Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

HSBC, Standard Chartered, and online lenders Airstar, WeLab race to offer high interest rates, cash prizes to capture new customers claiming their HK$10,000 government payout

HSBC, Standard Chartered, and online lenders Airstar, WeLab race to offer high interest rates, cash prizes to capture new customers claiming their HK$10,000 government payout

HSBC, the city’s biggest lender, is offering a 10 per cent saving rate for new customers who open an account to receive their handout. Many lenders offer cash draw from HK$20 to HK$100,000 to compete for 7 million people to register the government payout with them

Hong Kong’s banks, from new digital lenders to traditional powerhouses of the sector, are in a price war to lure 7 million Hong Kong permanent residents into using their platform to get their HK$10,000 (US$1,290) government cash handout.

Newly-launched virtual lenders like Airstar and the three note-issuing banks, HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Bank of China Hong Kong, have entered the fray, offering high interest rates, lucky draw prizes and other incentives.

The HK$71 billion of payouts announced by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in February’s budget is aimed at helping people cope with the economic slump caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a year of anti-government protests. Bankers, however, are taking it as an opportunity to compete for new customers.



People can register through one of 21 banks from June 21 until the end of this year to get their hands on the HK$10,000, with the money due to be paid into their registered bank account from July 8.

HSBC, the largest lender in the city, is offering a 10 per cent interest rate on up to HK$50,000 of savings for two months for new customers who open an account via its mobile phone app, until the end of July. It will also offer a lucky draw for customers who register for the government payout via its platform, but details will only be given next week, according to a spokesman for HSBC.

BOCHK is offering a 4.3 per cent interest rate for three-month time deposits of up to HK$100,000 for new customers who use mobile banking to open a new account.

Normal saving deposit rates in Hong Kong are close to zero, while time deposits are only between 1 and 2 per cent.

Lucky draws for cash prizes have emerged as a theme for the banks competing for customers to sign up for the government payout. Standard Chartered is offering an extra HK$10,000 cash for each of 24 winners, Hang Seng Bank is offering 9,000 people the chance to win HK$20 each, while five will get HK$10,000. Bank of East Asia is offering 31 customers prizes between HK$1,000 and HK$10,000.

Citibank is enticing customers with HK$68 cash for anyone registering with it for the government payout. It will also give HK$100,000 to one customer in a lucky draw, the highest among all banks.

Brand new players have also joined the game. Airstar, a joint venture virtual bank led by mobile phone maker Xiaomi, started full operations on Thursday. It is offering a 3.6 per cent savings rate on up to HK$20,000 for new customers.

WeLab Group, an online lender, last month offered a HK$10,000 loan to borrowers, free of charge provided they agreed to repay it once they receive the government payout. Co-founder and chief executive Simon Loong said about 70 per cent of its 4,000 applicants are new customers.

“This is a good opportunity for Hongkongers to try the new online banking services,” Loong said.

New players coming to the market with compelling saving rates will follow this with attractive loan offers, James Lloyd, a partner at advisory firm EY, predicts.

“As incumbent players respond in kind, we expect to see some capital transfers and net interest margin compression. Ultimately, the challenge for both new and existing players will be how to generate account loyalty without engaging in a never-ending price war,” Lloyd said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×