HSBC to issue Mabuhay Miles Visa card for PAL

A partnership with the national flag carrier will allow HSBC to target frequent flyers with the launch of a new co-branded credit card, the Mabuhay Miles Visa which HSBC is issuing for Philippine Airlines’ frequent flyer program, Mabuhay Miles.

With Mabuhay Miles, members earn miles which can be redeemed for free flights and service class upgrades, by flying Philippine Airlines, staying in partner hotels, or charging purchases using HSBC’s Mabuhay Miles Visa card.

HSBC’s Mabuhay Miles Visa card allows cardholders to earn bonus points for all their car spend, including gas, groceries and medicine. Every P45 charged to the card earns one bonus point, equivalent to one mile. Accumulated bonus points may be used to redeem miles for free domestic and international flights or to apply for service class upgrades.

HSBC’s Mabuhay Miles Visa also offers all the benefits of an international credit card. Cardholders enjoy high credit limits, worldwide acceptance in over 22 million stores and access to their credit card account through HSBC’s 24-hour On-Call Hotline, through online@hsbc and SMS banking through HSBC CC, a text message service that allows cardholders to check their credit card balances and payment dates via cell phone.

Cardholders also enjoy up to 52 interest-free days and pay no interest charges if they pay balances in full before the due date. They have the option to pay as low as five percent of balance if they choose to revolve their account. Cash advance of up to 30 percent of their card limit is available at over 400,000 plus ATMs worldwide. HSBC also offers payment convenience in over 1,000 branches of Security Bank, Banco de Oro, MetroBank, BPI and BPI Family Savings Bank. Joining and annual fees for primary and secondary cardholders are also waived for the first year.

Cardholders earn chances to win free business class flights for two to Los Angeles, Sydney, Bangkok, Hong Kong and local tourist destinations. Upon application approval, cardholders earn a raffle number each time they spend P500 on their card to increase their chances of winning free flights. In addition, 1,000 bonus miles will also be awarded to cardholders upon first use of their Mabuhay Miles Visa.

Paul Lawrence, chief executive officer of HSBC said: "We are pleased to partner with Philippine Airlines for this co-brand venture. The Mabuhay Miles Visa allows us to focus on a specific niche market. This follows our strategy of developing card products and programs that appeal to various consumers and ensure a quality pool of cardholders."