Card face-off
Liv Cashback vs HSBC Cash+: which is better in the UAE? (2026)
Liv Cashback and HSBC Cash+ both compete for everyday UAE spend. The figures below come from each card's live reward rules at AED 18,000 a month, net of annual fees.
Liv Cashback Credit Card vs HSBC Cash+ Credit Card compared
A side-by-side snapshot of annual fees, salary requirements, and standout benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Joining fee | Foreign transaction fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Free | Free | 3.14% | AED 5,000 | Up to 2% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities. |
 | AED 1,050 (waivable) | Free | 3.31% | AED 30,000 | 1% cashback on eligible retail purchases, with no minimum spend or earning caps. |
| Card | Annual fee | Joining fee | Foreign transaction fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 3.14% | AED 5,000 | Up to 2% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities. |
| AED 1,050 (waivable) | Free | 3.31% | AED 30,000 | 1% cashback on eligible retail purchases, with no minimum spend or earning caps. |
Liv Cashback Credit Card
Annual feeFree
Joining feeFree
Foreign transaction fee3.14%
Min. salaryAED 5,000
HighlightUp to 2% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities.
HSBC Cash+ Credit Card
Annual feeAED 1,050 (waivable)
Joining feeFree
Foreign transaction fee3.31%
Min. salaryAED 30,000
Highlight1% cashback on eligible retail purchases, with no minimum spend or earning caps.
Which card is better for what
Three answers compare Liv Cashback and HSBC Cash+ on general everyday spend; spending abroad; bills and utilities. Each is priced on a month of its own, because a household that spends heavily on one thing does not spend the same total as one that does not. Within an answer both cards see the identical month.
Spending abroad prices AED 6,360 of the total as non-AED and takes each card's foreign transaction fee off the annual result. One answer prices air travel (spending abroad) and counts the airport benefits a traveller uses, each at that card's own published allowance. Every other benefit these cards carry is worth nothing to this household and counts as nothing.
Those months run from AED 21,200 to AED 25,100 a month, and every answer states the one it was priced on. They are the same curated spend profiles every comparison page uses, so the household behind an answer here is the household behind it anywhere.
Annual totals are net of each card's annual fee: none for Liv Cashback and none for HSBC Cash+, whose AED 1,050 fee its own spend waiver covers at these totals. Liv Cashback needs a salary of AED 5,000 a month and HSBC Cash+ AED 30,000.
Best for general everyday spend: Liv Cashback
Liv Cashback returns more across the whole profile — AED 4,723 a year against AED 2,544, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
Government, UtilitiesAED 1,600
Everything elseAED 19,600
TotalAED 21,200
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.86% of the profile, after everything+ AED 4,723
HSBC Cash+ Credit Card1% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,544
Best for spending abroad: Liv Cashback
On AED 6,360 of foreign spend a month, Liv Cashback charges 3.14%, which comes to AED 2,396 a year. HSBC Cash+ charges 3.31%, which comes to AED 2,526 a year. That leaves Liv Cashback ahead over the year, AED 3,116 against AED 18.
Modelled monthly spend
Spent abroad, in another currencyAED 6,360
Spent in the UAEAED 14,840
TotalAED 21,200
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 4,776
Benefits usedAirport lounge × 4+ AED 736
Foreign transaction fee3.14% on spend abroad– AED 2,396
Total1.22% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,116
HSBC Cash+ Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,544
Foreign transaction fee3.31% on spend abroad– AED 2,526
Total0.01% of the profile, after everything+ AED 18
Best for bills and utilities: Liv Cashback
On AED 5,500 a month of bills and utilities, HSBC Cash+ earns AED 55 against AED 6. Liv Cashback still shows the higher annual total, AED 4,770 against AED 3,012, because it earns more across the rest of the month.
Modelled monthly spend
Government, UtilitiesAED 5,500
Everything elseAED 19,600
TotalAED 25,100
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.58% of the profile, after everything+ AED 4,770
HSBC Cash+ Credit Card1% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,012
Which card earns more on your spend?
Adjust your monthly spending to see how cashback changes across cards.
Government, Utilities
0.1%
AED 0
0.1% · AED 0
Government, Utilities
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Other Spends
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Other Spends
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Airport Lounge Access
AED 736
Airport Lounge Access
—
VOX Cinemas BOGO
AED 528
VOX Cinemas BOGO
—
Annual Fee
Free
Annual Fee
– AED 1,050
Total
+ AED 1,264
Total
– AED 1,050
Estimates based on your monthly spending. Actual cashback depends on merchant classification, caps, and card terms.
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The verdict
On an ordinary AED 21,200 month Liv Cashback comes out ahead by AED 2,179 a year, AED 4,723 against AED 2,544 for HSBC Cash+. That is after each card's annual fee and after every cap, which makes it the number to judge them on rather than either advertised rate.
Liv Cashback answers all three of the questions above: general everyday spend; spending abroad; bills and utilities. The order does not change with your mix, only the size of the gap.
Neither card charges an annual fee on these profiles, so every figure above is kept in full and there is no break-even to clear on either side.
Eligibility separates them too: Liv Cashback opens at AED 5,000 a month against AED 30,000 for HSBC Cash+. If you sit between the two thresholds the comparison is settled for you regardless of which earns more.
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Liv Cashback Credit Card
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Liv Cashback Credit Card vs HSBC Cash+ Credit Card: FAQ
Common questions about choosing between Liv Cashback Credit Card and HSBC Cash+ Credit Card.