Credit card annual fee waiver condition — how does it actually work?
Girish Sarangi
Asked 17 Jun 2026
Banks say annual fee is waived if I spend ₹40,000 in the previous year. Does the spend include EMI, wallet loads, and reversals? Please clarify with examples.
3 Answers
The customer care experience matters more than people think. I've had two cards with similar rewards, and the one from the bank with better support saved me ₹18,000 when there was a merchant dispute. Don't underestimate this.
Two things nobody tells you: (1) GST is charged on the annual fee, so a ₹1,000 fee becomes ₹1,180. (2) Reward points usually have an expiry of 2-3 years. Set a calendar reminder to redeem before they lapse.
The customer care experience matters more than people think. I've had two cards with similar rewards, and the one from the bank with better support saved me ₹18,000 when there was a merchant dispute. Don't underestimate this.
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