Money
What a dollar subscription really costs in India
A $20 plan costs more than $20 in rupees. How forex markup and GST add up on Indian cards, with real examples, and four ways to pay less every month.
3 min read
A price of $20 a month looks simple. On an Indian card, it isn't. By the time your bank is done, the charge on your statement is higher than $20 at today's exchange rate, and it changes from month to month.
The three parts of every dollar charge
Every charge in dollars on an Indian debit or credit card is built from three parts:
- 1The converted price. The dollar amount at the exchange rate your card network uses that day.
- 2The forex markup. Your bank's fee for paying in a foreign currency. Many Indian cards charge 3.5%; premium cards often charge less, and a few charge nothing.
- 3GST on the markup. The markup is a bank fee, so 18% GST is added to it.
Together, a 3.5% markup costs about 4.13% on top of the converted price.
A $20 subscription, line by line
At ₹96.38 to the dollar, the rate on 6 October 2026, a $20 monthly plan costs:
| Part | Amount |
|---|---|
| $20 at ₹96.38 | ₹1,927.60 |
| Forex markup, 3.5% | ₹67.47 |
| GST on the markup, 18% | ₹12.14 |
| On your statement | ₹2,007.21 |
Over a year that's ₹24,087, and ₹955 of it is fees.
What popular dollar plans really cost
| Plan | Price in dollars | In rupees, with markup and GST |
|---|---|---|
| Medium membership | $5 a month | ₹502 a month |
| GitHub Copilot Pro | $10 a month | ₹1,004 a month |
| Notion Plus | $12 a month | ₹1,204 a month |
| Claude Pro | $20 a month | ₹2,007 a month |
| Perplexity Pro | $20 a month | ₹2,007 a month |
| Cursor Pro | $20 a month | ₹2,007 a month |
Calculated at ₹96.38 to the dollar with a 3.5% markup and 18% GST on it. Your bank's rate and fee may differ.
Some services add GST to the price as well
Under India's GST rules, foreign online services that sell to people in India owe 18% GST, and many add it to your bill. When one does, a $20 plan is charged as $23.60 before your bank's markup goes on top. Check an invoice: a tax line on it means the dollar price you saw wasn't the whole price.
Four ways to pay less
- 1Pay in rupees when you can. Some services now price in rupees for India. Claude Pro, for example, is ₹1,999 a month when billed in rupees, against about ₹2,007 for the $20 plan on a typical card, and the rupee price doesn't move with the exchange rate.
- 2Use a card with a lower markup. Moving one $20 plan from a 3.5% card to one with no markup saves about ₹955 a year.
- 3Pay yearly. Many tools discount annual plans. Notion Plus is $120 a year against $144 for twelve monthly payments, and GitHub Copilot Pro is $100 a year against $120.
- 4Drop the duplicates. Two AI assistants or two note apps doing the same job is the most common overlap. Cancelling one saves more than any card trick.
If the rupee weakens by 2% over a year, every dollar plan you pay for costs 2% more, with no change on the service's price page.
Track the real number, not the price tag
Recuro shows every dollar subscription in real rupees: today's exchange rate plus your card's markup and the GST on it, with the markup set for each card. Your monthly total is what actually leaves your account, and with Pro, Recuro points out when paying in rupees would cost less.
See your subscriptions in real rupees
Free for up to 5 items. Pro is ₹149 once, never a subscription.
See how Recuro worksFrequently asked
What is a forex markup fee?
A fee your bank charges when you pay in a foreign currency, as a percentage of the amount. Many Indian cards charge 3.5%; some charge less, and a few charge nothing.
Is GST charged on the forex markup?
Yes. 18% GST applies to the markup, so a 3.5% markup really costs about 4.13% of what you pay.
Do I pay a markup if the price is shown in rupees?
Sometimes. Some banks charge a cross-border fee whenever the merchant is outside India, even when you pay in rupees. Your card's schedule of charges says whether yours does.
Why is my dollar subscription a different amount every month?
The exchange rate moves every day, and each charge is converted at the rate on the day it's billed. A weaker rupee means a bigger bill for the same dollar price.
What this covers
- forex markup fee
- gst on forex markup
- international transaction charges on credit card
- usd subscription price in inr
- claude pro price in india
- notion price in india