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Paying $450 in year 2 won’t continue your Star gold status unless you’ve spent $60k on the card in year one; you get 12 months gold after spending $4k as a SUB, and then if you stick the card in a drawer with no spend, you’re just paying $450 per year for nothing. Personally, I’d spend the 4K, take year one gold, then keep the card until the end of year one and cancel, because HSBC’s terms state that they will revoke it, if it’s earned by card spend (doubt many will test this theory unless they are guaranteed not to need it again).