How do you get a credit card annual fee cancelled?
How to file a formal request with your bank to drop the card fee, and where to escalate if the answer is no.
Short answer
Find the annual fee line on your statement, then ask the bank in writing, through the app's complaint form or the call centre, to cancel the fee and refund past charges. Always get a reference number. If the bank refuses or stays silent, send the same request to the banking regulator or the banks association's customer complaints arbitration panel with your statement attached.
What you need
Step by step
Find the fee line
Open the Cards section in your banking app, select the card and go to the Statement or Account Summary tab. Look for a line labelled Annual Card Fee, Card Membership Fee or similar, and note the amount and posting date. That line is the factual basis for your request.
Check your card agreement
Download your card agreement from the Documents or Agreements area of online banking. Confirm whether the fee is written into the contract and whether you were properly notified of it. If there is no clear fee clause, your objection carries much more weight.
Open a verbal request by phone
Call the bank's contact centre, reach an agent and state plainly that you want the annual fee cancelled and past charges refunded. If they offer a no-fee card instead, ask how the credit limit and rewards terms change. Before hanging up, ask for a request or reference number.
File the request in writing
In the app or online banking, open Support, Contact Us or Requests and Complaints and pick a category such as Card Fees or Fee Dispute. Write out your card number, the fee line and your refund request, and attach the statement. The written record is your evidence at every later stage.
Track the outcome
Use your reference number to follow the case under My Requests, and keep every SMS and email the bank sends. If approved, check that the refund shows as a credit on your next statement. If refused, ask for the reason to be given to you in writing.
Escalate to the regulator or panel
If the bank says no, file an online form with the banks association's customer complaints arbitration panel. You can also use the banking regulator's complaint channel or the national public complaints portal. Attach the bank's reply and your statement record to the filing.
Switch to a no-fee card
Even a successful refund does not stop the fee from reappearing next year. Visit a branch or use the Card Change step in the app to move to the bank's no-fee card product. Confirm that your standing payment instructions carried over to the new card.
Clear the balance before closing
Closing the card is a valid option if you refuse the fee. Before using Card Cancellation under Card Transactions, settle instalment debt and shut down supplementary cards and standing orders. Ask for written confirmation that you owe nothing after closure.
Tips
Watch out
The most common mistake is refusing the fee and leaving the whole statement unpaid. The unpaid amount accrues late interest, the card can go to legal collection and your credit score suffers. While the dispute is open, keep paying the undisputed portion of the statement.
Frequently asked questions
+Is the bank obliged to cancel the fee?
Banks can charge fees that are set out in the agreement and properly disclosed. If you were never notified or never offered a no-fee option, your objection may be upheld, but the bank and, if needed, the arbitration panel decide.
+Can I recover fees charged in previous years?
You can ask for past charges to be refunded, and you should file with your statement records. How far back a refund goes depends on the bank's assessment and on the decision of the body you escalate to.
+Does filing with the arbitration panel cost anything?
Filing with the banks association's customer complaints arbitration panel is free for consumers and is done through an online form. You will be asked to include the outcome of the request you sent to the bank.
+Does closing the card wipe out the fee debt?
No. Accrued debt survives closure. Settle your fee dispute and pay off the remaining balance before you cancel the card.
+Where do I apply for a no-fee card?
Ask about no-fee card products through the Card Application section of your bank's app or with a branch representative. Banks usually offer at least one fee-free option.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 12 Eylül 2026. tell us. Written for the Turkish banking system; escalation goes to the BDDK or the Banks Association of Turkey arbitration panel, and channel names may differ elsewhere.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.