How to Get Annual Fee Waiver on your Credit Card?

Today various banks and NBFCs in India offer different types of credit cards to allow customers to meet their various needs. There are various other benefits which come with the usage of a credit card, one of them being a waiver of the annual fee.

Updated On - 05 Oct 2025

Your annual fee is waived off if you spend a certain amount on your credit card and clear the amount on time. For the new financial year, the bank looking at your history of spending on your card and how regularly you have cleared may choose to waive off the annual fee they may otherwise charge you.

Since this is a good saving option, there are certain steps you can follow to ensure you get your annual fee waived off. We will have a look at them.

credit card CTA button

How to Know If Eligible to Credit Card Waive Off?

  1. Before applying for a credit card, do check its features including whether you will get an annual fee waiver. Various credit cards offer this benefit where you on spending a certain amount or above it makes you eligible to receive an annual fee waiver.
  2. If you have spent up and above the prescribed limit, the bank in most cases will waive your annual fee. Mostly you need to spend up and above Rs.1 lakh to get your annual fee waived off.
  3. One way to ensure you get your annual fee waived off is by using your credit card for purchases related to grocery shopping, dining, travelling, etc.
  4. In case you see that the bank is still charging an annual fee despite you having met the criteria, you can call customer care and ask them to waive your annual fee. The bank will check whether you have spent the necessary amount, and if you have, your annual fee will be waived off.
  5. Even if there is no option of the annual fee being waived off, you can still call the bank and ask them to waive off your annual fee if you have used your credit card judiciously and cleared the billing amount on time.
  6. In many cases, if you have a long-standing relationship with the bank, on asking them to waive your annual fee off, the bank in most cases will comply with your request.

SBI Credit Card Fee Waive Off Conditions

Credit Card Name

Annual Fee

Renewal Fee

AURUM

Rs.9,999

Rs.9,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.12 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SBI Card ELITE

Rs.4,999

Rs.4,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.10 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SBI Card ELITE Advantage

Rs.4,999

Rs.4,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.10 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SBI Card PRIME

Rs.2,999

Rs.2,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.3 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SBI Card PRIME Advantage

Rs.2,999

Rs.2,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.3 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Doctor's SBI Card

1,499

Rs.1,499 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Shaurya Select SBI Card

NIL

Rs.1,499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1.5 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Shaurya SBI Card

Rs.250

Rs.250 (Waived off on spending Rs.50,000 or more annually in the preceding year)

SBI Card PULSE

Rs.1,499

Rs.1,499 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

CASHBACK SBI Card

Rs.999

Rs.999 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SimplyCLICK SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SimplyCLICK Advantage SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SimplySAVE SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

SimplySAVE Advantage SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Krishak Unnati SBI Card

NIL

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.30,000 or more annually in the preceding year)

Apollo SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

BPCL SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.50,000 or more annually in the preceding year)

BPCL SBI Card Octane

Rs.1,499

Rs.1,499 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Delhi Metro SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Fabindia SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Fabindia SBI Card SELECT

Rs.1,499

Rs.1,499 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

IRCTC SBI Card Premier

Rs.1,499

Rs.1499 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

OLA Money SBI Card

Nil

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Paytm SBI Card SELECT

Rs.1,499

Rs.1,499 (Waived off on spending Rs.2 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Reliance SBI Card PRIME

Rs.2,999

Rs.2,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.3 lakh or more annually in the preceding year.)

Reliance SBI Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year.)

TATA Card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

TATA Croma card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

TATA Star card

Rs.499

Rs.499 (Waived off on spending Rs.1 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

Central Bank of India SBI Card PRIME

Rs.2,999

Rs.2,999 (Waived off on spending Rs.3 lakh or more annually in the preceding year)

credit card CTA button

HDFC Credit Card Fee Waive Off Conditions

PRODUCT 

ANNUAL FEE  (excl. GST)              

PRICING OFFER for FIRST YR FEE 

ACTIVATION OFFER 

RENEWAL FEE WAIVER 

CSC Small Business Moneyback 

Rs. 250 

Gift Voucher equivalent to First Year Membership Fee 

A. Rs. 500 Gift Voucher on 2 txns within first 30 days OR  

B. Rs.250 Gift Voucher on 1 txn within first 30 days 

Spend Rs. 25,000 

IndianOil 

Rs. 500 

Spend Rs. 50,000 

Freedom  

MoneyBack + 

Business MoneyBack 

IndiGo-6E Rewards 

Rs. 700 

Not Applicable 

Millennia

Rs. 1,000 

Spend Rs. 1,00,000 

Diners Privilege

Rs. 2,500 

Spend Rs. 3,00,000 

Regalia

Business Regalia

IndiGo-6E Rewards XL 

Not Applicable 

HDFC Bank Times Card Credit

Rs. 500 

Spend Rs. 1,50,000

HDFC Bank Times Card Credit Platinum

Rs. 1,000 

Spend Rs. 2,50,000 

Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card

Rs. 0 

Life Time Free card 

Not Applicable

Shoppers Stop Black HDFC Bank Credit Card 

Rs. 4500 

Not Applicable 

Not Applicable 

Diners Black

Rs. 10,000 

Spend Rs. 1,50,000 in 90 daysfor First Year Fee waiver 

Not Applicable 

Spend Rs. 5,00,000 

Infinia (Metal Edition)

Rs. 12,500 

Spend Rs. 3,00,000 in 90 days for First Year Fee waiver 

Not Applicable 

Spend Rs. 10,00,000 

Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card 

Rs. 499 

Not Applicable 

Not Applicable 

Spend Rs. 1,00,000 

Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card

Rs. 1,499 

Not Applicable 

Not Applicable 

Spend Rs. 3,00,000 

credit card CTA button

FAQs on Credit Card Annual Fee Waiver in India

  • My annual fee was waived off for the year. Will it be waived off next year too?

    If you spend up and above a certain amount on your card during the current year, then you can get your annual fee waived off next year too.

  • Do all credit cards charge an annual fee?

    Not every credit card charges an annual fee. In some cases, there is no annual fee charged. It depends on the type of credit card you are availing of and the benefits it offers.

  • Will there be any other hidden charges if I get my annual fee waived off?

    No, generally the bank will not levy any other hidden charges in case your annual fee is waived off. However, you must confirm this with your bank regarding them charging any other hidden amount if your annual fee is waived off.

Disclaimer
Display of any trademarks, tradenames, logos and other subject matters of intellectual property belong to their respective intellectual property owners. Display of such IP along with the related product information does not imply BankBazaar's partnership with the owner of the Intellectual Property or issuer/manufacturer of such products.