Best Card to use for airmiles

[aviator]

New member here! I have been reading TF forums and all I can say is this has been quite insightful. I never knew I can get cashback for paying credit card bills, DCB for forex spendings etc.

My monthly spends are in the range of 20-25k on a regular month while there are few months it can go in 6 digits if insurance is due / travel plans / medical expenses etc. My primary card is Amex MRCC primarily because of 2k bonus points & non expiry of points. The goal is to have maximum points to redeem for a business class flights for my parents in a leading airline like Singapore Airlines / Qatar / Japan Airline etc. I lead a frugal lifestyle.

I have the following cards:
1. Amex MRCC (Primary card)
2. OneCard - Federal Bank (Spends less than Rs. 50 & forex transactions)
3. Kotak Indian Oil Card (UPI & Fuel spends)
4. DCB (LTF) - Alumni offer (Insurance payments)
5. Yes Reserv (fka Exclusive) (Dormant card)
____
6. Infinia (LTF) - Add on - Application in progress (Verbal Confirmation obtained)
7. Magnus for Burgundy (LTF) - Add on (under deliberation)


My questions:
1. Is my approach of using Amex MRCC right considering my goal?
2. Should I apply for Amex Gold for the months where I spend more than 20k? Or should the spends be diverted to some other card?
3. If Amex gold for the previous question, I would prefer it to be without annual fee
4. I plan on paying my rents via card, which platform & card to use?
5. Which card offers the most value?
6. Any other cards to consider?

 

[Vasuki]

New member here! I have been reading TF forums and all I can say is this has been quite insightful. I never knew I can get cashback for paying credit card bills, DCB for forex spendings etc.

My monthly spends are in the range of 20-25k on a regular month while there are few months it can go in 6 digits if insurance is due / travel plans / medical expenses etc. My primary card is Amex MRCC primarily because of 2k bonus points & non expiry of points. The goal is to have maximum points to redeem for a business class flights for my parents in a leading airline like Singapore Airlines / Qatar / Japan Airline etc. I lead a frugal lifestyle.

I have the following cards:
1. Amex MRCC (Primary card)
2. OneCard - Federal Bank (Spends less than Rs. 50 & forex transactions)
3. Kotak Indian Oil Card (UPI & Fuel spends)
4. DCB (LTF) - Alumni offer (Insurance payments)
5. Yes Reserv (fka Exclusive) (Dormant card)
____
6. Infinia (LTF) - Add on - Application in progress (Verbal Confirmation obtained)
7. Magnus for Burgundy (LTF) - Add on (under deliberation)


My questions:
1. Is my approach of using Amex MRCC right considering my goal?
2. Should I apply for Amex Gold for the months where I spend more than 20k? Or should the spends be diverted to some other card?
3. If Amex gold for the previous question, I would prefer it to be without annual fee
4. I plan on paying my rents via card, which platform & card to use?
5. Which card offers the most value?
6. Any other cards to consider?

1 - if u enjoying mrcc well and good keep going
2- just use mrcc till 10-15k .thats what the sweet spot is
3- gold ltf - well it depends there can be wavier depending on your spends in year .
4- card rent is mostly patched . Try with infinia maybe or dcb ( look for specific post ) & which platform you want to pay rent from ( real or to parents or just rotation)
5- infinia rn
6 - maybe atlas for a year 5k em + 1 k via retention.
Since magnus has spend based lounge
Offline 4% reward. If u transfer to partner website

Maybe for upi get tata neu infinity ltf or Kotak myntra for upi more than 2k

 

[helloworld]

lead a frugal lifestyle

The goal is to have maximum points to redeem for a business class flights for my parents in a leading airline like Singapore Airlines / Qatar / Japan Airline etc.

I suggest you to fully utilize DCB in your list, which is more than enough for your current spends. If AMEX needed, then alternatively spend on Platinum Travel (instead of MRCC).

Or, if ok to spend on other's card, stick to that M4B.

Any case, use only 1 card for your spend range because small spends on multiple cards doesn't give you much redemption choices. So, its better if you stick to that single card. And do consider devaluation of card in your mind, and use that card with 2 or 3 redemption choices in mind, so even if they removed 1 option, you still have 2 backup options.

 

[aviator]

1 - if u enjoying mrcc well and good keep going
2- just use mrcc till 10-15k .thats what the sweet spot is
3- gold ltf - well it depends there can be wavier depending on your spends in year .
4- card rent is mostly patched . Try with infinia maybe or dcb ( look for specific post ) & which platform you want to pay rent from ( real or to parents or just rotation)
5- infinia rn
6 - maybe atlas for a year 5k em + 1 k via retention.
Since magnus has spend based lounge
Offline 4% reward. If u transfer to partner website

Maybe for upi get tata neu infinity ltf or Kotak myntra for upi more than 2k

Thanks for the inputs!
2. Shouldn't 20K be the sweet spot considering you get 1k bonus points for 20k?
3. How much spends do they consider for waiver? Should I apply for new Gold card to divert spends?
4. Real rent payments
5 & 6. Offlate bit of trust issues with Axis considering their rapid devaluation...

 

[aviator]

I am aware of what frugal means, not sure what you are trying to refer. PS - I said Frugal not Miser

I suggest you to fully utilize DCB in your list, which is more than enough for your current spends. If AMEX needed, then alternatively spend on Platinum Travel (instead of MRCC).

What is the logic? How is Plat Travel rewarding than MRCC? Am I missing something? curious...

Any case, use only 1 card for your spend range because small spends on multiple cards doesn't give you much redemption choices. So, its better if you stick to that single card. And do consider devaluation of card in your mind, and use that card with 2 or 3 redemption choices in mind, so even if they removed 1 option, you still have 2 backup options.

Absolutely fair point, one of the reason I prefer Amex is that the points don't expire and the frequency of devaluation is 2-3years unlike Axis / HDFC...

 

[Vasuki]

Thanks for the inputs!
2. Shouldn't 20K be the sweet spot considering you get 1k bonus points for 20k?
3. How much spends do they consider for waiver? Should I apply for new Gold card to divert spends?
4. Real rent payments
5 & 6. Offlate bit of trust issues with Axis considering their rapid devaluation...

Try DCB rent for rent payment if they accept the card or idfc wealth for insurance,rent type transaction
Or just use Rupay upi cards for rent payment
1- tata neu infinity -1.50%
2 - myntra -1.25%


Yes 20 k mrcc is sweet spot
You can buy voucher via dcb too

 

[helloworld]

I am aware of what frugal means, not sure what you are trying to refer. PS - I said Frugal not Miser

For others. I don't know its meaning.. so kept that incase if anyone like me not know what it means. Sorry, still learning english words (another one Miser), so I hope you don't mind. You can ignore this, just for a future reference purpose to use next time when in similar context.

What is the logic? How is Plat Travel rewarding than MRCC? Am I missing something? curious...

The goal is to have maximum points to redeem for a business class flights. Your spends are in the range of 20-25k on a regular month while there are few months it can go in 6 digits.

So, if you spend 1.5L in a year with MRCC, you'll get 21,120 MR points (7K MR/50k spends) And if you spend 4L with Plat. Travel, you'll get 48,000 MR points (6K MR/50k spends) + 10K Taj Voucher.

YOu are spending nearly 4L in a year, so recommended. MRCC slow for your requirement and definitely need another for large spends, whereas plat. Travel push that faster with single card.

Absolutely fair point, one of the reason I prefer Amex is that the points don't expire and the frequency of devaluation is 2-3years unlike Axis / HDFC...

Any case, DCB or Plat. Travel - I suggest you to stick with 1 card to get max. value unless you cross 5L spends in a year.