We chose this credit card as our top pick for balance transfers because it has the longest 0% deal we could find after scouring the market.
While this card doesn't come with an annual or monthly fee attached, there is a balance transfer fee of 3.49% fee, min £5 to consider, which could be a significant factor for those transferring larger sums. Balance transfer offers with no transfer fees involved do exist, but they don't tend to be found on the longest 0% interest deals.
It's also important to remember that if you don't clear your balance in full within the 30 months, then any outstanding balance will start to accrue interest at the card's standard rate.
It's pretty light on perks, which is probably to be expected from a card that's primarily about helping people clear debt faster, but you will be able to benefit from some (incredibly specific) offers through the HSBC Home and Away scheme plus cashback deals through Visa Offers.
The card is operated on the Visa network, meaning it can be used in over 30 million locations worldwide.
HSBC’s Balance Transfer card is designed to let you transfer an existing balance to HSBC to enjoy an extended interest-free period. It is one of several credit cards offered by HSBC, but it’s the only one specifically designed for balance transfers, and therefore offers the longest period of 0% interest.
| Issuer | HSBC |
| Network | Visa |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfers | 0% for 30 months reverting to 24.9% |
| Balance transfer fee | 3.49% fee, min £5 |
| Purchases | 0% for 3 months reverting to 24.9% |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Cash advances | 29.9% |
| Minimum credit limit | £500 |
| Maximum credit limit | Subject to status |
| Additional cards available | 1 |
| Additional Rewards Info | Discounts and exclusive offers for dining experiences, leisure activities and shopping available through HSBC Home and Away. |
| Travel incentive | Discounts and exclusive offers available through HSBC Home and Away. |
| Potential costs | 3.5 ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | 4.5 ★★★★★ |
| Extras | 1.5 ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder Score | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
| Minimum monthly payment | 2.5% or £5 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges plus 1% of the outstanding balance. |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfer fee | 3.49% fee, min £5 |
| Foreign usage charge (EU) | 2.99% |
| Foreign usage charge (rest of world) | 2.99% |
| Cash advance fee | 2.99% (min. £3) |
| Late payment fee | £12 |
| Duplicate statement fee | £0 |
| Exceeding limit fee | £12 |
| Additional card fee | £0 |
| Dormancy fee | £0 |
| Minimum Age | 18 |
| Minimum income | £6,800 |
| Availability | Available to new customers |
| Additional Criteria | Only available to those without an HSBC basic bank account Introductory rates only apply if you haven't held an HSBC credit card within the last six months |
The HSBC Balance Transfer Credit Card is issued on the Visa network (used by a whopping 4.2 billion cards), so you'll be able to use it at more than 100 million merchant locations across more than 200 countries and territories.
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
You can make manual repayments through HSBC's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0345 7404 404). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and losing your promotional interest rate as a result (as well as damaging your credit score and incurring the late payment fee of £12). You could use a fixed-amount direct debit to ensure you've cleared your debt before the 0% period expires – simply divide your outstanding balance by 30 to see what you'll need to pay each month (this assumes you don't use the card for additional spending).
You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.
| Minimum amount | |
|---|---|
| Fixed amount | |
| Fixed percentage | |
| Full amount |
First, you can use Finder's eligibility checker to find out if you'd be likely to get approved for the HSBC Balance Transfer Credit Card. This won't impact your credit score. If it's good news, you can then proceed to HSBC's online application, which takes 10–15 minutes to complete. You can request a balance transfer as part of your application.
Existing HSBC customers can alternatively apply in-branch (make sure to take photo ID, proof of address and a recent bank statement).
No. HSBC doesn't accept balance transfers from credit cards issued through HSBC group, which includes M&S Bank, John Lewis and first direct cards.
Yes. You can manage this card through HSBC UK's free mobile banking app.
Transferring a balance doesn't automatically close your old account. In most cases, you'll want to close the old accounts straightaway, especially if they have a annual/monthly fee or if you might be tempted to use them in the future. There is an argument that you should keep the old account open to help your credit score. That's because doing so keeps your "credit utilisation ratio" lower (that's a measure of how much credit you're using compared to what's available to you), and helps the average age of your credit accounts. However, unless you're just about to apply for a new mortgage, it's probably fair to say that most people would prefer to have no more bank accounts open than was truly necessary.
Our experts score balance transfer cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like the length of the balance transfer offer, the balance transfer fee, any restrictions to making a transfer, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.
You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.