# How many credit cards are too many? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2013, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885 "2013-12-09T11:01:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/61 "2013-12-12T16:02:47Z")
Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to redeem credit card mileage awards? Are they any different from regular frequent flier miles? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/62 "2013-12-12T16:27:10Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to redeem credit card mileage awards? Are they any different from regular frequent flier miles? They’re mostly the same. The one major difference that some airlines are doing is not allowing all types off upgrades for FF members who don’t earn at least a percentage of their miles from paid travel. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/63 "2013-12-12T16:28:00Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Out of curiosity, how difficult is it to redeem credit card mileage awards? Are they any different from regular frequent flier miles? In my case (AmEx), the miles are frequent flier miles that get added to my actual Delta FF mileage account, meaning that they are no different from the miles that I earn by engaging in actual air travel. If you only fly at Christmas, you may find them a pain in the ass to use, since they are subject to so many restrictions. But for me, they work great for flights to Japan in late October or early November. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/64 "2013-12-12T18:14:43Z")
You have 4 different types of Credit Card rewards: 1. Actual miles/hotel rewards points, that get dropped directly into your Frequent Flyer or Hotel Rewards account. Examples, Citi AAdvantage card, Chase United Mileage Plus, Amex HHonors, etc. The airline ones tend to earn 1 mile per spent, the Hotel ones often more because hotel points for most chains are worth less than .01 2. Transferrable points - these are often the most valuable generally, you accrue points at the credit card company and then you transfer to your choice of frequent flyer account, hotel account, etc manually. Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership rewards are the big ones here. Generally 1 per but lots of bonus opportunities here - ie Chase Ink Bold 5pts/ at office supply stores, etc - and for Amex, bonuses on the outgoing side - 1 Membership reward -\> 1.4 British airways avios, for example, when they have bonuses 3. Cash - These are the easiest to spend, and lots of Credit cards offer them. Fidelity American Express, for example offers 2% back. 4. Non-transferrable points - sometimes the credit card companies call them “Miles” - The best example here is the Barclay’s arrival visa card - which gives you 2 points/ that you then redeem against a travel expense as a statement credit a 1pt/.01, but with a 10% rebate - so you earn 2.22% on this card, redeemed against travel (which is not hard - you can just book a refundable hotel room or airline ticket, wait for it to clear, and then cancel, and you can still redeem against the charge). ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/65 "2013-12-12T18:24:38Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > “Credit card” does not automatically equal “living in debt”. I have had credit cards for 35 years and for the last 28 or so have paid the full balance every month. I just use it as a convenience, not a way to buy things I can’t afford. Right, I use mine the same way. It has easy protections tied in (also meaning my direct account isn’t hit first, if I need to dispute), establishes a history, and includes a rewards program (which means the purchases I’d make, anyway, are effectively cheaper over the long-term). In response to the OP, I’d say it depends on the person and their situation. For me, two is enough-- one primary (for the above reasons), and another as a backup for me or family. > [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Even among those who don’t carry a balance? I would be interested in a reference to those studies. Those variables are very difficult to control for, and I don’t know how you would establish a cause and effect relationship. There may be a correlation between the amount people spend and whether they use credit cards, but that doesn’t mean that the credit card is what causes them to spend more. Maybe people who spend more value the convenience of a credit card more. Maybe fiscally conservative people are both frugal and feel credit cards are an evil temptation. In my experience, I’ve only really known one person who has admitted to spending more when using a credit card. Their reason was that it was fairly easy to get a card (for the wrong reasons, given they prey on people like this), and it was also easier to spend what they didn’t see. The fact that you could also pay later, meant it was just a problem they could tuck away until they felt like dealing with it. Of course, this person also has substantial financial problems and bad habits, so I don’t think a cash or check would have been much different, save for the hard reality of overdraft fees. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/66 "2013-12-12T19:07:05Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > My understanding is that BoA doesn’t like to merge credit lines like that (unlike Chase) - but calling them up to ask certainly can’t hurt anything! Send them an email … just a guess that they make a note of every phone call you make to them to see what your costing them, but an email can be answered at their convenience after they ask the supervisor. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/67 "2013-12-13T00:17:58Z")
I don’t get why you Americans are so obsessed with credit cards. Why isn’t debit card enough? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/68 "2013-12-13T01:09:48Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > I don’t get why you Americans are so obsessed with credit cards. Why isn’t debit card enough? I don’t like debit cards. That’s the one where it just takes the money straight out of your bank account, right? If you lose it and it somehow gets hacked before you can report it, the money is gone. I can report credit-card fraud and not have to pay the bill. Plus, do debit cards boost your credit rating like responsible credit-card use? ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/69 "2013-12-13T01:30:56Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I don’t like debit cards. That’s the one where it just takes the money straight out of your bank account, right? If you lose it and it somehow gets hacked before you can report it, the money is gone. I can report credit-card fraud and not have to pay the bill. Plus, do debit cards boost your credit rating like responsible credit-card use? There is chargeback feature for all the cards, at least in my country. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/70 "2013-12-13T01:49:34Z")
Still, stories are legion about Thai banks not refunding debit-card money, while I know from experience they will cancel dodgy credit-card transactions. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/71 "2013-12-13T04:33:43Z")
