50% off rack rate/published rate is it ? Those credit card hotel promotions are hardly attractive. One can get better rate through travel agency.

Ah ... thought you were talking about their room promotions

I just tried to do a BT from my Citibank VISA to my HSBC MasterCard. The 0% BT offer apparently is offered only to select customers and one must sign up for this offer over the phone. No credit card statement needs to be submitted and you can request for any amount you like. Let say my Citibank VISA current outstanding is only RM1000, i can request for RM5000 BT or even more.

Anyway, when the officer went through the T&C of this 0% BT, i found out that my current on-going 0% IPP will be slapped with an interest of 5%. I do not know why though. Currently, i have two on-going 0% IPP with my HSBC MasterCard. I was shocked to hear this and immediately asked the officer to cancel the application. Early this morning i read on Malay Mail online that someone complained about HSBC 0% BT program that it comes with hidden charges. This is probably it.

HSBC Malaysia doesn't issue World MasterCard.

Every HSBC Premier shares an identical design across the globe. The one issued by HSBC Malaysia, is not a World MasterCard despite what is written on it.


Yes. I have also seen the real physical card myself but still, HSBC Malaysia doesn't issue a World MasterCard. The HSBC Group only issues World MasterCard in USA, Australia and Japan. This is why in all other countries where a Premier MasterCard is also offered, it is simply marketed as HSBC Premier MasterCard instead of HSBC Premier World MasterCard.


No. It is not. Or else, HSBC could have sued CIMB Bank and MasterCard Worldwide for issuing such a misleading statement back in year 2008 that the World MasterCard has finally arrived in our shore and CIMB Bank is the first bank to issue such card. The first World MasterCard in Malaysia is CIMB Enrich World MasterCard.

This post has been edited by MilesAndMore: Jan 6 2011, 09:05 PM

No. I don't think so. I remember reading the ads and press release on Star and The Edge and CIMB Bank couldn't stopped bragging it

There are indeed some HSBC Premier MasterCards that do not bear the "world" word. For instance, some of those issued by HSBC Canada and HSBC UK. I have seen it myself a while ago but somehow it i have forgotten it until you brought this up. See below. Two of the cards do not have the word "world".


Another thing is that HSBC Premier MasterCard credit card is not offered in all the countries where HSBC Premier is present. For example, HSBC France and HSBC China. In fact, HSBC France doesn't issue any MasterCard Worldwide product at all whilst in China, local regulation prevents it from issuing the card. They do offer several joint-venture credit cards through Bank of Communications bearing both HSBC and Bank of Communications logo but i am not sure if they do issue a complimentary credit card to their Premier customers in China.


No one can really come up with the answer as to why the HSBC Premier MasterCard issued from certain countries do bear the word "world" whilst some don't. Anyway, there are a few things pointing that this HSBC Malaysia issued Premier MasterCard is not a World MasterCard.

1. The HSBC Group claims to issue World MasterCard only in USA, Australia and Japan to date.
2. MasterCard Worldwide made a grand unveiling of the World MasterCard product in Malaysia in a press conference back in 2008 saying that this card will be arriving in Malaysia very soon.
3. CIMB Bank unveiled Malaysia's first World MasterCard in 2008, the CIMB Enrich World MasterCard. It claimed this is the very first World MasterCard in Malaysia, a statement backed by MasterCard Worldwide.

For HSBC, no.


Many have complained it really is very low. But i guess this is normal. Standard Chartered for instance, requires one to have a minimum deposit of RM250k with them to be a Priority Banking client and the credit line given to the Priority Banking VISA Infinite is peanut too.


Same for HSBC VISA Platinum.


How troublesome ! Last time when i applied for a secured credit card from HSBC, i did not have to pay any stamp duty at all. I only had to sign on a few documents and that was it.

Maybank is just incompetent, that's it.

It's RM200 deposit since mid-2008.

Yikes ! They really want to offer everything eh ? Anyway, the design is extremely bland ...