• Hey there! Welcome to TFC! View fewer ads on the website just by signing up on TF Community.

5 credit cards challenge

abhishek0882

TF Premier
VIP Lounge
If you could only have 5 credit cards with you and no more - which would be your 5 credit cards? Would be great if you could also mention the reasons. Of course these will be based on your personal usage, preferences, spends etc., but would be fun to know. Idea is to see if we can create a holistic portfolio of credit cards in a way that they cover all aspects of our spends and lifestyle, thus each card complementing the other 4. What are those 5 cards as of today (as the combination may keep changing with new cards coming up, devaluation in existing cards etc.).
I am so looking forward to hear from members here. Would especially be fun to hear from those who have numerous credit cards and to see how they manage to narrow it down to 5 😛 .
 
My top 5:

1. Amex MRCC (LTF): 4 txn for 1500 - Mostly wallet loads.
2. SBI Cashback - Online txns
3. Axis Ace - Utility Bills and offline txn 2% cashback
4. Axis Airtel - All airtel bills and other 10% cashback
5. Tata Neu Infinity (LTF) - All UPI txns

These cards will cover most of the spends generally for all as per my opinion without going for high fee cards.
 
1. HDFC Millennia (LTF) - Mostly used card for cashbacks
2. Amex MRCC - Couldn't get it due to non-serviceable location
3. Tata Neu Infinity (LTF) - For UPI Spends, got recently
4. Axis MyZone (LTF) - Using it for food orders and movie tickets
5. SBI/ICICI - Any variant for offers
 
1. Axis Ace - offline txns, NPS, etc. - worth the fee
2. HDFC Millenia - well rounded card from HDFC for cashbacks - LTF for me
3. SBI CB - still valuable for 5% - worth the fee after devaluation? for 499 - its good
4. HDFC Tata Neu Infinity - UPI payments - LTF for me
5. ICICI - any LTF card for instant discounts - have Coral LTF

Currently don't have much air travel - will switch out SBI CB and get Magnus when needed. If I were to hold a 6th card - would get 1 Amex card
Very good for basic spends with low outgo on joining/annual fee. Very good as VFM. If you travel, a travel card would be a good addition. No point in adding a travel card if and till the time it is not required.
 
Amex Plat Charge - Travel benefits for hotel bookings/memberships
Amex Plat Travel - For 4 Lakh milestone spend (40k MR points + 10k Taj voucher)
Axis Magnus - For 1 Lakh monthly milestone spend
Axis Vistara Infinite - CV Gold + free business class ticket + milestone business class tickets

Just these 4 cover it for me.

If needing to add a 5th card, I’d go with the Axis Reserve for the 2x points on FX spends & potentially for the lifestyle benefits (hotel memberships, airport transfers, etc).

With the 5th card, this would probably be the most expensive and aspirational portfolio of cards. Dream portfolio as they say. From that angle, and that angle alone, Amex Plat Travel could be replaced by Infinia and it could be a drool worthy 5 card portfolio. VFM is Plat Travel for sure and with the other cards, it makes more sense than Infinia I would think.
 
Super spender category. 😎

Can't think about it as of now. Maybe some time later in life. 😀

One of the best portfolios, I think if you have hefty spends.
All the best, I wish you reach there soon. Indeed a great portfolio. However, some of the other basic and midrange card portfolios on this thread also seem great VFM, with hardly any fee outgo.
 
My top 5:

1. Amex MRCC (LTF): 4 txn for 1500 - Mostly wallet loads.
2. SBI Cashback - Online txns
3. Axis Ace - Utility Bills and offline txn 2% cashback
4. Axis Airtel - All airtel bills and other 10% cashback
5. Tata Neu Infinity (LTF) - All UPI txns

These cards will cover most of the spends generally for all as per my opinion without going for high fee cards.
Yes, covers most spends for most people. Travel category could have been better represented, but if that’s not too much of a spend for you, this is perfect.
 
