The HSBC Student Credit Card is available only to HSBC Student Bank Account customers. Used responsibly, with payments made on time and spending kept within the credit limit, a credit card can help build a credit history. This review covers the card’s interest rate, credit limits, eligibility and fees for use abroad.

ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender. Always make sure you can afford repayments.

HSBC Student Credit Card overview

HSBC’s student credit card has a purchase rate of 18.9% variable and doesn’t require a credit history. Bank of England data (series IUMCCTL) put the average quoted interest rate on UK credit cards at 24.71% in August 2026, the highest in more than 30 years, so the card’s rate is below the market average.

Student credit cards from high street banks usually charge lower rates than credit builder cards, which are aimed at people with limited or poor credit history. Representative APRs on credit builder cards are typically around 34% to 40%, roughly double the HSBC student card’s 18.9%.

Paying the full balance each month avoids interest on purchases. Where a balance is carried over, the interest rate determines how much interest is charged.

NatWest no longer offers a student credit card; its student offering now centres on its current account with an interest-free overdraft. TSB is among the other high street banks still offering a student credit card.

HSBC Student Credit Card features

Representative example: Representative 18.9% APR variable. Based on an assumed credit limit of £250 at a purchase rate of 18.9% p.a. (variable) with no annual fee.

Purchases have an interest-free period of up to 56 days, provided the balance (excluding any instalment plan) is paid in full and on time each month. For accounts with an instalment plan, the monthly instalment and fee also need to be paid on time to keep this benefit.

HSBC’s summary box illustrates the effect of repayment amounts on a £500 purchase at the 18.9% rate: making only the minimum payment each month would take 12 years and 5 months to clear the balance, compared with 11 months at £50 a month (£35.39 interest) or 6 months at £100 a month (£14.99 interest).

Who can apply?

The card is available to students who hold, or are opening, an HSBC Student Bank Account, subject to status. There’s no minimum income or credit history requirement.

To apply for the credit card, applicants must:

be at least 18 years old

have an HSBC Student Bank Account

have been resident in the UK for at least three years (not including the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man)

Students who have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for less than three years can apply for HSBC’s Bank Account for International Students instead.

Checking eligibility doesn’t guarantee acceptance, which depends on HSBC’s own criteria and checks.

HSBC Student Bank Account: qualifying courses

To open an HSBC Student Bank Account, the course must be full-time (or part-time for students receiving Disabled Students’ Allowance) at a UK university or college. Applicants can’t hold a student account with another bank. Qualifying courses include:

postgraduate degree (eg PhD, MBA, MSc, PGCE, MPhil, MEd, MSt or LLM)

undergraduate degree (eg BA, BSc, BEd, BN)

Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)

Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC) Higher National qualifications (HND/HNC)

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) levels 4 and 5

foundation degree (FdA or FdSc) and/or a subsequent one-year full honours degree course

pre-registration or First Level Nursing and Midwifery Diploma

a foundation year that is an integral part of one of the courses above (written proof, such as a letter from the college or university, is required)

Postgraduate applicants must have completed a UK undergraduate degree in the last three years and provide a graduation certificate, diploma or letter from the university or college. Other applicants need proof of unconditional acceptance (such as a UCAS or university letter), or for first-year students, a 16-digit UCAS status code.

Courses that don’t qualify

intermediate, advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships (Levels 2–7)

access and conversion courses

Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education (AVCE)

non-apprenticeship City and Guilds and RSA courses

GCE A Levels, AS courses or Scottish Highers

BTEC National Awards (other than HND/HNC)

General National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) Levels 1–3

SQA Awards and GCSEs

traineeships and apprenticeship access courses

part-time courses (except for students receiving Disabled Students’ Allowance)

Using the HSBC Student Credit Card abroad

The table below shows the fees for using the card abroad.

Foreign-currency cash withdrawals attract both the 2.99% non-sterling fee and the 2.99% cash fee (minimum £3), and interest is charged from the date of withdrawal, with no interest-free period.

The chart below shows the fees on £300 of foreign card purchases compared with three cash withdrawals of £100 each. Because of the £3 minimum fee, withdrawals of about £100 or less are charged £3, which is a higher percentage of the amount withdrawn.

FAQs

Paying in pounds or local currency abroad

When paying abroad, retailers and ATMs sometimes offer to charge in pounds. If pounds are chosen, the retailer or ATM operator sets the exchange rate (known as dynamic currency conversion), which usually includes a markup. Paying in the local currency means the Visa exchange rate applies, plus HSBC’s 2.99% non-sterling fee.

Can the HSBC Student Credit Card be used online?

Yes, the card can be used for online purchases.

Do HSBC student accounts come with a credit card?

HSBC Student Bank Accounts come with a debit card. The credit card isn’t included automatically, but student account holders can apply for one.

Does the HSBC Student Credit Card charge fees abroad?

Yes. A 2.99% fee applies to non-sterling transactions, and cash withdrawals also carry a 2.99% cash fee (minimum £3). See “Using the HSBC Student Credit Card abroad” above.

This review covers one card and doesn’t cover the whole market. Other cards not reviewed here may suit some people better.

Card details correct as of 22 September 2026. Terms, rates and features are subject to change — always verify current details before applying. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice.