Credit card annual fee waiver condition — how does it actually work?
Esha Ganesh
Asked 11 Jun 2026
Banks say annual fee is waived if I spend ₹50,000 in the previous year. Does the spend include EMI, wallet loads, and reversals? Please clarify with examples.
3 Answers
I have had a hard time getting this card approved twice. The third time I applied after a 10% salary hike and got instant approval. Banks re-check eligibility every time. If you got rejected, improve your income proof / CIBIL and reapply after 6 months.
Honestly, the annual fee is on the higher side. But if you spend consistently on the accelerated categories, the cashback more than offsets it. I did the maths on my own statement last year and came out ahead by about ₹3,200.
I had the same dilemma. The way I decided was: list down my top 3 monthly spend categories, calculate the rewards on each card, and pick whichever gives the highest cashback on MY pattern. Generic 'best card' lists are useless for personal decisions.
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