I have closed 7 credit cards due to devaluation over the past three years. Banks are devaluing benefits by observing other banks, like "Monkey see, monkey do." I have obtained replacement cards with almost similar benefits.
Some closed cards may be lifetime free, but it's not worth keeping a worthless product even if it's free. Many people keep garbage cards to get instant discounts during sales, which is another trap because you have to make a minimum purchase to get those discounts. People end up buying unnecessary products to meet this minimum purchase limit.
Customers need to teach banks a lesson. We should close worthless cards and get better cards as replacements. Making your credit card portfolio strong is important. Even if we pay annual fees, we should aim to extract a 5 to 10 times return of annual fees.
- HDFC Money Back Plus - My first credit card had a limit of 34k. It offered little benefit, like 3.3% cashback on Amazon and Flipkart. I asked HDFC to make it lifetime free, but they refused, so I closed it.
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Axis Flipkart - I had a limit of 30k. Axis devalued this card significantly. A quarterly spend of 50k for just one lounge access hurt. I asked Axis to make it lifetime free. They refused, and I closed it.
- Axis My Zone - I had a limit of 33k as lifetime free. Axis devalued this card too. I took it for Swiggy's benefits. Similarly, the lounge access spending conditions also hurt me, so I closed it.
- IDFC Select - This card had a limit of 1.88 lakh as lifetime free. I took it in February, and IDFC devalued the card in April. The BOGO movie and lounge access devaluation hurt me a lot. I closed it on the day of the devaluation announcement. IDFC has effectively ruined this card. Instant discount offers are also not good with IDFC.
- Federal Scapia - I had a limit of 1.34 lakh, and Federal reduced it to 40k. The most disappointing is the devaluation of lounge access benefits. Unlimited lounge access for just a 5k monthly spend was the best in the industry, but Federal is desperate to kill this card. Thus, I closed it on the day of the devaluation announcement.
- ICICI Coral card - I had this Rupay card as lifetime free in September, and in October it was devalued. The capping is extensive, and the reward rate is terrible. Who will pay annual fees for an add-on card when the primary card is lifetime free?
- New ICICI MMT card - I hadn't even activated this card. I got it pre-approved as Mastercard and Rupay. After issuance, within an hour, I received a devaluation email. I took this card for lounge access, and now a 75k quarterly spend is required. ICICI management must be smoking bad stuff while taking decisions. I asked customer care to make this card lifetime free, but they ranted about the MMT voucher. ICICI taking my money as annual fees and giving vouchers with validity. It seems ICICI is more interested in fees than retaining customers.
This is the condition of the Indian banking system. My brother-in-law has an Indian Overseas Credit card. I looked for its reward rate online, but couldn't find it. Financial literacy is crucial to avoid being misled by banks and to extract rewards from them we need to be smart.
You are back again with closing saga. ICICI, Federal, IDFC closing is a bad move all three have good benefits.
IDFC and Federal are not issuing cards easily these days.
IDFC has 16 railway lounge benefits highest than any other card.
Scapia 0 forex is the best
Coral has 4 railway lounge and its RuPay
You don't deserve any CC. Don't expect banks to give you 20% CB for LTF cards.
You are back again with closing saga. ICICI, Federal, IDFC closing is a bad move all three have good benefits.
IDFC and Federal are not issuing cards easily these days.
IDFC has 16 railway lounge benefits highest than any other card.
Scapia 0 forex is the best
Coral has 4 railway lounge and its RuPay
You don't deserve any CC. Don't expect banks to give you 20% CB for LTF cards.
There is no railway lounge in my city. There is no railway lounge on the city I travel. What will I do with railway lounge? IDFC still giving me credit card as pre approved. I don't do foreign spends, what will I do with zero Forex.
As I said, I don't keep garbage cards