Best Credit Cards for Dining in Hong Kong (2026)

Last updated: February 2026

Introduction

Hong Kong is a city that lives to eat. From the cha chaan tengs of Sham Shui Po to the Michelin-starred restaurants of Central, dining out is woven into our daily lives. Whether it’s a quick lunch with colleagues, weekend dim sum with family, or a celebration dinner at a fine restaurant, those restaurant bills add up fast—so shouldn’t your credit card be working just as hard as your chopsticks?

The problem is that “dining rewards” are a minefield of fine print. That 10% cashback? It might only apply if you spend over HK$300 per transaction. The 5% rate? Fast food doesn’t count. And that “unlimited” promise? There’s probably a monthly cap buried somewhere in the terms.

We’ve done the homework: reading through every terms and conditions document, testing the edge cases, and calculating the real-world returns. This guide breaks down every Hong Kong credit card with a dedicated dining category, ranked by their actual value to you.

Not sure which card fits your lifestyle? Skip the guesswork and use our Hong Kong credit card comparison calculator—just input your typical monthly spending and we’ll instantly rank every card for your specific situation.

TL;DR: Quick Comparison Table

The Fine Print That Actually Matters

Before diving into each card, here are the three things that trip up most diners:

1. “Dining” Doesn’t Always Mean What You Think

Banks classify merchants using Merchant Category Codes (MCCs). A standalone restaurant usually qualifies, but:
* ❌ Food courts often don’t count
* ❌ Hotel restaurants are frequently excluded
* ❌ Department store F&B may be classified as retail
* ❌ Clubhouse dining is almost always excluded
* ❌ Banquets and private functions don’t qualify

If you’re celebrating a wedding dinner at a hotel or grabbing lunch at Pacific Place’s food court, your “dining” card might give you nothing.

2. Minimum Transaction Requirements

The DBS Eminent’s 5% rate sounds amazing—until you realise each individual transaction must be HK$300 or more. That weekday lunch set for HK$80? It earns the base 0.4% rate. Your Friday night omakase for HK$1,500? Now we’re talking.

3. Food Delivery Platforms

This is a common trap: ordering food through Foodpanda, or Keeta typically does not count as a dining transaction. These platforms are classified under their own MCC codes, not as restaurants. Most dining bonus rates won’t apply—check your card’s terms carefully.

Top Tier: 5%+ Dining Cashback

🥇 Hang Seng Travel+ Credit Card (5%)

This travel-focused card quietly offers one of Hong Kong’s best dining rates.

The Deal:
* 5% cashback on dining at all local dining outlets—including fast food
* Also earns 5% on local transport and 5-7% on overseas spending

What You Need to Know:
* Minimum monthly spend of HK$6,000 required to unlock the 5% rate. Fall short, and everything drops to 0.4%.
* Monthly cashback cap of HK$500 shared across all bonus categories (dining, transport, travel).
* Online orders are excluded. Food delivery apps like Foodpanda and Keeta don’t count—you need to dine in or pick up in person.
* Excludes hotel restaurants, department store F&B, clubhouses, and banquet services.

Best For: Regular restaurant diners who also travel frequently. The combination of 5% dining plus 5-7% overseas makes this a powerful dual-purpose card.

Watch Out For: If your total monthly spend is under HK$6,000, you get nothing extra. And if you rely heavily on food delivery apps, those orders won’t earn the 5%.

🥈 DBS Eminent Visa Signature (5%)

DBS’s lifestyle card bundles dining with fitness, sportswear, and medical spending at a strong 5% rate—but with a catch that changes everything.

The Deal:
* 5% cashback on dining at restaurants
* Same 5% applies to sportswear, fitness centres, and medical expenses

The Critical Detail:
* ⚠️ Each transaction must be HK$300 or more. This is the single most important thing to know about this card.

Let’s be real: how often do you spend HK$300+ in a single restaurant transaction? If you’re dining solo or grabbing a casual meal, you probably won’t hit that threshold. But if you frequently dine with groups, enjoy fine dining, or pay for family meals, this restriction becomes irrelevant.

Other Fine Print:
* Monthly cap of HK$8,000 on designated category spending (shared with sportswear/fitness/medical)
* Excludes banquets, private parties, hotel F&B, clubhouses
* Must register via DBS Card+ app

Best For: Group diners and fine dining enthusiasts. If your average restaurant bill is HK$500+ because you’re treating clients or dining with family, the 5% is unbeatable.

