2023 Credit Card Review: Milestones, Achievements, and Plans for 2024

[TechnoFino]

Hello TFCians,

It's December 25, 2023. We are just 6 days away from 2024. 2023 was full of action when it comes to credit cards. We have seen many credit cards go from being one of the best in India to almost useless, and we have also witnessed some extraordinary credit card launches in 2023. Let's discuss some personal milestones for the year, such as how many credit card accounts you opened, how many you closed, the amount of rewards you managed to earn (if you are comfortable sharing), the best deal you enjoyed using a credit card, which credit card you mainly use, your memorable purchase using a credit card, the trips you completed using credit card points, and your plans for 2024.

Let me share mine:

How many credit cards I have added in 2023 and how many I have closed?
I had 42 credit cards back in December 2022, and now I have 57, and closed 8 credit cards, so I have added 23 new credit cards in 2023.

The amount of rewards you managed to earn?
Before closing my Axis Magnus and Reserve, I managed to accumulate approximately 27.10 Lakhs EDGE Points in 2023. Accumulated Approximately 10 Lakhs MR Points in 2023. Accumulated 2.23 Lakhs ICICI Bank Credit Card reward points. Managed to get 2.8 Lakhs HDFC Infinia reward points. Managed to get 10 Lakhs Yes Private reward points. Also managed to get approx 1.58 Lakhs CV Points, 4 Business class tickets, and 4 Premium Economy class tickets using Vistara co-branded cards.

Your memorable purchase using a credit card?
Purchased a car using a credit card without paying any MDR fees.

The trips you completed using credit card points?
Almost all my domestic flights and hotels were sponsored by credit card rewards in 2023. All were mainly business/work trips. Took 28 flights in 2023, all were domestic flights.

Plan for 2024
Have booked 3 international trips so far, planning to visit 7 to 8 countries in 2024. And the main plan is to accumulate more rewards in 2024 than in 2023.

Which credit card did you use mainly?
I mainly used Axis Reserve, Magnus, Atlas, HDFC Infinia, Yes Private, ICICI Emeralde, Amex Plat Travel, MRCC, Gold Charge, SBI Cashback, SBI Vistara Prime, Axis Vistara Infinite, and maybe a few more cards.

Don't forget to share your yearly review!



Merry Christmas 🎄 & Happy New Year 2024
Cheers 🥂

 

[cardio_guy]

Check this out 👇

Spoiler: As far as I remember from old Twitter bio

He is a government teacher and amazon US reseller

How to become Amazon us reseller? Any tips to get started?

 

[wiizzard]

How many credit cards I have added in 2023 and how many I have closed?
Added 12 - ICICI Sapphiro MC+Amex LTF, ICICI Rubyx Visa LTF, IDFC Wealth LTF, Indus Legend LTF, Indus Pinnacle LTF, Axis Airtel Paid, SBI SimplyCLick Paid, Kotak League LTF, RBL Shoprite Paid (mis sold for RBL world Safari LTF), HSBC Cashback paid, HDFC Regalia gold LTF
Closed 1 - Axis Flipkart paid.

The amount of rewards you managed to earn?
Around 20k from Amazon ICICI
Around 2k from Axis Flipkart

I'm not a heavy spender

Your memorable purchase using a credit card?
None.

The trips you completed using credit card points?
None.

Plan for 2024
I wish to get HDFC Tata Neu infinity LTF, ICICI emeralde LTF, and may be HDFC Infinia LTF.

Which credit card did you use mainly?
ICICI Amazon Pay.

How did you get IndusInd Pinnacle LTF ?

 

[avi_devdhar]

Used Axis Magnus from Jan to July, hit the milestone 6 times.
planned a mauritius trip in december first week, and all 6 days of stay in 5 star hotel was sponsored by the ER points.
and then Using my diners club black for more points and converting them to accor too.

 

[Cryptopsycho]

How many credit cards I have added in 2023 and how many I have closed?
Added 12 - ICICI Sapphiro MC+Amex LTF, ICICI Rubyx Visa LTF, IDFC Wealth LTF, Indus Legend LTF, Indus Pinnacle LTF, Axis Airtel Paid, SBI SimplyCLick Paid, Kotak League LTF, RBL Shoprite Paid (mis sold for RBL world Safari LTF), HSBC Cashback paid, HDFC Regalia gold LTF
Closed 1 - Axis Flipkart paid.

The amount of rewards you managed to earn?
Around 20k from Amazon ICICI
Around 2k from Axis Flipkart

I'm not a heavy spender

Your memorable purchase using a credit card?
None.

The trips you completed using credit card points?
None.

