When it comes to credit cards, I try to keep the right ones in my wallet to earn the maximum number of points (to use them later, of course). Here is a quick look at my cards and whether I’m walking the talk. Sharing this also adds a bit to the transparency of my credit card strategy, as I extensively cover credit card rewards.

The cards I hold are divided into three groups. I carry a card wallet at the back of my phone on a daily basis, which contains the cards I use most frequently. I also have many cards in a wallet, and many just sit in a drawer at home, waiting to be used when needed.

The 3 Cards that are always on my person

There has been a shake-up to this list. I’ve removed Atlas from this list, and added HSBC Premier and Scapia instead. I’ll explain why, as you read along.

• HSBC Premier Card: I consolidated my business with HSBC a few weeks ago (or, instead, am still in the process) of consolidation. That meant the addition of an HSBC Premier Credit Card to the portfolio, which offers 3 points/INR 100 across everything. For the initiation, one is charged an INR 12,000++ fee on the credit card, which is returned as a Taj Experiences Gift Voucher worth the same amount (INR 12,000). The card, despite having placed limits on spending on some categories, remains pretty liberal, and the new addition of partners is pretty solid. The Forex Cashback offer, which is ongoing, ensures I am spending on this card.
• Axis Olympus Credit Card: Old is gold, they say. This card has been left largely untouched for over a decade, and I hope it stays under the radar in the years ahead. It has been formally transitioned to the Axis Bank stable, and just a few days ago, I finally received Axis Olympus Branded Metal Cards. There are no category bonuses, no Gyftr tie-ups, and no kickers. Just a good old 1 Point (4 airmiles)/INR 100 spent domestically and 2 Points (8 airmiles)/INR 100 internationally. Also, it’s my oldest credit line, so I have no reason to consider shutting it down. Axis Bank added some sweeteners, such as Airport Transfers and Concierge Services, to the product. I continue to tap away at the card over time. [Get an Axis Bank Credit Card]
• Scapia Credit Card: There is a particular reason I added Scapia to my portfolio: they have a feature called Airport Privileges, which allows you to pick up a gift or buy something for yourself at the airport (or eat without getting inside a lounge). You can also access an airport lounge. You need to scan your boarding pass for any of these. Suppose you go to a shop at the airport and buy something or eat at an airport outlet listed on Scapia (after activating your privilege). In that case, you get Scapia’s money for up to INR 1,000 not as a refund but added to your Scapia Coins Account. You can use the coins to buy tickets, hotels, etc. Given that I make many trips to Indian airports, it makes sense to have the option to spend money on the card and get something in return. So that you know, this is only activated for a billing cycle when you spend INR 10,000 in the prior billing cycle. So, I spend INR 10,000 on the card every month. Then, I swap out the card.
• HDFC Bank Infinia: The zenith of invite-only in India (not really, but you get where I am coming from). While there have been changes to the card proposition over the years, this card continues to offer 5 Reward Points/INR 150 spent, which can be used at INR 1 value for buying air tickets at Smartbuy or transferable into miles. With frequent offers, HDFC Bank Credit Cards are also helpful for online spending. I hold the PVC version so far, and this card gives 16.6% points for booking travel (via Smartbuy) and grants points for insurance payments. [Get an HDFC Bank Credit Card]

The card is always on my phone.

• HDFC Bank TATA Neu Infinity Credit Card: With UPI on Rupay Credit Cards enabled, I’ve signed up for several cards in the segment. But the Tata Neu Infinity CC is my first and only credit card with UPI. Even for non-Tata brands, one gets 1.5% rewards if one uses the TATA Neu App; for Tata brands spent via Neu, one gets up to 10%. Each Neu coin is worth INR 1 and can be utilised across the Tata Neu universe. It is the default option on my UPI payment scanner of choice now. You can use referral code AJAY499 if you’d like to apply using the Tata Neu app or apply here.

