Credit card annual fee waiver condition — how does it actually work?
Vijayalakshmi Muthukrishnan
Asked 14 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.
2 Answers
Short answer: no, EMI on credit card is not cheaper than a personal loan for large amounts (>₹50,000). The processing fee (~₹199-₹599) plus the interest (~14-16% reducing) usually adds up to slightly more than a personal loan rate of 11-13%. But for small-ticket EMI (₹10-20K), it is fine.
For the fee waiver condition: most banks count only retail purchases, not EMI, wallet loads, or fuel (in some cases). Read the TnC PDF linked at the bottom of the fee-waiver email — it's usually 2-3 paragraphs of fine print that change everything.
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