Plan for 2024
I wish to get HDFC Tata Neu infinity LTF, ICICI emeralde LTF, and may be HDFC Infinia LTF.

Which credit card did you use mainly?
ICICI Amazon Pay.

how u got Sapphiro LTF? Is it based on Alumini offer? or some other method?

 

[bugmenot]

How to become Amazon us reseller? Any tips to get started?

 

[vijay.vj]

how u got Sapphiro LTF? Is it based on Alumini offer? or some other method?

Not alumini offer.

I had salary account with ICICI since 8 years.
Few months ago, found Sapphiro card LTF while looking for offered card & I just grabbed it.

 

[vijay.vj]

How did you get IndusInd Pinnacle LTF ?

Required lot of pestering & follow-up over email with Indus.

I started with Indulge which they denied, then when I asked for Pinnacle, they approved after a month.
Based on approval, I received call from near by head office, who then processed it offline on split limit basis.

 

[maheshspanicker]

2023 has been another interesting year in my card journey. I have 14 active cards now, HDFC Tata Neu Infinity, PNB Rupay Select, Federal Bank Imperio and AU Zenith got added to the portfolio this year.
I've managed 2 domestic trips using card reward points.
Redeemed some 54000 Amex MR points, some 10000 IDFC First points, 2500 SBI points, 8000 HDFC Millennia points, 3500 SCB points... Not all the points were accumulated within this year though. Haven't really calculated it, but roughly some 6000 cashback on Flipkart and Amazon cards.
For my card journey, another important thing I always review/remember is the process itself. Being visually impaired, getting credit cards or availing banking services have always been a challenge despite clear rules put in place by the RBI and the Government of India.
I've had a real fight getting my AU Zenith card, initially the agent even refused to do VKYC saying blind people won't be given credit card! I was already holding 13 cards by then! Had to go all the way up to the top, show them all the relevant legal documents and get help from activist lawyers in the disability sector.
Federal Bank was the smoothest this year, I already have an account with them and there was no issue whatsoever about disability with them. However, I also got caught up in their random card cancelation nonsense that hit many users including some here. Took it up with the PNO and issue got resolved.
PNB was fine, though they took 2 months to process the application and deliver the card.
HDFC, who had no problem issuing my Millennia card 3 years ago, had to face some difficulties with VKYC for Tata Neu Infinity. However, without much drama, they send an executive for offline KYC as required by the RBI, and though it took 3 further weeks for the card to be delivered, it got done with a little push only.
As for next year, there are no specific cards in my wishlist as of now, though a card from Kotak and Yes Bank can cover for offers. Not interested in basic cards as such, need at least some lounge access... Don't think would be spending massive on those, so looking for any decent semi-premium offerings that they may give LTF. Not a priority though.
I haven't closed any card as yet in the last 5 years other than flipping SBI Simply Save into Click. But really thinking of closing that card, as with their obnoxious conditions including no reward points on any discounted purchases and the recent silent devaluation, the Simplyclick isn't really worth it any more.
Hopefully, 2024 will have some exciting new card launches...

 

[wiizzard]

How many credit cards I have added in 2023 and how many I have closed?

This was the year where I finally added premium cards to my portfolio moving over from my love of Diners Club Black.
I added Infinia and Magnus ( which got devalued as soon as it was approved 🤣) and finally also added a SBI credit card ( Simply Click FYF ) . Also got Tata Neu Infinity LTF as my primary Rupay card, ICICI Sapphiro LTF, Coral LTF and I think a few others
I finally closed Axis Ace, with Tata Neu it didn't make sense to have it on paid basis.
My total portfolio is 30+ cards now

The amount of rewards you managed to earn?
Probably 1lac+ points on Infinia and 30k edge rewards ( mostly from Burgundy Debit Card)

Your memorable purchase using a credit card?
Booked flights for my parents and their friends on Cleartrip. Thanks to Axis offer got zero convenience fee, free premium seats and free meal on Indigo !! And then got lounge access for all of them

The trips you completed using credit card points?
Family vacation to Goa and Turkey ( Infinia points, so still paid 30% out of pocket), but burned 1.5 lac points, so I am happy

Plan for 2024
Trying to get Airtel Axis, let's see if that happens next year ! Also, either a Pinnacle or Indulge LTF ,tips for that welcome.

Which credit card did you use mainly?
HDFC Infinia + Diners Black , Rupay on Tata Neu

 

[raghu.rokda]

Which credit card did you use mainly?
HDFC Infinia + Diners Black , Rupay on Tata Neu

How you get two hdfc core cards ?

