How much do you spend on CC annual fees? (total)

[RicHowe]

For my measly two cards I pay $745 annually, but these are keeper cards, unless I downgrade the Delta Platinum for the Delta Blue card which I might do if I get the Delta Reserve for the complimentary first class ticket each year. My next two cards will be no annual fee, unless the new AMEX Ritz Carlton card has amazing SUB, then i'll be back into fees-land again. I don't mind the fees as long as I get value from the cards long-term.

[Anonymous]

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@DaveInAZ wrote:
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I think if many of you did the math you'd realize those AFs eat much of your rewards and you could do better with no AF cards, unless you spend 6 figures+ annually on a card.

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I'm literally working today on a calculator someone asked me to write that lets you pick any rewards card and it will compare it immediately to anything else in its class along with how much you'd have to category spend on the AF card to overcome the AF.  Never knew there were so many AF cards so finding comparative cards is a time consuming hassle.

But so far I think the average AF is about $70 and the average difference in rewards over a no-AF similar card is 1%, so $7000 a year means you earn more with the AF card -- on average.

But there are so many cards out there that it's going to take me probably a week just to enter them all, lol.

[RicHowe]

I guess it all comes down to how you value the benefits and perks of the A/F cards you have.

AMEX Platinum gives me $200 airline credit and $200 Uber credit annually which brings my effective A/F to only $150. After transferring my MR points to Delta I gain tens of thousands of SkyMiles annually which translates directly into hundreds of dollars in airfare credits. This means that my AMEX Platinum will ALWAYS give me POSITIVE expected value vs the A/F. Essentially AMEX is paying me back for having the card.

No brainer for me at least.

[trusty]

I pay a few fees, but it was strategic, in order to grow my limits quickly.

I will continue to keep the cards as long as the perks and rewards add up; or I will convert them to non fee cards... as I'm generally fee averse, in principle.

I think of fees as kind of taking advantage of a situation. These banks are making a killing just by us using the cards.

But I also think it deliberately weeds out the cheap users, from the upscale clientele. They know if they charge $550 a year that you're definitely not a peasant, plus you are bright enough to know that you then must make quite frequent use of their card, in order for it to be worth your while.

People also like being a part of an exclusive club. So, the spectre of a fee actually draws in the kind of clientele that would prefer that they don't have to deal with second class.

It's not just about branding and standing out. Knowing that you're guaranteed to be treated with the utmost service has real tangible value.

[Anonymous]

Before I did a credit card overhaul earlier this year, my annual fees were $389 (sub-primes love throwing out odd numbers!)  I've product changed and added new accounts for a grand total of $139 in annual fees with the current set.  These fees are waived for the next year.  My goal will be to continue getting the lenders to waive the fees as long as I keep the cards.

[CreditCuriosity]

Approx 1400-1500 atm..  Will see what I cut out and what I might add next year.  It has yielded me WAY more then 1400 though in sign-up/rewards/benefits/etc as years pass this erodes.  Although there currently are a few cards you would have to pry out of my cold dead hands and those would be the CSR/SPG others might be easier to get away from me.

Will be dumping Barclay's AA at year mark, Amex Business Green at year mark, Citi Premiere will be Pc'ed at year to DC and possibly another one might go

[Anonymous]

2017: $25 for Amex ZYNC (fully recovered and then some through Amex Deals)

2018: $120 if I keep my new Amex Business Green Rewards card ($25 ZYNC + $95 Green Business Rewards = $120)

[Anonymous]

Oops your right $49 for IHG

[UpperNwGuy]

-- Chase Sapphire Reserve $450 less the $300 travel credit and $50 for two annual uses of Priority Pass Clubs in Europe for a net fee of $100.

-- Chase United MileagePlus Explorer $95 with perks that (for me) equal the annual fee.

I consider my total net annual fee, therefore, to be $100, and I more than earn that back through the CSR's 3% categories.

If Chase were to change the math on either of these cards, I would immediately downgrade to the no-fee version.  (By the way, in my view, the CSR beats the CSP at every spending level, so I would downgrade to the CS, not to the CSP.)

[EAJuggalo]

Currently 0 but I'm still debating whether to keep the CSP or downgrade it to another Freedom.  While I love certain aspects and protections of the CSP I might wait until my next big trip in 2019 and get a CSR then.