HSBC Live+ vs CheQ AU

Reviewed by Chandan Kumar Dash

CheQ AU has the lower annual fee (Free against ₹999). HSBC Live+ waives its fee on ₹2,00,000 of spend a year; CheQ AU has no spend waiver. For spends abroad, HSBC Live+ charges the lower forex markup (1.99% plus GST). After fees, HSBC Live+ comes out ahead for the everyday spender and online shopper, and CheQ AU for the frequent traveller. The Saifu app works it out on your own spends, on your phone.

Feature	HSBC Live+HSBC India2 wins	CheQ AUAU Small Finance2 wins
Annual fee	₹999	LowerFree
Joining fee	₹999	LowerFree
Fee waiver	Waived on ₹2,00,000 spend a year	No fee to waive
Rewards	10% cashback (up to INR 1,200 a month) on dining, food delivery, grocery, shopping and utilities; 1.5% on other spends	12% rewards on favourite brands, 5% on favourite categories, 2.5% on CheQ UPI, 1% CheQ points on every transaction
Airport lounges	More2 a year domestic, 1 a year international	None listed
Forex markup	Lower1.99% plus GST	3.49% plus GST
Points	Cashback or not listed	CheQ Points, about ₹0.5 a point
Published minimum income and age	Salaried ₹6,00,000 a year, self-employed ₹12,00,000 a year, age 18 to 65	age 21 to 65
Network	Visa	Visa / RuPay
Apply	ApplyAffiliate link	Bank page

Badges mark the lower fee, waiver spend or markup, and more lounge visits. Rewards are not scored here because they depend on where you spend. Affiliate link, costs you nothing extra, we may earn a commission, never changes how cards are ranked. Figures come from each bank's page and can change; check before you apply.

What each card earns in a year

Sample spender	HSBC Live+	CheQ AU
Everyday spender₹30,000 a month	More₹17,100 a year₹17,100 rewards, no fee to pay	₹9,660 a year₹9,660 rewards, no fee to pay
Online shopper₹50,000 a month	More₹21,240 a year₹21,240 rewards, no fee to pay	₹20,700 a year₹20,700 rewards, no fee to pay
Frequent traveller₹1,00,000 a month	₹26,640 a year₹26,640 rewards, no fee to pay	More₹26,700 a year₹26,700 rewards, no fee to pay

The sample spends and how this is worked out

Everyday spender, ₹30,000 a month: DMart ₹6,000, BigBasket ₹2,000, Swiggy ₹2,000, Zomato ₹1,500, Amazon ₹3,000, Flipkart ₹1,500, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹2,500, Airtel ₹1,000, Indian Oil ₹3,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹2,500, Uber ₹1,000, Other spends in shops ₹4,000.
Online shopper, ₹50,000 a month: Amazon ₹10,000, Flipkart ₹8,000, Myntra ₹3,000, Swiggy ₹4,000, Zomato ₹3,000, Blinkit ₹4,000, BookMyShow ₹1,500, Uber ₹2,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹3,000, Jio ₹1,000, Netflix ₹500, Restaurant (in person) ₹3,000, Other spends in shops ₹7,000.
Frequent traveller, ₹1,00,000 a month: MakeMyTrip ₹10,000, Cleartrip ₹5,000, IRCTC ₹2,000, IndiGo ₹10,000, Marriott Bonvoy hotels ₹8,000, Spends abroad ₹15,000, Uber ₹4,000, Restaurant (in person) ₹8,000, Amazon ₹10,000, Swiggy ₹5,000, DMart ₹8,000, Bills paid on Google Pay ₹4,000, Indian Oil ₹5,000, Other spends in shops ₹6,000.

Worked out with the same reward rules and caps the Saifu app uses. Points are counted at the cash value in the table above. The annual fee counts as waived when the spend reaches the waiver. Joining fees, welcome gifts and milestone vouchers are not counted. Your own spends will give different figures.

Common questions

Which is better, HSBC Live+ or CheQ AU?

After fees, HSBC Live+ comes out ahead for the everyday spender and online shopper, and CheQ AU for the frequent traveller. It depends on where you spend: compare the figures for the sample spender closest to you, or add your own spends in the Saifu app.

Which has the lower annual fee?

CheQ AU (Free against ₹999). HSBC Live+ waives it on ₹2,00,000 of spend a year.

Add a third card HSBC Live+CheQ AU

More comparisons

Spot a mistake on this page? Tell us