At this point, something would probably have to be a 2% or more improvement on a significant category, or a smaller category improvement and a bonus worth ~$150 or more, or if the card was worthless to me long-term, a bonus of $400 or more 
I'd also probably go for any card with more than 2% back on general spend. But really, I'm pretty well set with my current lineup, so it would probably take a significant sign-up bonus to draw me out of the garden.
@Anonymous wrote:that's a very complex answer, and as someone with an economics degree, I can tell you that you can write a book answering this question... I'll try to shorten it to a paragraph or two...
what you are essentially asking about is your opportunity cost of opening a card... essentially what you're saying is "what will it cost me (what will I give up) to open this card in terms of other alternatives?" it might be confusing a little but effectively everything has a price, even things that don't "cost" anything... you picking up a glass of water, has a price because you could've picked up some chips instead... your price of opening a credit card is a hit on your fico score... so what you are trying to evaluate is: will this card provide me more benefit (make me more money) than I will give up in credit score?" the answer to that is very subjective... in short, if you're shopping for a house or a car, a FICO drop might bump you into a higher rate, which will mean that you'll pay tens of thousands $$ more over the lifetime of your mortgage from the interest increase... I imagine it's a little less drastic if you're buying a car but still... on a $30k car, and extra 1% can add up to quite a lot of $$ that you might not make back with rewards... there's also the question of what if you get declined? will you now have to uber to work for 2 weeks while you try to come up with cash to get a junk car to hold you over? will you keep throwing $$ away on an apartment instead of paying down a mortgage? all those things are your monetary opportunity cost...
now, here comes the trick... in traditional economics, that's where we'd stop... we'd count up how much $$ you gained vs lost and whatever was greater, that's the best choice... but we're also human so often times we make decisions not based in "facts"... it doesn't mean that they are "wrong" decisions... they might be wrong for 99% of people... but every single decision is "right" to the person making it... so basically we draw value out of having our card be black and metal or have a superhero on it... it might not mean anything to anyone, but it means something to YOU... so that's where things get fishy... we can count up how much you will gain vs lose but we'll never really know since the only person that knows your "value" scale is you... some people will be willing to take a higher interest rate on their car to get spiderman on their card... it's all subjective...
so if you want a cold, hard answer... count up how much the extra benefits will gain you over the next couple of years and then subtract how much you stand to lose from a lower fico score... if you're buying a house or a car... there's likely no card that is worth it... if you aren't applying for serious credit... then your loss is likely next to nothing, maybe being denied another card that would earn you more? that's the economics side of it... the human side of it is- you're the only person that knows the answer to this question...
Also remember when we are talking about a lowered FICO score, its just for a very short amount of time. And the extra credit line can improve your FICO via various means (reduced utilization, larger percentage of your cards reporting 0% utilization, less future impact of adding even more cards, etc).
So we are talking about a small FICO reduction for a few months versis cold hard cash, a 3D Ironman card, more cash back, and a stronger credit report. Similarly with HP's, why bother conserving them when they become irrelevant from a FICO standpoint after 12 months, and disappear entirely after 24?
The way I see it, when your FICO score is lower than 740, you need to be much more careful to preserve every point you can, than when you have a comfortable cushion above 740. If obtaining a new card or two will gain you a few hundred dollars, and your FICO doesnt drop to 740, then there is little downside. With the obvious exception of a Morgage or car loan in the near future.
@myjourney wrote:See this is what happens when a GC member stops thinks and analyzes their needs choices and spending
They make good informed decisions about what cards they have and need
Which make sense and if they even need new ones at all
Yes!
The only new card worth applying for at this immediate point in time for me would be one that has an APR at 10% or preferably below, also rewards are a nice option but not mandatory, and bonus points if the card has a fixed-rate APR. Or alternatively, if a card came out that had a flat, all-inclusive 3%-5% rewards structure that I would PIF every month, so that the APR in that case wouldn't matter as much. But tbh, the former option is my strongest preference, since it would give me the option of realistically being able to revolve a balance if I needed to, such as in the case of an emergency, unanticipated car repair expenses, etc. (also since some cards I may revolve on, while others I PIF monthly).