Watch Out For: If you mostly eat solo or prefer casual spots, you’ll rarely hit the HK$300 threshold. In that case, look elsewhere.

Strong Contenders: 2%+ Dining Rates

BOC Cheers Visa Infinite (10X Points / ~4%)

For miles collectors, the BOC Cheers Infinite offers one of the highest dining earn rates in Hong Kong—and the threshold is easier to hit than you might think.

The Deal:
* 10X Gift Points on local dining (HK$1 = 10 points)
* At a redemption rate of 15 points = 1 mile, that’s HK$1.5 per mile (exceptional)
* Alternatively, redeem for cash at 250 points = HK$1, giving ~4% cashback equivalent

The Requirements:
* You must spend HK$5,000+ total per month (across all categories, not just dining) to unlock the 10X rate.
* The 10X rate applies to the first HK$10,000 of dining per month. Excess spending earns 1X.
* Annual income requirement: HK$600,000+

Best For: Miles enthusiasts who dine frequently. The HK$5k threshold is on total spending—if you’re paying rent, bills, and everyday expenses on your card, you likely hit this already.

Watch Out For: The HK$5,000 threshold is all-or-nothing. Spend HK$4,999 total and your entire month—including dining—earns only 1X (0.4%).

BOC Cheers Visa Signature (8X Points / ~3.2%)

The more accessible sibling of the Cheers Infinite, with slightly lower rates but the same structure.

The Deal:
* 8X Gift Points on local dining
* That’s HK$1.875 per mile or roughly 3.2% cashback equivalent

The Fine Print:
* Same HK$5,000/month total spend threshold as the Infinite
* 8X applies to first HK$7,500 of dining (lower cap than Infinite)
* Lower income requirement: HK$150,000+

Best For: Miles collectors who don’t quite meet the Infinite’s income requirement but still spend enough to hit the monthly threshold.

HSBC Visa Signature (3.6%)

One of Hong Kong’s most popular premium cards, and for good reason—it delivers a strong 3.6% on dining with minimal hassle.

The Deal:
* Through the “Red Hot Rewards of Your Choice” program, you select one category to earn 3.6% (5X)
* Select Dining as your 5X category and all restaurant spending earns 3.6%
* The other four categories (Overseas, Lifestyle, Home, Shopping) still earn a respectable 1.6%

What You Need to Know:
* Must register and select your category via HSBC website/app—but it’s a one-time setup
* Combined cap of HK$100,000 annual spending across all five categories (that’s over HK$8,300/month before you hit it)
* Annual fee of HK$2,000 (waived first 2 years)

Best For: Regular diners who want a reliable, high-earning card without complex thresholds. If you spend HK$5,000/month on dining, that’s HK$180/month back—and you still earn 1.6% on overseas spending, shopping, and more.

Watch Out For: You need to commit to dining as your 5X category. If overseas travel or shopping is actually higher, you might want to allocate 5X there instead. There’s also an annual cap of HK$100,000 on bonus spending across all categories—heavy spenders will hit this. Not sure? Our calculator can help you figure out the optimal category selection.

SC Cathay Mastercard ($4/Mile)

A straightforward miles card with no points conversion confusion.

The Deal:
* HK$4 = 1 Asia Mile on dining, hotels, and foreign currency
* No monthly caps on dining
* Miles credited directly to your Cathay account

The Math: At HK$4 per mile, this is roughly a 2% equivalent if you value Asia Miles at 8 cents each. Not the highest, but completely uncapped and hassle-free.

Best For: Cathay loyalists who want simple, predictable miles earning without thresholds or caps. Particularly strong if you also travel frequently (same $4/mile rate on foreign currency).

Citi Cashback (2%)

Sometimes the best card is the boring one.

The Deal:
* 2% cashback on all local dining
* Same 2% on local hotels and overseas spending
* 1% on everything else

Why It Deserves Your Attention:
* ✅ No minimum spend required
* ✅ No monthly caps on dining cashback
* ✅ No transaction minimum—your HK$50 lunch counts
* ✅ Fast food included
* ✅ No registration or category selection needed

The Trade-Off: 2% is lower than the headline rates of other cards. But 2% on everything often beats 5% on some things after meeting requirements.

Best For: Anyone who values simplicity and reliability. If you don’t want to think about thresholds, caps, or exclusions, Citi Cashback quietly delivers month after month.

The Partner Play: When Specific Restaurants Pay Off

HSBC Red (8% at Partners)

HSBC Red doesn’t have a “dining” category—but it has something potentially better: 8% cashback at specific restaurant chains.

