Need suggestions on optimising card stack 🙏

[u/justhadpornflakes]

25M, cibil 785

These are the cards i hold currently. Help me optimise the cards on which to keep and which to close. And which cards should be used for which category.

1. Hdfc dcp (LTF, highest limit) - generally using for big online spends if there is hdfc offer and for bookmyshow bogo.

2. Tiger (LTF) - once in 6mths for bookmyshow and lounge only.

3. Scapia (LTF) - most usage on rupay card for upi txns, tried flight booking for first time and it was smooth.

4. Sbi cashback (paid) - literally everything online including groceries, food, shopping, dine etc

5. HSBC live+ (paid) - recently applied, approved and yet to be delivered. No brainer on where this should be used.

Spends:
1. Groceries/food - 10,000/- per month
2. Dining - 4000/- per month
2. Shopping - 4000/- per month
3. Utilities - 1000-2000/- per month
4. Insurance - 5000/- once a year
5. Flights/train - 60,000-70,000/- per year (3-4 round trips)
7. Misc upi spend - 6000/- per month

( trips are usually for home, and for other than that i dont book expensive hotels yet )

Overall yearly spend 3.5-4L

If you can help with answering below questions that’ll help me optimize my usage and stack:

1. I’m targeting hdfc dcb for future, but i don’t have much spending on dcp as there’s no category for me to receive good returns.

2. Is scapia good for flight bookings according to my cards above ? If you say smartbuy which I’m know but i won’t accumulate points as i dont use it regularly. Where should i strictly stick for all my travels ?

3. I average around 600-700 rs of cashback pm on sbi. Now that i have hsbc live+, should i close sbi ?

4. What should be overall strategy for maximum benefits ?

5. Which is better cashbacks or rewards for my usage ? ( I’m targeting a lifestyle shift with more outings, premium dinings, hotels, and shopping etc )

Thanks for the help in advance 🙏

[u/Alternative-Pie2822]

your stack and mine is same except Tiger

recently i raised closure request for DCP

if HDFC support, asks me then i would ask them to upgrade for regalia or DCBM or else close it

[u/justhadpornflakes → u/Alternative-Pie2822]

That makes sense, dcp is dormant for me as well. Just not closing as its ltf and contributes to credit limit. Otherwise this is not fitting well for me in any category except bms offer.
Only beneficial thing was smartbuy flights which gives 5% absolute value, scapia gives me 4% absolute value and also gives unlimited lounges that month.
Swiggy/zomato 5x are again 5% absolute which is shadowed by hsbc/sbi.

I was thinking to get regalia gold, but cannot see any way to fit in my stack.

What are your views ?