# How I Lost a Credit Card Trying to Get One

There’s a certain kind of confidence that comes with upgrading a credit card.

It feels like a small step up — better limits, better perks, better… access to airport lounges you may or may not use.

So I did what seemed reasonable.

I tried to get a better one.

* * *

It started well.

There were conversations.  
There was movement.  
And, more importantly, there was **assurance**.

“It’s in progress, sir.”  
“Approval is done.”  
“We’ll initiate.”

At that point, I wasn’t just hopeful.

I was planning.

* * *

Then came the process.

Not a process.  
More like a collection of philosophical ideas loosely connected by follow-ups.

Every few days:

“Any update?”

And every time, there was one.

*   “We’ll re-initiate.”
    
*   “It’s a long process.”
    
*   “Without invite it’s difficult.”
    
*   “But we’ve got approval.”
    

This was my first introduction to the concept of:

> Schrödinger’s Credit Card  
> Approved and not initiated at the same time.

* * *

Documentation added depth to the experience.

My PAN card, for instance, turned out to be quite selective.

*   Valid for some things
    
*   Not valid for others
    
*   Valid if signed
    
*   Not valid if photocopied
    
*   Possibly valid depending on mood
    

I began to suspect the issue wasn’t the document.

It was me not understanding its personality.

* * *

But the real turning point was subtle.

At some point, I stopped being excited about the new card  
and started getting tired of the process.

And when that happens, you start simplifying.

* * *

“Let’s not proceed with the card.”

A simple message. No drama.

* * *

And then, in a moment of quiet clarity (or frustration, depending on how you look at it), I did something unexpected.

I closed my existing credit card.

* * *

So just to recap:

I started with one credit card.  
Tried to get a better one.  
And ended up with… fewer.

* * *

If you think about it, it’s quite efficient.

No upgrade.  
No confusion.  
Just subtraction.

* * *

The interesting part is not the outcome.

It’s what the process tells you.

Because getting something should feel like movement.

Not like maintenance.

* * *

Somewhere between “approval” and “re-initiation,”  
I realised something simple:

> If something this small can’t be taken to closure,  
> it’s worth thinking about how larger things would be handled.

* * *

The new card may still happen someday.

Maybe it’s still in progress.

But for now, I have one less card,  
and one more story.