mangalorean
TF Select
Hello CC Geeks,
"It's done." 😩🔥💳
I've completed my lineup of cashback cards by adding the HSBC Live+. While many focus on accumulating points, my current strategy prioritizes maximizing cashback, as I don't travel extensively. I do plan to explore point-based cards as my spending increases.
Below are my primary cashback cards. I also hold other cards specifically for bank-related discounts (e.g., DBS Spark 5, Federal Celesta, Canara Bank RuPay Select) that are not detailed here.
My Cashback Card Lineup:
1. ICICI Amazon Pay Card - LTF - (₹5.1 Lakh Limit)
This is one of my older cards, predominantly used for Amazon shopping. My usage has decreased since I acquired the SBI Cashback card, but I intend to resume using it once I hit the ₹2 lakh milestone with the SBI card.
2. Flipkart Axis Card - ₹500 annual fee - ₹2.51 Lakhs Limit (Shared)
I initially obtained this card for Flipkart purchases before getting the SBI Cashback card. Given recent devaluations and my current minimal spending on it, I plan to close this card in November before the annual fee is due.
3. Airtel Axis Card - ₹500 annual fee (FYF) - ₹2.51 Lakhs Limit (Shared)
I applied for this using my wife's Airtel number as no offers were available on mine. It has proven very beneficial, as everyone in my household uses Airtel connections. This card has provided excellent cashback on gas cylinder bookings, electricity bill payments (even though it's often free for us in Karnataka these days), and occasionally for Bigbasket or food delivery via Swiggy and Zomato. It has saved me a significant amount of money. My use for food deliveries may decrease with the addition of the HSBC Live+, but I still utilize it for Axis Bank offers where the Flipkart Axis card is not eligible (I recall using it multiple times on Amazon for Axis Bank offers where the Flipkart Axis card was not eligible).
4. SuperMoney Pro - LTF (₹2.51 Lakhs Shared)
I acquired this card just 10-15 days ago. I was already using Kiwi for most of my UPI spends but was uncertain about the future of the NEON subscription. Since I already had other Axis Bank cards, approval was granted within two minutes without any physical verification. It came with decent welcome offers, including 100% cashback up to ₹500 on Flipkart shopping, which started today (go claim it if you have a SuperMoney card!). I will use this alongside Kiwi, and if Kiwi NEON becomes a paid service (I'm not sure if this will happen), I plan to close Kiwi and primarily use this card. I have already used the SuperMoney card for multiple offers, and it's quite good.
5. HDFC Millennia - ₹99,000 Limit - ₹1000+GST annual fee
Obtaining this card involved considerable difficulty despite my credit score of 791 and a credit history of over 8 years with 100% on-time payments. HDFC initially refused to issue it, even though my salary made me eligible for a Regalia Gold, and I have a salary account with them. I was rejected multiple times (both online and offline through C2C), primarily because I work for an unlisted company (they didn't issue cards to most employees despite promises during account opening, rejecting all card applications later). I had to work through my company's accounts team and with the help of a branch manager, who obtained personal approvals, to get the card with a ₹90,000 credit limit over a year ago. Last month, they increased it by ₹9k, bringing it to ₹99k, which is the lowest limit among all my cards.
Despite this, I still try to use this card whenever possible, especially on Amazon, Flipkart, and Uber, where it provides cashback up to ₹1000 each month (allowing a maximum usage of ₹20k for optimized cashback). I have consistently met almost all quarterly milestones with it and availed the ₹1000 vouchers, as well as the reward points which I can redeem directly as statement credit. While my eventual goal is Infinia, I'm not in a hurry to spend solely for the sake of obtaining that card. The fee is not a problem, as I can meet the spend criteria of ₹1 lakh per year to reverse it.
6. Swiggy HDFC Card - LTF (Limit Shared with Milennia)
I acquired this card purely because it was offered LTF (after I applied using my alternate number). I use it for Swiggy Instamart and other Swiggy spends for the 10% discount on every order, and also for 5% on Ola/Uber. It serves as a backup to my Millennia card when I exhaust HDFC offers during sales (while it may not always work for bank offers due to being a co-branded card, it has worked for me multiple times in the past). I will probably close it in a year or two, considering the HSBC Live+ covers food and grocery orders.
