Loyalty / Opinion

Future of HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card in Doubt?

by Carlo Irlitti · Published 31st July 2026 · Updated 31st July 2026

HSBC will be closing its retail banking in Australia and winding down various banking products over the next 18 months. One of these products, the HSBC Star Alliance credit card reviewed back in November 2022, may be one of those given the chop. For now no communication has been made by HSBC or Star Alliance.

The communique that I received as a customer of HSBC is here below. No specific mention of this card or any other has been made at this point in time. We’ll await to hear more from HSBC what the future of this product will be. We can only speculate that it may continue from another country when dropped from Australia or another bank or financial institution to take over its operation. This is still possible, as HSBC’s retail banking may become part of another Australian bank, just like Citibank when it sold its retail banking operations to the National Australia Bank (nab). Hopefully the news will be positive.

Cheers

Carlo Irlitti

Editor

A former sports photojournalist and press agency manager, Carlo is now an avid travel blogger. While balancing home duties and caring for an elderly family member, he is dedicated to exploring and adding new destinations to his journey. Carlo isn't afraid to share sharp opinions or candid advice on travelcommentator.com. When his commentary is critical or controversial, it is always with a clear purpose: to spark meaningful conversations, challenge the industry, and ultimately make travel better and more enjoyable for everyone.

Areas of Expertise: Photography (studio and on location), Photojournalism, Photo Editing & Archiving, Digital Photo Restoration