diff --git a/src/app/products/fixed-deposit-products/fixed-deposit-product-stepper/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step.component.ts b/src/app/products/fixed-deposit-products/fixed-deposit-product-stepper/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step.component.ts
index 5824a1591..d1abb4ad6 100644
--- a/src/app/products/fixed-deposit-products/fixed-deposit-product-stepper/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/products/fixed-deposit-products/fixed-deposit-product-stepper/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step/fixed-deposit-product-terms-step.component.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export class FixedDepositProductTermsStepComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges
     this.periodFrequencyData = this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.periodFrequencyTypeOptions || [];
 
     const isEditing = !!this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.id;
+    const defaultPeriodTypeId = this.periodFrequencyData[0]?.id ?? null;
     const defaultAveragePeriod = this.averagePeriodData[0]?.value || 'Monthly';
     const savedEnumTypeId =
       this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.interestCalculationType?.id || this.interestCalculationTypeData?.[0]?.id || 1;
@@ -84,12 +85,16 @@ export class FixedDepositProductTermsStepComponent implements OnInit, OnChanges
       : (this.interestCalculationTypeOptionData?.[0]?.id ?? null);
 
     this.fixedDepositProductTermsForm.patchValue({
-      // Hidden, unedited-by-anyone fields -- left blank (like their max-/in-multiples-of- siblings
-      // already correctly are) rather than forced to a real default, or every single product edit
-      // submitted a "real" value against a product that had none, and a checker's "Proposed changes"
-      // review showed these two as "changed" on every unrelated edit, never anything a maker touched.
-      minDepositTerm: this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.minDepositTerm ?? '',
-      minDepositTermTypeId: this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.minDepositTermType?.id ?? '',
+      // Hidden, unedited-by-anyone fields. On EDIT, left as the product's own saved value with no
+      // forced fallback (like their max-/in-multiples-of- siblings already correctly are), or a
+      // checker's "Proposed changes" review showed these as changed on every unrelated edit, never
+      // anything a maker touched. On CREATE there is no saved value yet, and the backend requires
+      // minDepositTerm -- default it (and its unit) here same as before, since the field is hidden
+      // and no one gets a chance to fill it in themselves.
+      minDepositTerm: isEditing ? (this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.minDepositTerm ?? '') : 1,
+      minDepositTermTypeId: isEditing
+        ? (this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.minDepositTermType?.id ?? '')
+        : defaultPeriodTypeId,
       maxDepositTerm: this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.maxDepositTerm ?? '',
       maxDepositTermTypeId: this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.maxDepositTermType?.id ?? '',
       inMultiplesOfDepositTerm: this.fixedDepositProductsTemplate.inMultiplesOfDepositTerm ?? '',