The Cards in my wallet

• Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card: This card is a joy to use up to INR 15 Lakh annually, with an accelerated reward system for up to INR 2,00,000 for monthly travel bookings. With all my travel, this card is handy in booking tickets directly with the airlines (usually my preferred mode) and paying at checkout at hotels with the 5 EDGEMiles (10 airmiles)/INR 100 on each swipe. Even for usual spending, I earn 2 EDGE Miles (4 airmiles)/INR 100 on each swipe. The card has restricted transfers and taken away some of the perks. It is a mid-tier card, so it’s not so hard to get for new sign-ups.  [Get the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card]
• HDFC Bank Biz Black: This card is excellent for business expenses, and the bank doesn’t ask why I pay taxes with it or spend money on something else. Getting 5X points for taxes (which can be used on SmartBuy or transferred to SQ) is also a great incentive to keep the card. If you are a proprietor, partner, promoter or director at a company, you are eligible for this range of cards. [Sign up for an HDFC Bank Business Credit Card]

The Cards in my Drawer

• American Express Gold Card: The Amex Gold Charge Card was the first card I signed up for with Amex, so it still stays in my pocket. The 1,000 bonus MR for six swipes a month helps keep the card, and I also spend on it regularly. Amex is not sourcing new accounts, so this one is a keeper.
• American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card: The American Express MRCC is one of the credit cards from Amex that I have held for a long time. It offers a 1,000 bonus MR for four swipes a month, worth at least INR 1,500, which I earn. It also provides another 1,000 bonus MR for spending at least INR 20,000 monthly, which I sometimes utilise and mostly do not.
• American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card: While the card does not offer special travel perks, it cumulatively offers 40,000 bonus MR points (convertible to vouchers or Amex Travel vouchers) at the milestones of INR 1.9 Lakhs and INR 4 Lakhs. Also, an additional INR 10,000 Taj voucher upon achieving INR 400,000 spending is a sweet bonus. I use the card only for a few big swipes in a year. The card was offered to me for life free as a replacement for the Jet Airways Amex Card. You can get the card here, currently with an enhanced bonus.
• Marriott HDFC Bank Diners Club: The card was launched in 2023. For a small sum of INR 3,000 per annum, I get a free night up to 15,000 points (plus ten elite nights credit) on this card. It’s a good enough reason to keep it in my wallet when I check out of a Marriott Hotel.
• Samsung Axis Bank Infinite Credit Card: I swapped the Magnus last year for the Samsung Axis Bank Infinite Credit Card. It provided 30K EDGE Rewards for spending thrice on the card within 30 days as an activation benefit, 10% cashback on Samsung product purchases and accelerated rewards on spending at BigBasket, 1mg, Urban Company, Myntra and Zomato (and on international transactions).
• Axis Bank Vistara Infinite Credit Card: I switched to this card last year, giving up my Axis Bank Miles and More Credit Card, as my travel on Vistara picked up again after a long dry spell. But Axis Bank won’t be able to renew this card anymore since my renewal will be post-March 2025, when renewals are closed. This card helped me gain an additional one-year status on Vistara (Gold Tier), which eventually translates into Air India Gold Tier as well (I already am an Air India Gold Tier member, so it is not helpful for me). I’ve now started to spend money on the card again to stock up on business class tickets for the future before the card renewal date.
• Club Vistara IDFC First Credit Card: I signed up for this card in August 2024, just as it would disappear. This card provides rewards for rent payments and accumulates complimentary tickets. This feature is guaranteed for a year, but we don’t know what will come after. I could also get an upgrade voucher plus a complimentary Vistara/Air India Premium Economy ticket, so it’s not bad for the fee they charged (INR 4,999++). I’ve used it for over INR 4.5 Lakhs, but now I’ve paused my spending on this card since the next milestone is far away.
• IDFC First Bank Mayura Credit Card: I signed up for this card for INR 1000 x 4 cashback on transactions within the first 60 days after the fee payment and the zero forex charges on the card (while still earning rewards). The fee on the card is INR 5,999 ++. The card now offers 5,000 points on signup as an inaugural offer. It’s good to try out for a year, and then we will see if it is worthy of renewal. Apply Here.
• RBL Bank World Safari Card: I received this card from RBL Bank as a replacement for the Zomato co-brand card. It is a great card to keep on you when travelling abroad, with zero foreign exchange fees. That makes it better than debit cards, which I’d have to carry otherwise for zero forex. I use this one for all consumables abroad, such as delis, cabs, and low-ticket items. On the last trip, the Mayura took over from this card for small spending.
• Axis Horizon: I flipped to Citi Premier Miles over a year ago, which transitioned to Axis Horizon. With some significant travel expenses last year, it was good to keep it in the pocket if needed (gets 5 EDGE Miles/INR 100 spent on air travel and 2 EDGE Miles/INR 100 on other spends). The EDGE Miles earned on this card were transferable 1:1, unlike the Atlas 1:2 ratio. The new Axis Bank-branded plastic card will be dispatched now, so I am waiting for that.
• IDFC First Select: This is one of IDFC First’s mid-tier cards, which is helpful because IDFC First participates in all sorts of sales and promotions with big websites such as Amazon many times. Also, the few times I travelled by train, it helped me have access to railway lounges. However, now that will change.
• Yes First Exclusive (Reserv): I’ve had this credit card for a long time, as it is a lifetime free credit card. However, I hardly ever use it, given I have better cards in my wallet. However, with the new subscription plans launched by Yes Bank, I might flip it back into the wallet sometime soon. For now, the discounts on food orders occasionally are the only things it gets used for.
• EazyDiner IndusInd Bank: The best card to go dining out at the moment, with all the discounts it showers on the dinner table, with up to 25% off (INR 1,000) every time you pay via EazyDiner’s PayEazy feature. Since the card is tokenised and saved on my EazyDiner app, there is no need to carry the card all over the place.
• IndusInd Pinnacle Credit Card: IndusInd Bank replaced my IndusInd InterMiles Credit Card (Visa) with an IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card, which I requested they upgrade to the IndusInd Pinnacle Credit Card. The upgrade was approved with an INR 50K spend, not to have to pay the annual fee and make it a lifetime-free card. I purely took this one to withdraw money via the Exclusive Account that one can have for a zero AQB. I am waiting to see how that works out for me when I travel out of the country next.
• HDFC Bank Diners Club Black Metal: I’ve held on to the Plastic Card for a long time (over a decade), but it was time to upgrade. The Bank offered the Metal Variant of the card with an upgrade for a one-year fee waiver, and I took it. Expect the usual use cases for it, and spending on weekend dining going on this card if it’s useful (as in not being done via EasyDiner). Otherwise, there is always a better point bonus than the plastic version.
• ICICI Bank Sapphiro (Amex and Visa): These cards are lifetime free for me, as they were replacements for the InterMiles co-brand cards. I use them when some discounts come my way, but otherwise, just keep them in the back of my mind. Similarly, for the ICICI Bank Amazon Pay Card, which I also hold.

