Will the annual fee be paid before or after I use my credit card? If I am unable to waive the fees, can I cancel the card?

Hi anon,

You will be charged first, and it will appear on your statement for that month. Let that appear first.

Once it's appeared and the statement finalized, you usually have a grace period to go through and dispute any items on the statement. This is where you call in to seek a waiver. Don't take no for an answer (unless you are using a high end card where the fees are pretty much mandatory), you can always hang up and call again. Most card waivers can even be done in an automated way now instead of speaking to a CSO. Some banks allow you to do it online through their banking portal.

If all else fails, you can cancel the card.

Lets say you apply for the credit card and it was approved in 1 May 2020.

On 1 May 2021, they will charge you annual fee. You can call in after 1 May 2021 to get waiver. If rejected, can cancel the card and dont need to pay the fees.