7. Kotak Myntra Card - ₹500 annual fee (2.10 Lakh Limit)
I obtained this card much before Myntra offered it as free for three years. As my wife and I shop frequently on Myntra, this card has been incredibly useful. It offers 7.5% cashback during normal days and 12.5% during sales; this card has served us very well over the last two years. I have also used it for UPI transactions for the 1.25% cashback on spends above ₹2K for some categories where Kiwi was not providing any cashback. I will probably keep it for a while (considering Flipkart Axis also provides 7.5% on Myntra now, and this card might get devalued, for now it's a great card). I will definitely not hit any milestones with it for the fee waiver, which I recall is at ₹2 lakhs.
8. SBI Cashback Card - ₹999+GST annual fee - 2.08 Lakh Limit (Unsure if I got it without paying joining fees)
As you already know, this is the GOAT SBI Cashback card. I got it relatively easily as I already had the SBI SimplyCLICK with over a ₹2 lakh limit. Initially, it came with a mere ₹20k limit, but after reading some posts here, I transferred ₹1 lakh from SimplyCLICK. Recently, I received a credit enhancement for another ₹1 lakh, bringing it to ₹2.08 lakhs. I mainly use this card almost everywhere it provides cashback so that I hit the ₹2 lakh milestone (and then switch to other cards like Millennia, Amazon Pay, etc.). So far, I have hit the milestone easily and most likely will continue to hit it considering my normal spends. I also usually buy Amazon vouchers with this to pay for insurance. This is a GOAT card, and I'm not going to part ways with it anytime soon.
9. HSBC Live+ - ₹999+GST annual fee - ₹5.38 Lakhs Limit
This is the latest and last cashback card I added to my "collection," if I may call it that. I applied through CashKaro to essentially make it free for two years (I will receive a cashback of ₹2200 in 3 months, a ₹250 Amazon voucher for successful KYC, and a ₹1000 Amazon voucher for spending ₹20k in 30 days).
My application was initially rejected (without a CIBIL hit) because my Aadhaar address was in a non-serviceable pincode, but my current and work addresses are. After reading a post here, I applied again, this time with my current address, and was approved with one of the highest limits among all my cards. This happened after no communication from the bank for over a week. I primarily intend to use this card for my grocery spends on DMart, Blinkit, and other chains, dining (though not much personally), food orders, and of course, HSBC offers, including BOGO on BMS every Saturday up to ₹250 (which I previously had with Federal Celesta).
Need your suggestions with this:
Since HSBC only provides 10% cashback up to ₹1000 per statement month, I am considering purchasing Amazon shopping vouchers from Blinkit. I received the card on the 18th and plan to buy a ₹10,000 voucher before the statement date on June 12th and another ₹10,000 voucher after the statement date, while still remaining within the 30-day period to complete the ₹20k spends and receive the ₹1000 voucher. My question is: Will buying Amazon shopping vouchers on Blinkit fetch 10% cashback? I checked once, and it showed "Grofers" as the merchant, and a second time it showed "Blinkit Retail" as the merchant. Therefore, I am unsure if I can "double-dip" here or if I should expect only 1.5% cashback on non-grocery spends (if the MCC is for that). I am not spending this for the sake of spending; I am actually planning to buy something from Amazon, and this is why I applied for this card last month. Please advise.
One More Card:
10. Kiwi Card - LTF* (4.35 Lakh Limit)
I only obtained this card because HDFC rejected my Tata Neu Infinity application, and it was a paid card. I use this for almost all small UPI spends, but after the recent devaluation, I no longer receive any cashback for transactions under ₹100. So, if they devalue it further, I will just close it.
That's my lineup of cashback cards. I understand that points can offer greater value, but for now, I don't fly or stay in exclusive properties, though I aspire to. Perhaps in a couple of years, I will shift my spending to other cards to gain those experiences (probably Atlas, one of the Amex cards, or something similar). But for now, I am content with this lineup, even though I know I have too many cards at the moment. I will close a few of them soon.
I'd be interested to hear about your cashback card lineups. And if you have any suggestions, I'm happy to hear those.