The other thing about debit cards is you still have to make sure you have enough money in your bank account every time you use a card to avoid overdraft charges, just like writing a check. With a credit card if the car breaks down but payday’s a few days away it isn’t a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/72 "2013-12-13T04:35:27Z")
As already explained, if something screws up, it’s with someone else’s money, not mine. Using a debit card is a security risk. And I get free stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/73 "2013-12-13T09:12:44Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I do pay an annual fee, 'tis true. However, the benefits I receive in return (cheap companion airline ticket every year, free checked luggage and early boarding privileges every time I fly, FF miles) substantially outweigh that fee. This is particularly true since I and many of the other gullible people chiming in here do indeed pay off the monthly balance in full, never incurring a smidge of interest or late fees. > > Maybe I’m not one of the “gullible” people you’re talking about. Maybe the “gullible” people are the ones who pay for everything with a cash or check, since they end up subsidizing all those delicious benefits that I enjoy by using my credit card. \ Obviously not. I was one of the gullible people till I wised up, realised how much interest I’d paid over the year and cut the card up. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/74 "2013-12-13T13:21:46Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > I don’t get why you Americans are so obsessed with credit cards. Why isn’t debit card enough? 😕 Have you been reading the thread? Free stuff, the safety of screwups/fraud happening with someone else’s money instead of yours, not having to worry about whether there’s enough money in the account before you make your purchase. **IF** you have the self-control to not spend wildly and the ability to pay off the balance in full every month, credit cards beat the hell out of debit cards. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/75 "2013-12-13T13:42:22Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > \ > Obviously not. > I was one of the gullible people till I wised up, realised how much interest I’d paid over the year and cut the card up. There _is_ a middle ground between paying interest for the credit card and cutting it up. Like just paying the bill in full, each month. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/76 "2013-12-13T23:21:52Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Those of you with multiple airline mileage/rewards cards, how can you accumulate enough spending on each card to be worthwhile? Don’t the multiple cards mean that each only earns a few points each month? > > I have one card, that earns miles on the United Airlines Mileage Plus plan. You get cards which work in synchrony with each other. In your case, you’re missing out by only using the UA Mileage Plus card, as Chase has two cards which offer bonused spend which could earn you even more Mileage Plus miles for your current spending than you’re now getting. Your current card offers only one mile per dollar spent, except on United Airlines ticket purchase (where you get 2). Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 2x points per dollar spent on all travel and dining (and charges no added fees on international transactions); the points you earn from this can be transferred into your United Airlines Mileage Plus account. The Chase Freedom card has rotating bonus categories which offer 5x points per dollar spent (but capped at $1500 spend per quarter); while you can’t transfer those points directly to United Airlines, you CAN transfer them to your Chase Sapphire Preferred account, and from there on to United. It also helps to put EVERYTHING you possibly can onto your cards (assuming, of course, that you have the self-discipline to pay the resulting bill in full every month). I’ve boosted my credit card spending (but not my overall spending) significantly by paying bills with the cards that I once used to just write checks for. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/77 "2013-12-14T11:51:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There _is_ a middle ground between paying interest for the credit card and cutting it up. Like just paying the bill in full, each month. Unfortunately, being gullible way back, I spent far more using a CC than I earned, so it got to the point I was only paying off the interest every month, and no way to pay off the balance. It was only when I cut it up that I was able to repay the balance. Frankly, if I’d had enough money to pay off the balance, I wouldn’t have needed a CC. I haven’t got one now, and I do just fine. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/78 "2013-12-14T13:27:59Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > > [@sculpey](#): > > > > The answer is 2. You should have two credit cards. > > Thanks, I’m fine. > > You should use paragraphs. The answer is 2. You should have two paragraphs. (Good job, **Mangetout**!) ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/79 "2013-12-14T15:33:53Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > …In your case, you’re missing out by only using the UA Mileage Plus card, as Chase has two cards which offer bonused spend which could earn you even more Mileage Plus miles for your current spending than you’re now getting. There are so many credit cards - in fact just with chase alone, two more cards you didn’t mention can get you more United miles. 1. Chase Ink Bold/Plus Business cards can get you 5pts/ at office supply stores (and you can sign up as a sole proprietorship - if you have ever sold on Ebay, or craigslist, you are a business). Office supply stores have huge gift card racks, with places such as Amazon.com, Lowes/Home Depot, Restaurants, etc meaning many many places become 5 united miles/. 2. Chase United Mileage Plus CLUB card actually earns 1.5 miles/$ on all spending. But that is a $400 annual fee card (that comes with united airport club membership, so you do get something). You never hear about it because the signup bonus is usually not good, but if you actually fly united all the time and want to use the clubs, or if you spend $100k or more a year on credit cards and really want United miles, it can be worth it. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885/80 "2013-12-15T09:03:26Z")
> [@jacobsta811](#): > > There are so many credit cards - in fact just with chase alone, two more cards you didn’t mention can get you more United miles. I didn’t mention those because they’re specialty cards. Many people don’t qualify for a small business card, and most don’t want a card with a $400 annual fee, either (for understandable reasons!). But the Chase Sapphire Preferred + Chase Freedom combo is one that most folks who want United miles can get and benefit from. And then there are the joys of shopping portals… Truly our young padewan **Dewey Finn** has much to learn about the miles and points game! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-credit-cards-are-too-many/675885.md?page=5)