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5 credit cards challenge

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abhishek0882

abhishek0882

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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 😛 .
 
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Axis Magnus Visa Infinite: Daily default card for all spends online and offline until 1L milestone is reached. Points are to be redeemed for flying miles for a foreign trip. Target: 2025.
Amex Gold+MRCC pair: For utility payments, wallet loads and NPS until their monthly milestones are reached. I earn around 2500-3000 MR points monthly. These points are redeemed for Amazon vouchers, typically twice a year.
SBI IRCTC Platinum Visa: I travel by train a lot and regularly redeem points for free tickets. Also my oldest card.
ICICI Amazon Pay Visa: As a family we do a lot of heavy shopping on Amazon. Most months we earn around 1500 APay points.
Standard Chartered Ultimate MasterCard: For spends beyond Magnus' 1 lakh milestone (only for categories giving 3.33%), and for some wallet loads. Also for transactions under Rs.200 (as these don't give points for Axis cards).

Honorable mention:
Axis Select Visa Signature: Gives 20 points per 200 (as compared to Magnus 12 per 200) on supermarket/grocery/dept stores and clothing retail store spends which points can be clubbed with Magnus points. So I use this for such shopping on months where Magnus is not expected to reach 1L and after it exceeds 1L. Usage is hence not a lot.
HDFC Tata Neu Infinity Rupay: For UPI spends, but then again the use is very infrequent since I do not have many UPI spends. I shop mainly at large stores and pay by card for almost everything. I do not have the typical small chai-type spends at all.
 
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Here goes my take on this topic:

1) Amex Plat Charge - mostly for Marriott and Hilton Gold status

2) Axis Magnus - Milestone bonus

3) Axis Reserve - Newest card in my portfolio. For spends beyond 1L

4) SC Ultimate - Used to be my default card with everything earning 3.3% but shifting to Reserve now

5) Amex Plat Travel (Annual 4L milestone) + Amex MRCC (LTF with Plat Travel, Monthly 6k milestone) + Diner’s Black (just for redeeming points accumulated in past plus availing any HDFC specific offers/ smartbuy) + Tata Neu Infinity (only Rupay card I have, useful for all bill payments and UPI) + SC Titanium (LTF with Ultimate, use it for fuel up to 4K monthly) + SBI Cashback (not sure if it’s utility anymore) + Citi Premier Miles (LTF with Citigold, used only for availing any Citi specific promotions)

I know I am cheating on my 5th card by not zeroing down on one 😉

But that’s how I manage my spends. All cards in 5 have different usage for me depending on the type of spend or benefit/ milestone requirements of the card
 
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Here are my top 5 or at least I will pick these If I have to:

  1. Axis Magnus - 1L Milestone for at least 4-5 months a year and this is my primary card.
  2. HDFC Millennia - I use it for dining purposes mostly and to avail instant discounts. Dining as in discount if paying via Swiggy Dineout or Zomato Gold.
  3. Amazon Pay ICICI - All of my Amazon purchases goes on this card.
  4. Axis ACE - If some txns can't be done online and but can be done offline, this card comes in handy. Previously it was also card where I use it for 5% on Gpay for all bills but now it is capped, doing that on Magnus to get milestone benefits.
  5. It can be any other fit from a portfolio of my 16 cards, wherever and whenever discounts are applicable, I pick card and use it to avail discounts.
That's it.
 
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Virgo said:
Here goes my take on this topic:

1) Amex Plat Charge - mostly for Marriott and Hilton Gold status

2) Axis Magnus - Milestone bonus

3) Axis Reserve - Newest card in my portfolio. For spends beyond 1L

4) SC Ultimate - Used to be my default card with everything earning 3.3% but shifting to Reserve now

5) Amex Plat Travel (Annual 4L milestone) + Amex MRCC (LTF with Plat Travel, Monthly 6k milestone) + Diner’s Black (just for redeeming points accumulated in past plus availing any HDFC specific offers/ smartbuy) + Tata Neu Infinity (only Rupay card I have, useful for all bill payments and UPI) + SC Titanium (LTF with Ultimate, use it for fuel up to 4K monthly) + SBI Cashback (not sure if it’s utility anymore) + Citi Premier Miles (LTF with Citigold, used only for availing any Citi specific promotions)

I know I am cheating on my 5th card by not zeroing down on one 😉

But that’s how I manage my spends. All cards in 5 have different usage for me depending on the type of spend or benefit/ milestone requirements of the card
Click to expand...
Bhaisaab, ye thoda zyada nahi ho gaya 😂😂. On a serious note, yes, I agree we all have all our extra cards for some particular reason or in the hope of that sale in which that one particular card may be useful.
 
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abhishek0882 said:
Bhaisaab, ye thoda zyada nahi ho gaya 😂😂. On a serious note, yes, I agree we all have all our extra cards for some particular reason or in the hope of that sale in which that one particular card may be useful.
Click to expand...
Haha 😂

My point is I don’t have a dedicated 5th card. I will use right card from my portfolio depending on what works best.
 
