What is changing on American Express MRCC?
American Express India says the 50% annual-fee waiver on the Membership Rewards Credit Card will not be available from November 15, 2026. The affected tier currently applies when eligible spending in a card membership year is at least ₹90,000 but below ₹1,50,000.
The product page reviewed on November 11 lists the second-year annual fee as ₹4,500 plus applicable taxes. It also shows a full waiver when annual spending reaches ₹1,50,000 and a 50% waiver for spending between ₹90,000 and ₹1,49,999.
Confirmed fact: American Express has announced the removal of the 50% tier. Interpretation: a cardholder who previously targeted ₹90,000 only for the half-fee waiver may need to reassess whether to aim for the higher threshold, pay the full fee or reconsider the card.
Current and revised waiver position
| Eligible membership-year spend | Current published position | From November 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Below ₹90,000 | No renewal-fee waiver | No change announced |
| ₹90,000 to ₹1,49,999 | 50% renewal-fee waiver | 50% waiver will not be available |
| ₹1,50,000 or more | 100% renewal-fee waiver shown on the product page | Not withdrawn in the notice; manually confirm after November 15 |
The effective-date notice and product page are in transition. Recheck the revised terms after November 15 before treating the full-waiver tier as unchanged.
What happens to the ₹1.5 lakh full waiver?
The consumer-update notice specifically says the 50% waiver on spending of ₹90,000 or more will not be available. It does not state that the 100% waiver at ₹1,50,000 is being withdrawn.
The MRCC product page and Key Fact Statement reviewed before the effective date continue to list the full waiver at ₹1,50,000. However, the same product page also still shows the soon-to-be-removed 50% tier. That means the page is not yet a clean post-change statement of the rules.
Do not infer more than the published notice. Existing cardholders should check the revised Key Fact Statement, renewal communication and the terms visible in their account after November 15.
A simple cost example
Suppose a cardholder finishes the membership year with ₹1,00,000 of eligible spending. Under the current published structure, that falls inside the 50% waiver band. Based on the currently listed ₹4,500 renewal fee, the waiver would reduce the fee by ₹2,250 before applicable taxes.
From November 15, the announced change removes that half-waiver tier. If no other waiver applies, the cardholder could face the full published renewal fee plus applicable taxes. This is an illustration using the current fee, not an individual billing promise.
If the same person is considering spending another ₹50,000 only to reach the full-waiver threshold, the decision should be based on genuine planned purchases. Unnecessary spending of ₹50,000 to avoid a much smaller fee is poor value.
How is eligible spending measured?
American Express is also changing milestone assessment so eligible spending is calculated using the date a transaction posts to the card account rather than the purchase date. Transactions posted on or after November 15 will be assessed under the revised milestone structure.
That can matter near a membership-year boundary. A purchase made before the cut-off may post later. Refunds, reversals and excluded transaction categories may also affect the total. Check the exact eligible-spend figure shown by American Express rather than adding every purchase manually.
This posting-date change applies more broadly across listed American Express cards, while this article's fee-waiver analysis is limited to MRCC.
Who is most affected?
The change matters most to cardholders whose normal membership-year spending usually finishes between ₹90,000 and ₹1,49,999. That group could previously qualify for the half-fee waiver without reaching the higher full-waiver threshold.
Cardholders already spending well above ₹1,50,000 should still confirm that all transactions are eligible and that the full-waiver term remains in the revised documents. Those spending well below ₹90,000 were not receiving the 50% waiver under the current published structure, but should still evaluate whether the card's ongoing value justifies the fee.
What existing cardholders should do
Find your card membership-year end date and current eligible-spend total in official channels. Save the latest fee-waiver terms and any renewal message. If you are close to a threshold, ask American Express which transactions count and whether the revised structure applies to your upcoming renewal.
Compare the renewal fee with the value you actually receive from the card. Do not count reward points, milestone bonuses or offers that you are unlikely to use. If you plan to close or change the card, first check pending payments, unredeemed points, supplementary cards and recurring transactions.
Key takeaways
The MRCC 50% renewal-fee waiver is scheduled to end on November 15, 2026. The notice does not withdraw the current ₹1.5 lakh full-waiver tier, but the post-change terms should be manually confirmed. Use the posted eligible-spend total and do not overspend merely to avoid a smaller annual fee.
Frequently asked questions
When does the MRCC fee-waiver change start?
American Express says the 50% annual-fee waiver will not be available effective November 15, 2026.
Which American Express card is affected?
The notice concerns the American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card, commonly called MRCC. Confirm the exact product name on your statement or card account.
Is the 100% waiver at ₹1.5 lakh also removed?
The notice reviewed removes the 50% tier but does not say the 100% tier is withdrawn. The product page still lists the full waiver at ₹1.5 lakh. Confirm the post-change terms before relying on it.
Will spending ₹90,000 still reduce the renewal fee?
Not under the announced revised rule from November 15. The 50% waiver at that level will no longer be available.
Should I spend extra only to reach the waiver threshold?
Compare the remaining spend with the fee you may save. Buying things you do not need can cost more than paying the renewal fee or considering another card.