The “shoppingera’s” best friend just got better with the relaunch two weeks ago of HSBC Red MasterCard at Rustan’s Makati.

Dubbed as the ladies’ credit card, HSBC Red now offers cardholders zero-percent interest installment plans for up to 36 months.

MIA Borromeo, Rustan’s Dina Tantoco and SSI’s Mike Huang

Gracing the event were Anton Huang, EVP of Rustan’s Commercial Corp. and president of Stores Specialists Group, Inc., Wick Veloso, CEO of HSBC, and José Rene Villa-Real, country manager of MasterCard.

“The timing is perfect because it is at Christmastime that you make those big purchases,” said Gigi Pio de Roda, HSBC’s SVP and head of retail banking and wealth management.

“This credit card makes your load lighter because you pay only a fixed monthly installment on certain purchases at zero-percent interest for 36 months.”

Faster redemption

What’s more, it offers ladies a more generous rewards-points system that’s four times better than the original HSBC Red MasterCard introduced in 2002.

“You can earn one bonus point for every P10 spent using most credit cards,” said Pio de Roda. “If you use your HSBC Red MasterCard, you could earn as much as four times for the same

MARIO Katigbak, SSI’s Mike Huang, Rustan’s Sevrine Miailhe and Philip Cu-Unjieng

amount spent. That would translate to faster redemption of rewards.”

And since it’s backed up by MasterCard, the credit card is accepted in more than 210 countries and territories.

These privileges apply to purchases made in some of the country’s leading fashion, jewelry and accessories establishments, such as Rustan’s, Stores Specialists, Inc., Miladay, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge, among others.

They also include such makeup and skincare brands as Benefit, MAC, Clinique, Dermalogica, La Prairie, Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder, Laura Mercier, NARS, Stila, T. LeClerc, Perricone MD, Phyto and Bobbi Brown.

Also covered are pampering and beauty services offered by Browhaus, Clarins, Murad, L’Oreal Color Service, Strip, Shiseido and David’s Salon, to name a few.

“Based on our research, 70 percent of the decision when it comes to buying big-ticket items is made by women,” said Pio de Roda. “Even in all our promos, we find that women are more aware. When it comes to spending for the family, women are very influential.”

Welcome gift

Existing HSBC Red MasterCard holders need not apply for new credit cards, as these privileges and benefits are automatically available to them. But HSBC offers new cardholders a welcome gift.

Once they reach a minimum spend of P2,000 with their HSBC Red MasterCard, new cardholders can choose from any of these travel kits from Benefit: Bronze of Champions; Primping with Stars; or Do the Bright Thing.

HSBC calls it a ladies’ credit card because almost all of the participating merchants, brands and establishments cater to women. But the global

INQUIRER Lifestyle’s Tessa Prieto-Valdes (center), one of the first brand ambassadors ofHSBC Red MasterCard when it was introduced in 2002, with Veloso, José Rene Villa-Real, Gigi Pio de Roda and Huang

bank isn’t stopping men from applying for an HSBC Red MasterCard.

“Men can use their HSBC Red MasterCard either to avail themselves of goods and services offered by participating merchants, or pay for purchases made by their wives and girlfriends,” said Pio de Roda.

These generous rewards and easy installment plans aren’t applicable to credit-card transactions on groceries, utilities, travel and other necessities.