[Rabzephyr]

I am going to work here for a year, but seems banks like HSBC will not issue me a credit card unless i could show them a latest three months income, but i just been here for two days.

Wonder if some small bank will accept my application with a HK company offer letter and a HK ID which is not permanent one.

any recommendations?

[jimbo]

Who do you currently bank with? If you have an account with a bank back home with branches here in HK then it'll be easier, HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered etc.

Doubt any branch will have a 'looser' requirement otherwise everybody will apply for there cards and defaulting on payments then skipping the country when there contract finishes.

[Katanga]

I hear BEA might be easier....

[tanbs]

Originally Posted by jimbo

Who do you currently bank with? If you have an account with a bank back home with branches here in HK then it'll be easier, HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered etc.

Doubt any branch will have a 'looser' requirement otherwise everybody will apply for there cards and defaulting on payments then skipping the country when there contract finishes.

My experience with HSBC shows that even if your salary is credited to HSBC Hong Kong for 3 months and you have a one year contract renewable, you cannot even get a HSBC classic credit card. They apparently have a powerful computer system that rejects me and no human there can overcome this problem after protracted effort. I have better experience with Citibank that grant me a platinum card with no problem. Little wonder I close my HSBC account and shift to Citibank.

[cerberus]

i'd recommend Standard Chartered. wouldn't call them "loose", but they've been good to me.

[globalcitizen]

My experience with HSBC and Citibank is about the same.

I have a company account with HSBC, and this helped to some extent. Even then, their powerful computer system could not identify the link between my personal and company account despite my request at the branch. After lots of ranting and raving, including a email to their MD of Consumer Banking, I got my credit card approved. The Credit Limit makes me want to cry though - that for a fresh graduate if you ask me.

I applied for a AMEX Gold Charge card, and asked AMEX HK to check with their SYD counterpart - as I am a current customer there. Application was approved with litte hassle.

Haven't tried that with Citibank here though - the quality of their outsourced call centre service is going down the gurgle if you ask me.