[Leftyhsu]

a few questions:

1. What is the best local HK credit card if you are constantly traveling overseas around Asia?

2. What is the best rebate on a credit card? (i know someone asked this earlier, but all the posts seem to be from early 2007)

3. What is the best bank account for someone base in Hong Kong, but who will be traveling frequently throughout the Asia region?

Thanks!

[KnowItAll]

1) Citibank / Amex - great replacement policies


3) HSBC

[PDLM]

I'd agree with those recommendations. And if you bank with HSBC get a credit card from them as well so that you have a backup if there's a problem with the Citibank card (and preferably make one Visa and one Mastercard for some resilience there).

I can't comment on cash rebates generally, but I believe that the best mileage earning card on a consistent basis is the Citibank Premier Miles card, however, HSBC Premier seems to have an increasing number of special offers, for example at the moment I have:
- spend more than $400 at most major supermarket chains (Wellcome, PnS, Mannings, Watsons, etc) and get a 10% rebate on Fridays (2% other days);
- spend $15,000 for each of May and June and get 13,000 AsiaMiles bonus

The first offer is open to anyone (requires registration). The second is targetted - others have similar but different thresholds and bonuses.

[c1000]

A few things annoy me about my HSBC account:

- Long lines at lunch time
- Constant stream of mail and no option for electronic statements
- Unable to go back more than a couple months when checking my account transaction history online - can only pay a fee to receive duplicate paper statements.

Can anyone recommend a smaller bank that can provide professional, less paper-intensive service?

How is DBS?

[KnowItAll]

Other than depositing overseas checks - why would you need to use their counter service? Most of the day to day activities can be done online or dropped off

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by KnowItAll

Other than depositing overseas checks - why would you need to use their counter service? Most of the day to day activities can be done online or dropped off

Oi! that's my line!

[KnowItAll]

Sowwie!!!

WILL NOT happen again.

[MovingIn07]

I do try and avoid the branches, but if I want to make large electronic payments to people they make you fill in a paper form in the branch (and then after 6 months, repeat the exercise - HUH?). Interestingly, my spend target is 10k in each of May and June for the asia miles offer so clearly different people get different offers!

[KnowItAll]

You can post that form to them. Takes a day or two longer .. but you don't have to go to the branch.

[tsuiwah]

I think Amex has the higher transaction/conversion fees on overseas usage (at least DBS Amex versus my BEA or UOB Visa cards).

DBS Amex offers extra miles/points on overseas usage, but it comes at a cost.