 

[sxchzy]

How you get two hdfc core cards ?

very simple
get one hdfc core care
then get one hdfc co branded card
request them, to convert co branded into core
thats how someone got his tata nue infinity converted to dcv plastic ltf

 

[Yugi]

Just my started my credit card journey here at Technofino in 2023 even though I had credit cards since 2023. I missed LTF Plastic Infinia boat even though I had enough spends and CL on my HDFC credit card. Let's see where this journey takes me.

 

[wiizzard]

How you get two hdfc core cards ?

Ahh, I have this as an add-on, but yes, apparently it's possible to get 2 core cards now

 

[Walter White]

2023: Year in Review

How many credit cards I have added in 2023 and how many I have closed?

I had around 14 credit cards back in December 2022, and now I have 23, and closed 1 card. I added 10 cards in 2023.

The amount of rewards you managed to earn?

Close to 250,000 points on Amex and 39,000 Edge miles on Axis, 15,000 CV points and 3,000 on DCB.

Your memorable purchase using a credit card?

Purchased an engagement ring using credit card.

The trips you completed using credit card points?

Took 50+ flights and spent 44 nights in hotel this year. Crazy hectic year TBH. My trips to Poland, Assam and Meghalaya were funded using points and vouchers.

Plan for 2024:

Planned a domestic vacation fully funded through points and vouchers in the early days of 2024. Can expect one big trip with family and a lavish honeymoon overseas in the latter part of 2024 subject to various factors.

Which credit cards did you use mainly?

Axis Atlas, Amex Platinum Travel, Amex Gold, SBI Vistara Prime, DCB

 

[PREMPATEL12]

Purchased a Hyundai Venue SX Knight Edition in September 2023. There were no extra benefits from Hyundai, as car manufacturers don't offer any discounts on their top-selling cars. Almost all showrooms in South Bengal were quoting the same price. My local dealer didn't charge me any extra for accepting credit card payment, and I was happy with almost a 26k discount (considering a 2% MDR) plus got some reward points also. I used my Amex Plat Travel, HDFC Infinia, Yes Private, and IDFC First Select Card.

Dada, whats the reason to break your 12-14 lacs car spend in 4 CC? For Amex platinum I can understand 4 lacs wals reason but why you used Yes private and IDFC Select? whats the gain from these CC?
Why you did not use Inifia for most 14 lacs spend? aapne 4 CC use karne ka dimag kyun lagaya?
And why you did not use other CC from your 50+ CC portfolio? Share your thought process for our knowledge and CC limitation..

 

[TechnoFino]

Dada, whats the reason to break your 12-14 lacs car spend in 4 CC? For Amex platinum I can understand 4 lacs wals reason but why you used Yes private and IDFC Select? whats the gain from these CC?
Why you did not use Inifia for most 14 lacs spend? aapne 4 CC use karne ka dimag kyun lagaya?
And why you did not use other CC from your 50+ CC portfolio? Share your thought process for our knowledge and CC limitation..

I used IDFC First to pay them via an online payment link and redeemed some reward points from my IDFC First Select card. However, my YES Private reward point balance was a few thousand short of redeeming my target amount GV, so I used it for that purpose. The majority of the car price was paid with HDFC Infinia.

 

[hrish88]

2023: Year in Review

How many credit cards I have added in 2023 and how many I have closed?

I had around 14 credit cards back in December 2022, and now I have 23, and closed 1 card. I added 10 cards in 2023.

The amount of rewards you managed to earn?

Close to 250,000 points on Amex and 39,000 Edge miles on Axis, 15,000 CV points and 3,000 on DCB.

Your memorable purchase using a credit card?

Purchased an engagement ring using credit card.

The trips you completed using credit card points?

Took 50+ flights and spent 44 nights in hotel this year. Crazy hectic year TBH. My trips to Poland, Guwahati and Shillong were funded using points and vouchers.

Plan for 2024:

Planned a domestic vacation fully funded through points and vouchers in the early days of 2024. Can expect one big trip with family and a lavish honeymoon overseas in the latter part of 2024 subject to various factors.

Which credit cards did you use mainly?

Axis Atlas, Amex Platinum Travel, Amex Gold, SBI Vistara Prime

how many memes have you shared on this forum in 2023 ?

 

[souvikr]

My achievement of 2023 (about credit cards) is, I have converted all my credit cards to lifetime free now. I feel so relaxed now because I have no target to spend.

 

[raghu.rokda]

My achievement of 2023 (about credit cards) is, I have converted all my credit cards to lifetime free now. I feel so relaxed now because I have no target to spend.

So how many left now ?

 

[souvikr]

So how many left now ?

I have 5 CCs only.