O.K. so sometimes I am a day late on Credit Card Payments

[rufus dog]

To be specific, each and every case in 2009 was one day late. (edit: to be clear I was one day late once on one card, and twice over twelve months on the other two)

I have a personal AMEX, a business AMEX, and a personal Visa, a personal MasterCard

Pay balance in full on each one every month. The Visa and MC are always low balance, usually under $100. AMEX cards can vary based upon how the business is doing. Anyway, I have interest rates over 25% on three of the four cards now. The first one was Visa, annoying, but no biggie, missed a payment by a day and they upped the rate on a $23 balance, fuck them I thought, the the MC, same thing, missed a payment by a day, no biggie, but it was my bank, who owes me 1000x the average daily balance (1000x looks impressive but the average balance is low) on a security they sold and are now force to pay based upon a lawsuit. Their response to me on the money owed, 'we will pay you in the first or second quarter in 2010.' When I called to complain, they stated, 'different departments, nothing we can do.'

So today I am checking my AMEX accounts to make sure I hit the payment dates and find a $30 finance charge on on my business account. I check the statement and verify that I paid on time so I call them. Turns out I was a day late in October and they charged me interest on my November balance (which I paid) and my December average daily balance even though I paid on time and in full.

My point is not to bitch about $30 or the other miscellaneous $2 fees. It is about the banks trying to fuck over people, specifically those who have driven profits for them for years. I am lucky and can pay, but if I was in a hole 25%+ would just be unbearable. Additionally the Visa and MC accounts are from two large banks who received bailouts. Up until today I could fall back to AMEX didn't try to screw me! My only recourse, is to make purchases with cash/debit. (and of course to never be a day late on a payment)