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My top 5 cards...
1. HDFC Infinia - LTF for me
2. Airtel Axis Card- For mobile recharge, electricity bill, gas bill, Zomato, swiggy, bigbasket order
3. Airtel Flipkart - for Flipkart, Myntra, ola, uber & all offline txn
4. HDFC Tata Neu infinity- For all scan n pay UPI txn
5. Icici Amazon pay Card- for Amazon shopping
 
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sdas10687 said:
My top 5 cards...
1. HDFC Infinia - LTF for me
2. Airtel Axis Card- For mobile recharge, electricity bill, gas bill, Zomato, swiggy, bigbasket order
3. Airtel Flipkart - for Flipkart, Myntra, ola, uber & all offline txn
4. HDFC Tata Neu infinity- For all scan n pay UPI txn
5. Icici Amazon pay Card- for Amazon shopping
Click to expand...
You got infinia as ltf during covid times ?
 
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1) Axis Magnus
2) HDFC Infinia - LTF
3) Amex Plat
4) Axis Vistara Infinite
5) SBI SimplyClick

I have 1,2, 4 and 5. From Amex I have Amex Plat Travel, contemplating Amex Plat Charge
 
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abhishek0882 said:
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 😛 .
Click to expand...

I currently hold 9. But the usage is mostly of 5.

1. HDFC DCB: undoubtedly one of the best cards in India currently with a reward rate of min 3.3% and max 33% on transactions. Holding it LTF is the icing on the cake. Infinia would be better but that is very rarely got LTF. Unlimited lounge access for self and add on card members is a plus point here.
2. AU Zenith: With 5% cashback on all restaurants and on Zomato and Swiggy, this card is great for people eating out. Even I get 5% for sweet shops as well. LTF Card.
3. SBI BPCL Octane: 7.25% value back (including the 1% fuel surcharge) for all BPCL petrol pumps makes this card a no-brainer. Even though not LTF, if your fuel spends are more than 2.5k per month, you have a net gain. And if you manage to spend a total of 2 lakh, it becomes free as well.
4. AMEX MRCC: Used primary to get vouchers for Amazon (1.5k*4) which through the reward multiplier gives me a reward rate of almost 8.33%. if spends are above 6k, the reward rate falls though. LTF Card.
5. HDFC Tata Neu Infinity on Rupay: Mainly useful for UPI. But other than this 5% cashback on Tata brands, 10% total rewards on Tata Neu app, easy point redemption, all point towards a highly utilitarian card. LTF Card again.


Other than these I hold ICICI Rubyx, IDFC Wealth, Yes Bank Premia, Indian Oil Axis(the worst the world has seen). But the usage is almost 0 on these cards. Used only when any specific offers are there. All are LTF.
 
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CreditWiz said:
I currently hold 9. But the usage is mostly of 5.

1. HDFC DCB: undoubtedly one of the best cards in India currently with a reward rate of min 3.3% and max 33% on transactions. Holding it LTF is the icing on the cake. Infinia would be better but that is very rarely got LTF. Unlimited lounge access for self and add on card members is a plus point here.
2. AU Zenith: With 5% cashback on all restaurants and on Zomato and Swiggy, this card is great for people eating out. Even I get 5% for sweet shops as well. LTF Card.
3. SBI BPCL Octane: 7.25% value back (including the 1% fuel surcharge) for all BPCL petrol pumps makes this card a no-brainer. Even though not LTF, if your fuel spends are more than 2.5k per month, you have a net gain. And if you manage to spend a total of 2 lakh, it becomes free as well.
4. AMEX MRCC: Used primary to get vouchers for Amazon (1.5k*4) which through the reward multiplier gives me a reward rate of almost 8.33%. if spends are above 6k, the reward rate falls though. LTF Card.
5. HDFC Tata Neu Infinity on Rupay: Mainly useful for UPI. But other than this 5% cashback on Tata brands, 10% total rewards on Tata Neu app, easy point redemption, all point towards a highly utilitarian card. LTF Card again.


Other than these I hold ICICI Rubyx, IDFC Wealth, Yes Bank Premia, Indian Oil Axis(the worst the world has seen). But the usage is almost 0 on these cards. Used only when any specific offers are there. All are LTF.
Click to expand...
Good collection of cards, specially most being LTF except Octane, which I am sure you manage to get waiver with spends. Covers almost all aspects.
 
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1) Axis Ace: for other category spend and utilities.

2) Axis flipkart: for Flipkart and Myntra

3) Axis Airtel: for utilities.

4) HDFC millennia: for Amazon

5) ICICI Apay: for Amazon.

Needed one more, SBI BPCL for sbi offers, but that can be skipped for above cards.
 
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Patil007 said:
1) Axis Ace: for other category spend and utilities.

2) Axis flipkart: for Flipkart and Myntra

3) Axis Airtel: for utilities.

4) HDFC millennia: for Amazon

5) ICICI Apay: for Amazon.

Needed one more, SBI BPCL for sbi offers, but that can be skipped for above cards.
Click to expand...
Isn't HDFC Millenia nullify the benefits of ICICI Apay & Axis Flipkart?
 
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Patil007 said:
1) Axis Ace: for other category spend and utilities.

2) Axis flipkart: for Flipkart and Myntra

3) Axis Airtel: for utilities.

4) HDFC millennia: for Amazon

5) ICICI Apay: for Amazon.

Needed one more, SBI BPCL for sbi offers, but that can be skipped for above cards.
Click to expand...
Chaitanya-a said:
Isn't HDFC Millenia nullify the benefits of ICICI Apay & Axis Flipkart?
Click to expand...
I agree. Its a good portfolio for regular everyday spends, but since most cards are focussed on that, there seems to be some overlap.
 
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