HSBC Live+ vs CASHBACK SBI Card

HSBC Live+ vs CASHBACK SBI Card (Sept 2026): for the standard ₹32k/month profile HSBC Live+ wins on score (100/100, ₹16,098 recurring net savings a year) vs CASHBACK SBI Card 60/100 (₹8,834). Cheapest to hold: HSBC Live+ (₹1,179 incl. GST). Edit the spend on this page to re-score for yours.

Card	‹›⇄× HSBCHSBC Live+	‹›⇄× SBI CardCASHBACK SBI Card
Overview
Personal score	100/100 BEST	60/100
Recurring net savings	₹16,098/yr BEST	₹8,834/yr
Effective savings rate	4.9% BEST	2.7%
Annual fee incl. GST	Waived ₹1,179	Waived ₹1,179
Usable lounge visits	✈2 dom🌏1 intl you can use 2 BEST	✈ none you can use 0
Why it fits	✓ 10% on dining, food delivery, groceries, shopping & utilities earns…	✓ 5% on all online spends (₹2,000/month cap from 1 Apr 2026) earns you…
Main drawback	! No rewards on fuel – ₹36,000 of your yearly spend earns nothing here.	! No usable lounge access although you asked for it.
How the net figure adds up
+ Reward value on your spend	₹15,738 at ₹1/Cashback BEST	₹8,474 at ₹1/Cashback
+ Milestone bonuses you reach	none	none
+ Fuel surcharge waiver	₹360	₹360
+ Lifestyle benefits you asked for	none matched	none matched
+ Renewal bonus (only when the fee is charged)	—	—
− Annual fee incl. 18% GST	₹0 waived at ₹2,00,000 spend	₹0 waived at ₹2,00,000 spend
− Forex markup on international spend	none	none
= Recurring net savings	₹16,098/yr BEST	₹8,834/yr
÷ Card spend counted	₹3,26,640 UPI-only rupees excluded on non-RuPay cards	₹3,26,640 UPI-only rupees excluded on non-RuPay cards
= Effective savings rate	4.9% BEST	2.7%
Rewards on your spend
Groceries & quick-commerce (₹72,000/yr)	₹4,320 6.0% BEST	₹432 0.6%
Dining & food delivery (₹48,000/yr)	₹4,224 8.8% BEST	₹1,766 3.7%
Online shopping (₹72,000/yr)	₹2,916 4.1%	₹3,600 5.0% BEST
Fuel (₹36,000/yr)	₹0 0.0%	₹0 0.0%
Cabs & commute (₹18,000/yr)	₹162 0.9% BEST	₹108 0.6%
Bills & utilities (₹30,000/yr)	₹3,000 10.0% BEST	₹0 0.0%
Flights (₹24,000/yr)	₹360 1.5%	₹1,200 5.0% BEST
Hotels (₹12,000/yr)	₹180 1.5%	₹600 5.0% BEST
Movies & OTT (₹9,600/yr)	₹144 1.5%	₹480 5.0% BEST
Insurance premiums (₹18,000/yr)	₹0 0.0%	₹0 0.0%
Everything else (₹48,000/yr)	₹432 0.9% BEST	₹288 0.6%
Base earn rate	1.5% BEST	1%
Accelerated categories	2 rules 1.5% on Amazon, Flipkart & Myntra (excluded from 10%) – 1.5% 10% on dining, food delivery, groceries, shopping & utilities – 10.0%, cap ₹1,200/mo	1 rule 5% on all online spends (₹2,000/month cap from 1 Apr 2026) – 5.0%, cap ₹2,000/mo
Excluded categories	fuel, rent, insurance, education, international	fuel, rent, utilities, insurance, education
Caps hit for your spend	None	None
Milestones	None	None
UPI rewards (RuPay)	Not UPI-enabled	Not UPI-enabled
Fees & first year
Joining fee	₹999 + GST	₹999 + GST
Fee waiver	On ₹2,00,000 annual spend	On ₹2,00,000 annual spend
Renewal benefit	None	None
Welcome benefit (first year only)	₹750 voucher (Amazon Pay, Zomato or Swiggy) on card activation ≈ ₹675	None
First-year value (separate)	₹15,594 BEST	₹7,656
Travel
Domestic lounge entitlement	2 per year	None
International lounge entitlement	1 per year	None
Lounge condition	None	None
Forex markup	1.99% BEST	3.5%
Redemption & simplicity
Reward currency	Cashback · ₹1/unit	Cashback · ₹1/unit
How to redeem	Details Auto-credited to statement.	Details Auto-credited to statement within two days of statement generation.
Redemption flexibility	★★★★★	★★★★★
Simplicity	★★★★★	★★★★★
Lifestyle
Benefits you asked for	fuel waiver	fuel waiver
All lifestyle perks	fuel waiver	fuel waiver
Eligibility	Income ₹4L+/yr; HSBC serviceable cities	Income ₹3L+/yr; salaried preferred
Score breakdown
Net savings rate	100/100 × 55% = 55.0	55/100 × 55% = 30.2
Usable lounge access	100/100 × 15% = 15.0	0/100 × 15% = 0.0
Redemption flexibility	100/100 × 10% = 10.0	100/100 × 10% = 10.0
Lifestyle fit	100/100 × 10% = 10.0	100/100 × 10% = 10.0
Simplicity	100/100 × 5% = 5.0	100/100 × 5% = 5.0
Fee safety	100/100 × 5% = 5.0	100/100 × 5% = 5.0
Sources
Official source	HSBC India – Live+ Credit Card	SBI Card – CASHBACK SBI Card
Last reviewed	2026-09-17	2026-09-19