From the cards I hold currently.
ICICI AmazonPay as I shop a lot on Amazon.
Flipkart Axis again use Flipkart regularly and the 1.5 percent reward rate is pretty good for offline as well.
HDFC Tata Neu Infinity takes care of the UPI payments, and I use BB and 1MG regularly, and as of now, all HDFC offers are available, and it would give you reward for merchant EMI too.
Amex MRCC for the monthly bonus and general Amex experience, though the card is effectively online only.
SCB Super Value Titanium for fuel cashback, don't like the dealer specific cards in the category and this is the lease worst option otherwise.
 
In my personal experience, even SBI was better than AXIS 😂
I have pretty bad experience from SBI. That's why. One agent applied for Simplysave by falsely claiming that she's applying for Cashback CC. After that I denied doing further kyc processes.

They kept calling from different number everyday. Finally I complained to SBI but they never took action. They don't even have calling no. for non-customers. Had to rely on twitter chat. Really frustrating experience with SBI.
 
My top 5:

1. Amex MRCC (LTF): 4 txn for 1500 - Mostly wallet loads.
2. SBI Cashback - Online txns
3. Axis Ace - Utility Bills and offline txn 2% cashback
4. Axis Airtel - All airtel bills and other 10% cashback
5. Tata Neu Infinity (LTF) - All UPI txns

These cards will cover most of the spends generally for all as per my opinion without going for high fee cards.
mrcc ltf.
how did u apply
 
We have already started to share our top 5, how about you also share your top 5 😁
You got me 😂😂. I was thinking of getting the ideas and building my portfolio 😂. My take is:
1) Axis Magnus - Upto 1 lakh spends in months where spend is over 1 lakh
2) Axis Vistara Infinite - spends over 1 lakh after Magnus spends, or all spends in month where total spends are less than 1 lakh. Max upto 7.5 lakhs a year. (signature would be better value but took this for vistara gold tier)
3&4) Amex Gold Charge and MRCC - Wallet loads, fuel and for the bonus MR points
5) Looking for any Rupay card on HDFC, likely Neu Infinity - don’t have Rupay or HDFC cards now

Also have plat reserve but it’s only utility now remains the Amex lounge access at Delhi T3. Better when you don’t want to get into the other crowded lounge.
 
Well, you didn't mention if they need to be ltf or not. So here goes the dream team

Infinia (because why not? And the infinite lounge access + smartbuy)
Amex Plat charge / Plat travel (Paytm, amex lounges, to enjoy the luxurious service. Centurion ke khwaab nahi 🤣)
Magnus for rewards and Milestones
ICICI coral (my first credit card 🤷 actually any ICICI card would do. For the occasional rewards. Also hopefully it's gonna be rupay soon)
Au zenith - awesome swiggy offers. Swiggy> Zomato
 
Below are my 5:

Magnus - 1L milestone & gift edge - Paid
Tata NEU Infinity - UPI - LTF
MRCC 1500*4 for 1000 MR Points - Paid but will cross spend criteria
SBI CB - Online purchases after 1L on Magnus - Paid but will cross spend criteria
HDFC DCP - International lounge access for add on cards (12 in a year) - LTF

Bonus - Vistara Infinite- Gold status & business class ticket
 
Well, you didn't mention if they need to be ltf or not. So here goes the dream team

Infinia (because why not? And the infinite lounge access + smartbuy)
Amex Plat charge / Plat travel (Paytm, amex lounges, to enjoy the luxurious service. Centurion ke khwaab nahi 🤣)
Magnus for rewards and Milestones
ICICI coral (my first credit card 🤷 actually any ICICI card would do. For the occasional rewards. Also hopefully it's gonna be rupay soon)
Au zenith - awesome swiggy offers. Swiggy> Zomato
off topic - any ways to get Swiggy one membership cheap/any trick - getting 12 months at 649 - good deal?
 
1. Amazon pay - for obvious reasons
2. Kotak Privy Signature- Get Rs.6400 pa by paying 2800 for the card renewal.
3. HDFC Regalia LTF - would want to convert it to DCB / Infinia in future once I'm eligible
4. I'll apply for some Amex card for it's travel benefits and also because its Amex ! Lol
5. A ultra premium Axis card when my spending goes up

PS. I like my Onecard as well since it is made of metal and app UI is good.
 
Back
Top