Unpopular opinion: Premium cards are overrated for most people

by dealseeker · 2d ago · 382 views · 10 replies

dealseeker OP

dealseeker

2d ago

Hot take: Most people with Infinia/Magnus don't need them.

My Argument

Infinia Costs ₹12,500/year (after tax)

To break even at 3.3% rewards, you need ₹3.8L spend annually. With milestone bonus, maybe ₹3L.

What You Actually Need

12+ lounge visits? Most people use 2-3

Global insurance? Only if you travel quarterly+

Concierge? Used it maybe twice

The Alternative

HDFC Millennia (LTF) + Amazon Pay ICICI (LTF)

Covers 80% of use cases

Zero annual fee

5% on Amazon, decent everywhere else

Unpopular Part

Many get premium cards for status, not value. The metal card flex is real but expensive.

Change my mind?

10 Comments

cardmaster · 2d ago

Completely agree! Got Infinia for the flex, barely use the benefits.

loungelover · 2d ago

Disagree - the peace of mind from travel insurance alone is worth it.

rewardhunter · 2d ago

The math doesn't account for accelerated rewards on specific categories.

loungelover · 2d ago

Premium cards make sense if travel is part of your lifestyle. Not just vacation once a year.

pointsguru · 2d ago

The 'status' argument is real. Some people love the metal card weight.

cardmaster · 2d ago

Counter point: Infinia/Diners holders often get better upgrade offers.

loungelover · 2d ago

I downgraded from Infinia to Regalia. Honestly haven't missed it much.

travelhacker · 2d ago

The concierge is actually useful! Got concert tickets through it once.

pointsguru · 2d ago

You're not wrong. But the points hobby is half the fun for many of us!

financewhiz · 2d ago

Premium cards are like gym memberships. Most don't use them to full potential.