u/Comfortable_Dog_2099

I want to revive this inactive subreddit to create a high-quality, spam-free hub for Indian digital marketers. My goal is to build the marketing equivalent of r/developersIndia. The community will focus on sharing global/local case studies, discussing ad strategies, and providing a moderated space for job postings and freelance networking. I will implement strict rules to keep out spam and course-sellers.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to do a massive cleanup of my credit card portfolio. I feel like I’m holding way too many cards, paying useless fees, and not optimizing my rewards. I’ve done some research and put together a "Lean Strategy," but I want to run it by the experts here before I start applying/closing.

💰 My Profile:

• Income: ~₹1.25L/month (post-tax)
• Monthly Spends: ₹20K–30K
• Spend Categories: Amazon/Flipkart, Zomato/Swiggy/Quick Commerce, Movies, Travel, general UPI, and ~₹2.5K/month on international subscriptions.

💳 The Current Mess (9 Cards):

• HDFC Millennia (₹500) - Main card for HDFC offers
• SBI Vistara (₹1,500) - Dead program now, renewal is in March 2026
• Flipkart Axis (₹500) - For Flipkart
• Amazon ICICI (LTF) - For Amazon
• BoB Eterna (LTF) - Strictly for BOGO movies
• PNB Select RuPay (LTF) - For UPI & free spa/golf
• IDFC First Select (LTF) - Using for 1.99% forex on my monthly international subscriptions
• RBL Rewards (LTF) - Barely use it
• AU Altura+ (₹500) - My oldest card, barely use it

🛠️ The Proposed "Lean" Strategy:

I want to consolidate everything into a high-reward, low-clutter setup. Here is the plan:

1. The New Core Setup (To Apply/Upgrade):

• SBI PhonePe Select Black (₹1,499): To replace SBI Cashback/Flipkart Axis. Gives 10% on PhonePe travel/bills, 5% on Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra, and 1% on UPI.
• HSBC Live+ (₹999): Strictly for 10% cashback on Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, and dining.
• HDFC Regalia Gold: Planning to upgrade my Millennia to this for offline spends and lounges (will try to get it LTF via salary account or retention team).
• AU Ixigo / Scapia (0% Forex): To replace IDFC Select. I will route my ₹2.5K/month international subscriptions here to pay exactly 0% markup.

2. The "Sock Drawer" (Keep but don't carry):

• Amazon ICICI (LTF), BoB Eterna (LTF for movies), PNB RuPay (LTF), IDFC Select (LTF).

3. The Chop List (To Close):

• SBI Vistara (Dead)
• Flipkart Axis (Redundant because of PhonePe Black)
• RBL Rewards (Useless)
• AU Altura+ (Will close in 6 months to protect my CIBIL since it's my oldest card)

🤔 My Questions for the Sub:

1. Is holding both SBI PhonePe Black AND HSBC Live+ overkill for a ₹20K–30K monthly spend? Or does the 10% on food/groceries (HSBC) + 5% online/10% travel (SBI) justify paying both annual fees?
2. Has anyone successfully upgraded from Millennia to Regalia Gold as LTF recently with a ₹1.25L/month salary? Any tips?
3. For 0% Forex, is AU Ixigo currently the best bet for recurring monthly international subscriptions, or should I look at something else?
4. Will closing my oldest card (AU Altura+) tank my CIBIL score severely, or is the 6-month waiting strategy good enough?

Would love to hear your thoughts or if there are any blind spots in this plan. Thanks!

(Yes, I have used AI for content moderation as well)

https://preview.redd.it/kkawa848gp0h1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=86fe4537285b460c4c5100badb8194782fc8d1eb

Current monthly spends are around ₹20-30K across:

• Amazon/Flipkart shopping
• Movies
• Travel
• Groceries/general spends

Income: ~₹1.25L/month post tax

I feel like I’m holding too many cards now and want to simplify things while still getting good value/rewards. Also open to replacing some cards with better options if it makes sense.

Current cards:

• HDFC Millennia (₹500 fee) - Mainly kept for HDFC instant discounts/offers on Amazon/electronics
• SBI Vistara (₹1,500 fee) - Originally got it for Vistara flights. Now confused after the closure of this card, for me it expired in March 2026. Should I keep this or move to a better travel card?
• Flipkart Axis - Mainly for Flipkart purchases
• Amazon ICICI - Mainly for Amazon purchases
• BoB Eterna (LTF) - Mostly using for BOGO movie tickets
• RBL Rewards (LTF) - Hardly use it, not sure if there’s any point keeping it
• PNB Select RuPay (LTF) - Mainly for lounge + RuPay offers (spa/blood tests/golf etc.)
• IDFC First Select (LTF) - Using for international spends because of lower forex markup (~1.99%)
• AU Altura+ - My first credit card but I barely use it and need to pay ₹500 annual fee

What would you guys do in my place?

• Which cards should I close/keep?
• Any better cards I should get for my spending pattern?
• Is it worth consolidating into 2-4 cards instead?

Also, how much impact does closing older/unused cards have on credit score? Especially in cases like:

• Closing my first card (AU Altura+)
• Closing multiple cards together

PS - Yes, I did use AI to write this to keep the grammar and flow correct

https://preview.redd.it/hs6f66eyu90h1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d021f71d78109de9af08dab48d2ef458280e024b

Current monthly spends are around ₹20-30K across:

• Amazon/Flipkart shopping
• Movies
• Travel
• Groceries/general spends

Income: ~₹1.25L/month post tax

I feel like I’m holding too many cards now and want to simplify things while still getting good value/rewards. Also open to replacing some cards with better options if it makes sense.

Current cards:

• HDFC Millennia (₹500 fee) - Mainly kept for HDFC instant discounts/offers on Amazon/electronics
• SBI Vistara (₹1,500 fee) - Originally got it for Vistara flights. Now confused after the closure of this card, for me it expired in March 2026. Should I keep this or move to a better travel card?
• Flipkart Axis - Mainly for Flipkart purchases
• Amazon ICICI - Mainly for Amazon purchases
• BoB Eterna (LTF) - Mostly using for BOGO movie tickets
• RBL Rewards (LTF) - Hardly use it, not sure if there’s any point keeping it
• PNB Select RuPay (LTF) - Mainly for lounge + RuPay offers (spa/blood tests/golf etc.)
• IDFC First Select (LTF) - Using for international spends because of lower forex markup (~1.99%)
• AU Altura+ - My first credit card but I barely use it and need to pay ₹500 annual fee

What would you guys do in my place?

• Which cards should I close/keep?
• Any better cards I should get for my spending pattern?
• Is it worth consolidating into 2-4 cards instead?

Also, how much impact does closing older/unused cards have on credit score? Especially in cases like:

• Closing my first card (AU Altura+)
• Closing multiple cards together

PS - Yes, I did use AI to write this to keep the grammar and flow correct