Cancellations.

• American Express Platinum Card: I’ve long been a proponent of the American Express Platinum Card (Metal) for my high-end spending in India and outside. But with the higher fee and lower benefits (I heard they even discontinued the alcohol at the Mumbai Lounge), it was time to cancel the card. The experience behind this was that Amex could not handle a dispute properly for me (which I eventually got sorted in my favour a couple of months later), and when I asked for a copy of my travel insurance, their partner ICICI Lombard dragged their feet on it. I am not entirely gone from this card; I’ve given up just one. I am an add-on member on my wife’s card now.

The lounge network outside of India has been beneficial for me. Last year, I visited the New York JFK and Hong Kong Amex lounges, and the Delhi lounge is a staple. I still trust Amex with high-value purchases. It’s just that we won’t have two cards in our household for now.

Some other cards I’ve cancelled over the past months have been the Kotak 6E Rewards Credit Card (expected to become useful after the IndiGo BluChip programme was launched) and the Fi Card in the past quarter.

As you can note, I prefer cards that generate transferable reward points over co-brand credit cards. The rewards need to be travel rewards, not retail rewards. The only cards I await are the new Maharaja Club co-brand cards. I am waiting until their house is in order on the ICICI Bank Emeralde Private Metal and the Times Black.

What do you think of my portfolio, and where do you think I can optimise it? I’m open to answering any thoughts or questions in the comments section. Please share yours, if you can, in the comments section as well. 

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