There may be cards in our wallet that we find ourselves paying fees on each year simply to use it how we wish. From a credit perspective, this is absolutely absurd as you are already lining the pockets of creditors in the form of interest payments. Most credit card agencies understand this as well and simply charge the fee because they can get away with it in most instances. If you have had it up to here with paying credit card companies hundreds of dollars every year just to have the privilege of earning them more money, then you should follow some of the outlined pieces of advice below.
Call the Company
You will need to make contact with a customer service representative at the credit card company in order to begin negotiating away this annual fee. It is wise to express to the agent your dissatisfaction with just now realizing the credit card annual fee was attached to this card and proceed to mention some other cards you currently carry that have no annual fee. You should also express your feelings about having to pay the credit card company just to be able to pay them again when you use the card. This lays the base of your frustration down and allows you to move to the meat of the conversation.
Emphasize the Competition
Let the agent know that you have received several offers from various credit card agencies that offer similar lines of credit with no annual fee (it might be a good idea to look this information up ahead of time). It's also time to mention that with the fee that is being imposed on you, an alternate card may need to be considered in order to keep up with your finances. By this point, the customer service agent should be trying to help you and may ask you to wait while conversing with a supervisor or similar authority figure at the company. These fees are completely negotiable and the trick is to stay consistent and adamant in your demands.
Downplay Your Interest
Also be sure to emphasize to the agent that the card is not needed by you in the event an arrangement cannot be reached. Explain that with other existing credit cards and a slew of new offers, you may be better-suited to cancel the card and apply somewhere else, relying on other lines of credit in the meantime. If this process does not work, the best course of action is to call back and continue to speak with representatives until one agrees to waive the fee. This is done on a case-by-case basis and depending on the mood of the agent, you may or may not get your fee waived on the first try.
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