"It's done." 😩🔥💳
I've completed my lineup of cashback cards by adding the HSBC Live+. While many focus on accumulating points, my current strategy prioritizes maximizing cashback, as I don't travel extensively. I do plan to explore point-based cards as my spending increases.
Below are my primary cashback cards. I also hold other cards specifically for bank-related discounts (e.g., DBS Spark 5, Federal Celesta, Canara Bank RuPay Select) that are not detailed here.
My Cashback Card Lineup:
1. ICICI Amazon Pay Card - LTF - (₹5.1 Lakh Limit)
This is one of my older cards, predominantly used for Amazon shopping. My usage has decreased since I acquired the SBI Cashback card, but I intend to resume using it once I hit the ₹2 lakh milestone with the SBI card.
2. Flipkart Axis Card - ₹500 annual fee - ₹2.51 Lakhs Limit (Shared)
I initially obtained this card for Flipkart purchases before getting the SBI Cashback card. Given recent devaluations and my current minimal spending on it, I plan to close this card in November before the annual fee is due.
3. Airtel Axis Card - ₹500 annual fee (FYF) - ₹2.51 Lakhs Limit (Shared)
I applied for this using my wife's Airtel number as no offers were available on mine. It has proven very beneficial, as everyone in my household uses Airtel connections. This card has provided excellent cashback on gas cylinder bookings, electricity bill payments (even though it's often free for us in Karnataka these days), and occasionally for Bigbasket or food delivery via Swiggy and Zomato. It has saved me a significant amount of money. My use for food deliveries may decrease with the addition of the HSBC Live+, but I still utilize it for Axis Bank offers where the Flipkart Axis card is not eligible (I recall using it multiple times on Amazon for Axis Bank offers where the Flipkart Axis card was not eligible).
4. SuperMoney Pro - LTF (₹2.51 Lakhs Shared)
I acquired this card just 10-15 days ago. I was already using Kiwi for most of my UPI spends but was uncertain about the future of the NEON subscription. Since I already had other Axis Bank cards, approval was granted within two minutes without any physical verification. It came with decent welcome offers, including 100% cashback up to ₹500 on Flipkart shopping, which started today (go claim it if you have a SuperMoney card!). I will use this alongside Kiwi, and if Kiwi NEON becomes a paid service (I'm not sure if this will happen), I plan to close Kiwi and primarily use this card. I have already used the SuperMoney card for multiple offers, and it's quite good.
5. HDFC Millennia - ₹99,000 Limit - ₹1000+GST annual fee
Obtaining this card involved considerable difficulty despite my credit score of 791 and a credit history of over 8 years with 100% on-time payments. HDFC initially refused to issue it, even though my salary made me eligible for a Regalia Gold, and I have a salary account with them. I was rejected multiple times (both online and offline through C2C), primarily because I work for an unlisted company (they didn't issue cards to most employees despite promises during account opening, rejecting all card applications later). I had to work through my company's accounts team and with the help of a branch manager, who obtained personal approvals, to get the card with a ₹90,000 credit limit over a year ago. Last month, they increased it by ₹9k, bringing it to ₹99k, which is the lowest limit among all my cards.
Despite this, I still try to use this card whenever possible, especially on Amazon, Flipkart, and Uber, where it provides cashback up to ₹1000 each month (allowing a maximum usage of ₹20k for optimized cashback). I have consistently met almost all quarterly milestones with it and availed the ₹1000 vouchers, as well as the reward points which I can redeem directly as statement credit. While my eventual goal is Infinia, I'm not in a hurry to spend solely for the sake of obtaining that card. The fee is not a problem, as I can meet the spend criteria of ₹1 lakh per year to reverse it.
6. Swiggy HDFC Card - LTF (Limit Shared with Milennia)
I acquired this card purely because it was offered LTF (after I applied using my alternate number). I use it for Swiggy Instamart and other Swiggy spends for the 10% discount on every order, and also for 5% on Ola/Uber. It serves as a backup to my Millennia card when I exhaust HDFC offers during sales (while it may not always work for bank offers due to being a co-branded card, it has worked for me multiple times in the past). I will probably close it in a year or two, considering the HSBC Live+ covers food and grocery orders.
