RBL World Safari Annual Fee Waiver Struggle + Downgrade to ShopRite + Forex Debit Card Backup Plan?

[cc_clover]

Hey everyone, I recently got hit with the ₹3,000 + GST annual fee on the RBL World Safari Mastercard, despite heavy international usage last year and wanted to get advice on next steps.

Here's a quick summary of what’s happened so far:​

• I used the RBL World Safari extensively for international travel across 4 countries last year.
• Fee hit me this cycle, after that this April.
• RBL doesn’t offer milestone-based waiver for this card unfortunately.
• I reached out via all channels: phone, email (cardcancellation@rblbank.com), and chat.
  • One rep offered ₹1,000 refund only.
  • Another said I’d have to redeem 10k points to waive the rest, but I’d still need to pay GST since waiver was after principal was charged.
  • Honestly felt odd when they asked that 12k points which I earned by swiping on here in India to deduct for remaining 2k

I saw others say they’ve had success with partial or full waivers, especially when threatening to close the card early — but that hasn’t worked well for me (yet?).

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Now, my questions (for those who’ve tried these paths recently):​

1. Is downgrading to RBL ShopRite still possible from World Safari?​

• If yes, does the ShopRite come as LTF, or do they issue it as a paid version too?
• Once downgraded, can I upgrade again later to World Safari (hopefully on LTF or partial fee basis)?
• How long does it take to receive the new ShopRite card after downgrade approval?
• Any special process or team to handle this — is email better than phone?

2. If I close World Safari instead of downgrading, how soon would I be eligible to apply for another RBL card?​

• Any cooling-off period or block tied to PAN/card history?

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3. I used to feel very “mind-free” when swiping abroad with the RBL World Safari, but I also had other debit cards for ATM withdrawals​

• Niyo DCB Debit Card – for me usecase limited to ATM use only.
• Fi Debit Card
• IndusInd Exclusive Debit Card (Zero CHARGE ON ATM WITHDRAWALS variant)

These were perfect for me because I didn't have to worry when making credit card payments in day-to-day areas or during international transactions. I had heard earlier about issues like masking, skimming, and fraud, but with these cards, I felt secure — especially with the RBL World Safari for overseas transactions & Niyo and DCB setup for ATM withdrawals.

About the debit cards:

• Are any of these still worth keeping in 2025?
• Or are there better debit card options now for casual international spends (especially with 0 forex markup or live exchange rates)?

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Would love any insights on how others have handled:

Thanks again for all the inputs earlier — hoping to resolve this in time for the upcoming billing cycle!