The Partners:
* Sushiro (壽司郎)
* TamJai SamGor (譚仔三哥)
* TamJai Yunnan (譚仔雲南米線)
* The Coffee Academics

The Fine Print:
* Capped at HK$100 cashback per month (HK$1,250 spending)
* All other dining earns just 0.4%

Best For: Fans of these specific chains. If you eat at Sushiro or TamJai twice a week, you’ll max out the cap and earn solid rewards. But if your dining is diverse, the 0.4% base rate is painful.

BOC Chill (10% at Chill Merchants)

Similar concept: sky-high rates at partner merchants, nothing special elsewhere.

The Chill Merchant F&B Partners include:
* McDonald’s
* Starbucks
* Various restaurants and cafes on the Chill list

The Fine Print:
* Requires HK$1,500+ monthly spending at physical merchants to unlock the bonus
* Extra cashback (above 0.4% base) is capped at HK$150 per month total—shared with online and overseas categories
* Non-Chill dining earns only 0.4%

Best For: McDonald’s regulars and Starbucks addicts. If these brands dominate your spending, the 10% is excellent. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

Cards With No Special Dining Rate

For completeness, these popular cards treat dining the same as general spending:

These aren’t bad cards—they’re just not optimised for dining. If restaurants are your main spending category, look at the options above.

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: The Light Spender

Profile: Total monthly spend under HK$5,000 across all categories. Dining spend: HK$2,000/month.

Best Choice: HSBC Visa Signature (3.6%)

Why? You won’t hit the HK$5k threshold for BOC Cheers or the HK$6k for Travel+. HSBC Visa Signature has no minimum spend requirement—just select dining as your 5X category and you’re earning 3.6% on every restaurant visit, big or small.

Monthly return: HK$2,000 × 3.6% = HK$72

Scenario 2: The Regular Diner

Profile: Total monthly spend of HK$8,000+ (including rent, bills, shopping). Dining: HK$4,000/month at various restaurants.

Best Choice: Hang Seng Travel+ (5%)

Why? You easily clear the HK$6k threshold. Travel+ gives you 5% on all dining—no per-transaction minimums, no category selection needed. Plus you get 5% on transport and 5-7% when you travel overseas.

Monthly return: HK$4,000 × 5% = HK$200

Scenario 3: The Miles Collector

Profile: Total monthly spend of HK$10,000+. Dining: HK$6,000/month. Wants Asia Miles for business class.

Best Choice: BOC Cheers Infinite (10X / $1.5 per mile)

Why? At 10X points with a $1.5/mile earning rate, you’re earning miles faster than any other card. HK$6,000 dining = 60,000 points = 4,000 Asia Miles. That’s roughly 4% cashback equivalent, but miles are worth far more when redeemed for premium cabins.

Monthly return: 60,000 points = 4,000 Asia Miles

Scenario 4: The Sushiro/TamJai Regular

Profile: Eats at Sushiro or TamJai 2-3 times per week, spending HK$1,200/month at these chains.

Best Choice: HSBC Red (8%)

Why? 8% at partner merchants is unbeatable. HK$1,200 × 8% = HK$96, nearly maxing the HK$100 cap. Any other card would return HK$24-60 at the same merchants.

Monthly return: HK$1,200 × 8% = HK$96

Scenario 5: The Fine Dining Enthusiast (Who Doesn’t Hit Thresholds)

Profile: Low overall spending (under HK$5k/month total), but when you dine out, it’s always HK$500+ per meal. Dining: HK$3,000/month.

Best Choice: DBS Eminent (5%)

Why? This is the narrow use case where DBS Eminent shines. You don’t hit the Travel+ or BOC thresholds, but your transactions are always over HK$300. DBS Eminent has no monthly minimum—just a per-transaction requirement you already meet.

Monthly return: HK$3,000 × 5% = HK$150

The Bottom Line

There’s no universally “best” dining card in Hong Kong. The right choice depends entirely on:

1. How much you spend on dining each month
2. Where you dine (fine dining vs. casual vs. fast food vs. chains)
3. Whether you meet minimum spending thresholds
4. What else you spend money on (to hit combined category thresholds)

If you want to stop guessing and get a definitive answer based on your actual spending habits, head to our credit card comparison tool. Input your monthly spending across categories, and we’ll calculate exactly which card earns you the most—whether that’s cash or miles.

Because in a city that eats as well as Hong Kong does, your credit card should be earning its keep at every meal.

Summary Table