Is it worth paying an annual fee on a credit card?
Janhvi Gadre
Asked 10 Mar 2026
Most premium cards charge ₹5,000+ as annual fee. Are the rewards and lounge benefits worth it for someone whose monthly spend is around ₹75,000?
2 Answers
Forex markup comparison: Amex = 3.5%, HDFC Infinia/Diners Black = 2.0%, Axis Atlas = 3.5% but with milestone fee waivers, ICICI Emeralde = 3.5%, Standard Chartered = 3.5%. If you travel more than twice a year, the math favours Infinia or Diners Black.
On credit limit increase: most banks auto-review every 6 months. If you use 30-70% of the limit and pay in full, you'll get an automatic increase. Don't call and ask for it explicitly — banks take it as a sign of credit hunger and sometimes lower the limit instead.
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