7. Kotak Myntra Card - ₹500 annual fee (2.10 Lakh Limit)
I obtained this card much before Myntra offered it as free for three years. As my wife and I shop frequently on Myntra, this card has been incredibly useful. It offers 7.5% cashback during normal days and 12.5% during sales; this card has served us very well over the last two years. I have also used it for UPI transactions for the 1.25% cashback on spends above ₹2K for some categories where Kiwi was not providing any cashback. I will probably keep it for a while (considering Flipkart Axis also provides 7.5% on Myntra now, and this card might get devalued, for now it's a great card). I will definitely not hit any milestones with it for the fee waiver, which I recall is at ₹2 lakhs.
8. SBI Cashback Card - ₹999+GST annual fee - 2.08 Lakh Limit (Unsure if I got it without paying joining fees)
As you already know, this is the GOAT SBI Cashback card. I got it relatively easily as I already had the SBI SimplyCLICK with over a ₹2 lakh limit. Initially, it came with a mere ₹20k limit, but after reading some posts here, I transferred ₹1 lakh from SimplyCLICK. Recently, I received a credit enhancement for another ₹1 lakh, bringing it to ₹2.08 lakhs. I mainly use this card almost everywhere it provides cashback so that I hit the ₹2 lakh milestone (and then switch to other cards like Millennia, Amazon Pay, etc.). So far, I have hit the milestone easily and most likely will continue to hit it considering my normal spends. I also usually buy Amazon vouchers with this to pay for insurance. This is a GOAT card, and I'm not going to part ways with it anytime soon.
9. HSBC Live+ - ₹999+GST annual fee - ₹5.38 Lakhs Limit
This is the latest and last cashback card I added to my "collection," if I may call it that. I applied through CashKaro to essentially make it free for two years (I will receive a cashback of ₹2200 in 3 months, a ₹250 Amazon voucher for successful KYC, and a ₹1000 Amazon voucher for spending ₹20k in 30 days).
My application was initially rejected (without a CIBIL hit) because my Aadhaar address was in a non-serviceable pincode, but my current and work addresses are. After reading a post here, I applied again, this time with my current address, and was approved with one of the highest limits among all my cards. This happened after no communication from the bank for over a week. I primarily intend to use this card for my grocery spends on DMart, Blinkit, and other chains, dining (though not much personally), food orders, and of course, HSBC offers, including BOGO on BMS every Saturday up to ₹250 (which I previously had with Federal Celesta).
Need your suggestions with this:
Since HSBC only provides 10% cashback up to ₹1000 per statement month, I am considering purchasing Amazon shopping vouchers from Blinkit. I received the card on the 18th and plan to buy a ₹10,000 voucher before the statement date on June 12th and another ₹10,000 voucher after the statement date, while still remaining within the 30-day period to complete the ₹20k spends and receive the ₹1000 voucher. My question is: Will buying Amazon shopping vouchers on Blinkit fetch 10% cashback? I checked once, and it showed "Grofers" as the merchant, and a second time it showed "Blinkit Retail" as the merchant. Therefore, I am unsure if I can "double-dip" here or if I should expect only 1.5% cashback on non-grocery spends (if the MCC is for that). I am not spending this for the sake of spending; I am actually planning to buy something from Amazon, and this is why I applied for this card last month. Please advise.
One More Card:
10. Kiwi Card - LTF* (4.35 Lakh Limit)
I only obtained this card because HDFC rejected my Tata Neu Infinity application, and it was a paid card. I use this for almost all small UPI spends, but after the recent devaluation, I no longer receive any cashback for transactions under ₹100. So, if they devalue it further, I will just close it.
That's my lineup of cashback cards. I understand that points can offer greater value, but for now, I don't fly or stay in exclusive properties, though I aspire to. Perhaps in a couple of years, I will shift my spending to other cards to gain those experiences (probably Atlas, one of the Amex cards, or something similar). But for now, I am content with this lineup, even though I know I have too many cards at the moment. I will close a few of them soon.
I'd be interested to hear about your cashback card lineups. And if you have any suggestions, I'm happy to hear those.
Attachments
