During the eighties, before ff programs was on my radar, I had 21 VISAs and MasterCards. All new cards were obtained for the sign up gift, like savings bonds, sleeping bag, basketball or whatever. Each time, the gift was worth about $25 in value. I cancelled all but HouseHold Bank GM and Citibank Ford during the nineties, also due to worry about mortgage qualification having over $100K exposure. Having used both automobile cards' rebates, I've cancelled those cards (>=5% giveback) and now I'm expanding my ff card portfolio again (>=2% giveback). Even after the signup bonus for some of the cards, I still need a VISA or two for each of three idine programs. Some hotel specials require Visa, like the current Marriott double points and others require MasterCard, like the Sheraton 5000 bonus miles. Delta Optima, AMEX and Diners Club each have their own double mile bonuses. It's a pain to keep up with about a dozen cards, but I am more concerned about ID theft than my credit score.