SD'd cards strategy?

[toothgrind3r]

I've got a few cards in the sock drawer, and possibly going to be adding 1 or 2 more.

Question is, what's a good strategy in dealing with them, keeping them open/active, etc?

Currently, I have 1 small reocurring monthly charge on each, with each set to PIF on due date.

Buuuuuut....as the amount of cards I have grow, so does my worry and paranoia that something will fall through the cracks and I will *shudder* miss a payment!

Ideally, I would love to take those charges off of those cards, and, say, maybe every January, once a year, make a charge to all the cards.  So, January every year would be the time to take care of my SD'd cards...use and pay and be done with them.

Is that not enough usage?

[1GaDawg85]

Once a year is more than enough 

[eddie84]

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@1GaDawg85 wrote:

Once a year is more than enough 

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+1  I have a Dell Financial Service credit line that I use once a year (it was opened in 1999) so yes, once a year would suffice.

[Anonymous]

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@toothgrind3r wrote:

I've got a few cards in the sock drawer, and possibly going to be adding 1 or 2 more.

Question is, what's a good strategy in dealing with them, keeping them open/active, etc?

Currently, I have 1 small reocurring monthly charge on each, with each set to PIF on due date.

Buuuuuut....as the amount of cards I have grow, so does my worry and paranoia that something will fall through the cracks and I will *shudder* miss a payment!

Ideally, I would love to take those charges off of those cards, and, say, maybe every January, once a year, make a charge to all the cards.  So, January every year would be the time to take care of my SD'd cards...use and pay and be done with them.

Is that not enough usage?

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I would definitely take the charges off and only use the cards once every 6 to 12 monthts. If there is even a .001% chance that you would possibly overlook a payment it is in NO WAY worth it. A potential missed payment is simply not worth keeping a SD'd card open. 

[MarineVietVet]

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@1GaDawg85 wrote:

Once a year is more than enough 

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We all have to decide what is best but IMO you're taking an unnecessary risk by waiting a year between charges.

It might work and probably will but I try not to go longer than six months.

It's another YMMV situation. Different issuers will have different criteria as to what they consider sufficient activity.

[SunriseEarth]

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@MarineVietVet wrote:

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@1GaDawg85 wrote:

Once a year is more than enough 

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We all have to decide what is best but IMO you're taking an unnecessary risk by waiting a year between charges.

It might work and probably will but I try not to go longer than six months.

It's another YMMV situation. Different issuers will have different criteria as to what they consider sufficient activity.

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+1.   At some point, managing those cards might become more of a headache than it's worth.   This might be that situation.  

[toothgrind3r]

Yeah it's not really a headache, just paranoia!  

[SunriseEarth]

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@toothgrind3r wrote:

Yeah it's not really a headache, just paranoia!  

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I think taking them out for a small purchase every 6 months or so would suffice for most creditors.  You could then just arrange an immediate payment.      

[Anonymous]

once a year would suffice

[waters]

When I sd a card I still use it for a small monthly fee..

Barclaycard has Netflix
Merrick has a 9/adobe monthly charge I have.

Guess I'm cheating