@Anonymous wrote:
OP, just an off topic curious question I have. Of your 45+ cards, how many do you never use? By never I mean literally never, or perhaps just once every 6 months for a small purchase just to keep it open. After the "never" category, the next tier say we call the "infrequently used" cards that we define as a swipe every other month or so... about how many cards in your portfolio fit that description?
I've never had more than 5 cards, so I like to hear from people like yourself as I'll never be in that position. I understand that you likely rotate the cards you use the most depending on the time of year, your spend, etc. but I'd imagine if your usage goes up on Card X it would then go down on Card Y bringing your overall numbers relatively the same, so I'm just speaking sort of on an average here regarding my questions above.
There's one card that I never use and probably never will use: my Lowe's Visa. It's got a point-based rewards system where you redeem points for $-off certificates valid only at Lowe's for a limited time, eh. I'd rather use my Chase Ink card that gives me 3% cashback on all home improvement than get 5 points per dollar on the Lowe's card. Used to be they'd send me a targeted promo for a bonus 2500 points for spending $100 in a month. Even that was marginally profitable because of the redemption process. But they haven't sent me one of those in at least five years, so this card is totally a stinker. I actually don't even worry about it being closed for non-use.
Another card that sits in the drawer forever is a Chase Ink Business card that gives 5% on office supplies and telecom. A great deal actually, but it exactly duplicates another Chase Ink card (I got the second one for a sweet $500 startup bonus).
Two Citi Aadvantage cards gather dust because they were acquired purely because of a 50k miles bonus offer. After meeting the spending requirement, there's just no reason to use them. Between my wife and I, it's always good for one of us to *have* an American Airlines card because of the baggage allowance feature. But using it doesn't do anything, unless they offer some limited-time spending offer, which I haven't seen in a while.
Marriott Rewards card is only used for Marriott charges, which is at best once a year, otherwise no need to use it.
Two Chase Sapphire cards are conversions from Chase Sapphire Preferred cards I got for the initial bonus, then before the annual fee hit, downgraded to the no-annual-fee version. I've no use for them.
My Chase Amazon Visa has sat unloved for over 4 years now; why get 3% when I can get 5% with the SallieMae card? Well, that Chase Amazon Visa may see some action later this year...
My Penfed AmEx is feeling pretty lonely, especially since the points were devalued a couple of years back. It's still a contender for air travel purchases, clocking in at around 4% back on airfare, but that's pretty fringe for us. Both this and the Hilton AmEx are used pretty much just for AmEx offers, but that does mean each gets used at least every other month or so.
Citi ThankYou card was a conversion from a better Citi program that doesn't exist any more. No reason at all to use this one, but I do pull it out on the 2-3 times a year we go to the movies, if we aren't getting better than 2% on some other card. This card gives only 2x ThankYou points on movies, but it does push us toward a redeemable level, at which time this card can take an even more permanent place in the sock drawer.
Another Citi conversion card is the Citi Dividend card. I actually love 5% quarterly cards, but this one just hasn't had any categories that do much for me. Still I always have hope.
My USBank Cash+ is never too far a way, on the off-chance that the categories I've chosen end up being useful. I pick 5% categories that aren't covered by my other cards, which usually ends up some combination of Department Stores, Electronics Stores, Furniture Stores and Rental Cars. When it's useful, it's great, but that's not often. May get more use later this year if I start choosing Bookstores (read: Amazon) as a 5% category.
Alliant Credit Union card was great with its initial $500 bonus, and when they offer a limited-time 3% offer (e.g. through the end of the year for me right now). Other than that, it smells like socks.
Citi Costco Business Visa isn't of any value to me, since it duplicates the non-business version, which I already have, and the business version offers lesser perks (e.g. travel protection).
Quite a few cards get used every month, but only for very small purchases, to reap the 99-cent balance credit. These include three CapOne cards and five Barclay cards (six once SallieMae is nerfed).
Also on the small-transaction front, four BBR cards get one purchase each per month (three of them automated, so there's no reason to carry those cards). So it's only once per month, but I do make sure they each get used, to guarantee my $480 per year in cash back.
All of the rest of the cards get pretty regular use, based on the rewards they provide.
Chris.
