards credit transactions will appear on your credit card account within 2-3 business days.

Q. What do I do if some of my points are missing?

A. If your points aren’t showing on your Pay with Rewards account within 3 business days of making a transaction, please call our customer helpline number 03457 404 404.

Q. What happens if I earned points on a purchase I've subsequently returned?

A. If you’ve used your Rewards Credit Card to make a purchase which earned you points, and you then receive a chargeback/return from a merchant, you’ll get the whole purchase price back and the points you earned on that purchase will be reversed. For example, if you made a purchase of £1,000, earning you 200 points, if you get a chargeback you’ll get £1,000 refunded to your card and 200 points will be deducted from your points balance. This could result in a negative point balance if you’d already used the 200 points.

Q. What happens if I use my points for a purchase that is subsequently returned?

A. Unfortunately, points are not returned if there is a chargeback/return at a merchant from a previous Pay with Rewards transaction. For example, if you used 1,500 points from the Pay with Rewards account for a purchase worth £15, a £15 statement credit would be issued in case of chargeback/ return. The 1,500 points redemption is not reversed.

Q. Why do I see various promotions in my Pay with Rewards account?

A. The promotional offers that you see in your Pay with Rewards account could help you earn more points than usual (depending on the specific offer by the merchants), when you make purchases at those listed places during the promotional period.

Q. What happens if I input the wrong passcode in the Pay with Rewards app?

A. After 3 incorrect attempts, you’ll not be able to use the app for the next 60 minutes.

Q. I have the mobile app installed on my phone. What should I do if my phone gets lost or stolen?

A. Your Pay with Rewards mobile app is secured using the 4-digit passcode you created and your biometric data. Your card number and personal details are not stored in the app, so you don’t need to worry about your personal details being stolen. No changes can be made to your Pay with Rewards settings without your 4-digit passcode or biometric authentication. However, you should contact your mobile provider to have your mobile service deactivated.

Q. What happens to my points if I close my account?

A. You will lose all of your unused points when you close your account.

Q. I have an additional cardholder on my Rewards account. Can they also use the Pay with Rewards app and redeem points?

A. No, only the primary cardholder can redeem the rewards points. However, additional cardholders can earn points by using the card, which will increase the primary cardholder’s total point balance.

Q. Can I ask a merchant about my rewards balance?

A. Merchants / Retailers won’t be able to answer any queries on Pay with Rewards. Your up-to-date Rewards points balance is available on the Pay with Rewards mobile application and Pay with rewards website.

Refer to the Rewards Programme Rules for more information.

Q. Do my points expire?

A. Your Pay with Rewards points expire in 3 years, from the month in which you earned them.

Q. Can I use my points if I am about to reach or have reached my credit limit?

A. If you don't have enough credit available to cover the whole purchase price, using your points won't stop you going over your credit limit and incurring an over-limit fee. This is because the full purchase price is charged to your credit card, and the cash equivalent of the points you're using will be refunded to your account. The refund could take 2-3 business days to come through.

Q. Are there any circumstances where I won’t be able to earn or use points?

A. You won’t be able to earn or use points if you’ve breached your credit card agreement, HSBC has cancelled or suspended your right to use your credit card, HSBC hasn’t renewed your credit card; or there has been, or HSBC suspects, fraudulent or criminal activity of any kind whether or not linked to the use of your credit card.

Q. I cancelled my existing card and received a replacement with a different card number. How do I add my new card?

A. Open the Pay with Rewards mobile app. Click on the “Add New Card” option. Your new card is added. Make sure to delete your old card from the app. On the website, the old card is automatically replaced with the new card when the new card is issued so there’s nothing you need to do.

Q. I forgot my passcode to the app, how can I reset it?

A. In the Pay with Rewards mobile app, tap “Forgot your passcode?”. Note that all of your data will be removed from the mobile device and you will have to add your card again.