Credit Card Spring Cleaning

[Flex1]

I have removed most cards from my wallet now except for two, which I may rotate. Does anyone else do that? I just feel I don't need 10 cards in my wallet. My wallet was nice,  but now is slightly deformed from too many cards. I'll get a new one. The cards  I trust the most are my Navy Federal cards, so I'll keep one of those and one of my other cards.  I feel like if I'm out of the country, state or whatever the case may be, I'm not going to be surprised by a spontaneous credit limit reduction or a decline.  I have other cards, but if my life depended on it,  I just trust my Navy Federal cards the most. Every card that I have has a purpose and every single card has good rewards. Anyone else spring cleaning?

[eyam]

I just did this myself. I have 7 cards total, but I don't like carrying them all around. I'm also working on closing some of them once all paid down. I just ordered a new wallet yesterday and only plan on carrying my 2 AMEX cards, NFCU Flagship, and BofA Debit card. I added my other cards to my Apple Wallet in the very slim chance that I do need to use one for anything.

[RSX]

definitely -but i never added my cards to my wallet in the first place

i carry 2 primary cards all the time

and add 1 every 2 or 3 weeks that i want to put some use on

definitely limits the wallet size, and also limits the possibility of losing 5-10 cards instead of just 2 or 3

[MarkintheHV]

Same here, I carry 3, and 2 sockdrawered forever.  I keep my NFCU Amex, REI Mastercard, and BOA Visa.  Gives me plenty of institutional diversity as well as three different networks.

[Aim_High]

Not so much "Spring Cleaning" as I am simply "Cleaning."  I'm in no rush but my strategy has shifted over the past two years to a more simple lineup.  My spending patterns and rewards philosophy errs towards fewer overall cards. 

It's funny, but that "more simple" lineup may still be a dozen cards (instead of my current 21) but it's all relative, I guess!  Lol    I have a well-aged profile and don't desire to downsize TOO far.  For my wallet, I don't mind carrying 6 or 8 cards at a time, but more than that becomes too complex for me.  (I do like the security and backup of having a few other cards that I don't always carry which can be put into action as needed.)  I want to earn at least some rewards on all my spending, but over-optimizing is over-rated, IMO.  I have a great base of several cards earning a minimum of 2% to 3% without spending caps, rotating categories, or MCC complications.   I still highly value lender diversity among the major lenders so I plan to have just one (or maybe two) cards with a variety of them.   I'll probably get rid of several sock drawer cards and focus on cards that are practical to use regularly.  

I started threads last year on either >ONE CARD< or >Two-Card< Combos (see links) that would streamline a lineup to that degree.  In my case, I like to think about those pairings "as-if" I would close all my other cards but in practice, I would prefer to have multiple card combos so there are backup options.  I like making sure each card in my lineup is working for me in more than one area, whether it's account age, high credit limit, lender diversity, rewards, competitive APRs, competive BT offers, reliable customer service, fraud prevention and detection, perks and benefits, or technological interface on mobile app/website.   Some of my definite long-term "keeper cards" will be my Chase Sapphire Reserve + Chase Freedom Unlimited; Bank of America Premium Rewards + Customized Cash Rewards; Goldman Sachs Apple; Discover; PenFed Power Cash Rewards; NFCU Platinum (likely to be product-changed to Flagship Rewards); AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant; Citi Costco; AOD FCU Visa Signature.   For business, my Chase INK Cash stays also, which makes an even dozen cards.   I may add or subtract a couple of cards but probably about 15 is the most I can imagine.   I know this still sounds like a LOT to manage for many people, but some cards would work from the sock drawer on recurring expenses, some would work through mobile wallet without the need to carry, and a few could stay in the sock drawer as a backup for my other cards.  For example, if I chose to focus on URs (Chase) or Cash (BofA), I could just carry that pairing.   Any backup cards could be rotated at my sole discretion through wallet as desired without the need to consider things like lender rotating categories.

[SouthernCredit]

I just pared down my wallet to one of the slim card type wallets so I could move from rear pocket to front pocket carry. I do mix up my spend a bit, so I still carry my Costco Visa, BofA Visa, X1, Amazon Prime Visa, Amex Gold, CSP in the dedicated card holder, plus my Apple Card and debit card in extra slots. The Amex will get rotated with the EveryDay on occasion, but the others get the majority of my spend and provide some diversity. I also have all my cards in my digital wallet if need be. Cash is in a money clip. 

I removed a bunch of things I don't need day to day, like my HSA spend card, insurance cards, my corporate card, business cards, etc. Those went into a separate card wallet I can grab if needed. If I go on business travel, I'd add my corporate card into the new wallet and rotate out something else. 

So far, my backside likes this solution better, especially when driving. 

[Kforce]

Like @Aim_High , I have been adding and cutting cards the last year+ with the end goal of having only four or five cards.  All spend on two or three and a couple in the sock drawer (age and/or emergency).  As I get close to the 5 it has become more difficult to close cards. Cards 6 & 7 are  5 years old and have NAF.   Been in a holding pattern for a few months.  No real need for them, but hard to close.