DBS currently has 1 top-tier miles credit card (DBS Woman’s World Card) and 1 top-tier cashback credit card (DBS yuu Card). There are also other DBS and POSB credit cards with okay benefits and limited use cases. In this guide, I’ll be sharing 2 quick and easy methods to get a DBS annual fee waiver on credit cards.
Should you waive your DBS credit card annual fee?
You absolutely should! There is pretty much no useful benefit in voluntarily paying your DBS or POSB credit card annual fee every year. Paying the annual fee negates your gains (in miles or cashback) for the card membership year.
Cardholders are encouraged to keep track of their card anniversary date on the calendar and/or spreadsheet. Feel free to use Suitesmile’s free Google Sheet template if you don’t already have one.
“But, I get miles for paying the annual fee!”
Yes, DBS tries to sweeten the fee with miles (on selected credit cards only), but in my opinion, it is never worth it to “buy miles” through annual fee payments. Here’s a quick calculation for the DBS Altitude Card:
- Annual fee: S$196.20
- Miles with annual fee payment: 10,000
- Effective cost per mile: 1.96 cents
While 1.96 cents per mile is not a horrible price to pay, it’s certainly expensive, especially for miles that can only be transferred to 3 useful frequent flyer programs. On top of that, you can simply buy miles all year for cheaper.
Remember, the above example is just for the DBS Altitude Card. The DBS Woman’s World Card, which is unequivocally a better miles card with far better earn rates, does not include any miles with annual fee payments.
tl;dr: Definitely get your DBS credit card annual fees waived whenever you can!
Related: Values of Miles and Points
How to waive DBS credit card annual fees
DBS credit cards annual fees can be waived through the 2 methods shared below. If one is unsuccessful, try the other method right away.
1) DBS Digibot (Fastest and Easiest)
The steps to request for an annual fee waiver via DBS DigiBot are as follows:
- Log in to your account in the DBS internet banking website or DBS mobile app
- Start DigiBot (choose 1 method):
- Website: Click on the DigiBot icon at the bottom right
- App: Tap on the ‘?’ symbol near the top right, scroll all the way down and tap on ‘ASK DIGIBOT’
- Within DigiBot:
- Type ‘credit card annual fee waiver’ and press enter
- Tap on ‘Request For Fee Waiver’
- Tap on ‘Proceed’
- Select your credit card to request for an annual fee waiver and tap ‘Confirm’
- You should receive an email or SMS on the outcome in 2-3 business days
Note: DBS DigiBot’s interface may change over time, but the process remains the same: ask DigiBot about credit card annual fee waivers and follow the prompts.
Here are some screenshots for requesting for an annual fee waiver via DBS DigiBot:
2) DBS Hotline
DBS cardholders may also request for an annual fee waiver through the DBS hotline at 1800 111 1111 if you’re in Singapore or +65 6327 2265 if you’re overseas. Simply follow the instructions by the automated messages.
What if the annual fee waiver request gets rejected?
Was your annual fee waiver request rejected? Don’t give up just yet! Try a different method shared above.
Submit an appeal
Still rejected? Call DBS at 1800 111 1111 (or +65 6327 2265 if you’re overseas) to submit an appeal. To do this, you’ll need to speak to a customer service officer. Once the appeal is submitted, you should receive an update regarding the appeal via SMS or email in 2 to 3 working days.
Appeal rejected?
Still rejected after trying both methods and appealing? It’s probably best to cancel the card. The way I see it, most (if not all) credit cards in Singapore are only good when the annual fee is waived.
To cancel the credit card, you’ll need to ensure that the latest bill (except the annual fee amount) and all unbilled transactions are fully paid off. This has to be done before the latest statement (with the annual fee) is due.
If you are using a miles or rewards card and have DBS points attached to the card, you can initiate a points conversion to a preferred frequent flyer program and redeem any smaller balance for vouchers before cancelling the card.
As points conversions generally take 2 to 7 days, it’s best to plan early and request for annual fee waiver as soon as they appear in your credit card. Tracking your credit cards is a basic rule of the Miles Game. If it’s too difficult or time-consuming, the Miles Game is probably not for you (don’t feel bad, there are many great cashback cards and cards without an annual fee out there).
What are your chances of getting the annual fee waived?
DBS doesn’t share official requirements to get a credit card annual fee waiver request approved. However, the bank guarantees annual fee waiver on some credit cards when the minimum annual spending amounts are met (more on this later).
In my experience over the past 10 years or so, and based on what’s shared by other DBS cardholders in the Suitesmile Chat Telegram group, it’s pretty easy to get the annual fees on DBS credit cards waived if you use them somewhat regularly (my guess: around 5 transactions of any amount per month). Of course, the actual threshold could be different, and the bank can change it anytime.
Which DBS credit cards’ annual fee can be waived?
Good DBS and POSB credit cards with annual fees that can be waived include:
✅ DBS yuu Card: S$196.20
✅ DBS Woman’s World Card: S$196.20
✅ POSB Everyday Card: S$196.20
✅ DBS Altitude Card: S$196.20
✅ DBS Esso Card: S$196.20
Good DBS credit card with annual fee that cannot be waived:
❌ DBS Vantage Card: S$599.50
💡 Click on + Card Summary below to view key details like pros & cons, miles/cashback details, annual fee, income requirement, and more.
Auto annual fee waiver with minimum spend
Here are the annual fees of popular DBS credit cards, including those that automatically waive the annual fee when the minimum spending is met in the previous card membership year. Do note that all good DBS cards will no longer offer the auto-waiver from 1 Aug 2026.
| DBS Card | Annual Fee (Principal Card) | Annual Fee (Supplementary Card) | Annual Fee Waiver |
|---|---|---|---|
| DBS Takashimaya Visa Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| DBS Takashimaya AMEX Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver Spend min. S$25,000 each card membership year to receive auto annual fee waiver. |
| DBS Live Fresh Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| DBS Live Fresh Student Card | S$196.20 | N.A. | 5 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| DBS yuu Visa Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| DBS yuu AMEX Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| DBS Woman’s Card | S$163.50 | S$81.75 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver Spend min. S$15,000 each card membership year to receive auto annual fee waiver. |
| DBS Woman’s World Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver Until 31 July 2026: Spend min. S$25,000 each card membership year to receive auto annual fee waiver. |
| DBS Esso Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| DBS Vantage Card | S$599.50 | N.A. | Strictly no annual fee waiver for first year Until 31 July 2026: Spend min. S$60,000 each card membership year to receive auto annual fee waiver. No 25,000 miles if annual fee is waived. |
| DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver Until 31 July 2026: Spend min. S$25,000 each card membership year to receive auto annual fee waiver. |
| DBS Altitude AMEX Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver Until 31 July 2026: Spend min. S$25,000 each card membership year to receive auto annual fee waiver. |
| POSB Everyday Card | S$196.20 | S$98.10 | 1 Year Annual Fee Waiver |
| SAFRA DBS Card | No annual fee, so long as you remain a SAFRA member. SAFRA membership fee applies. Click here for more details. | ||
