This is really a reminder to myself and anyone else who happened to miss a payment on a credit card. The typical fee is around $40 and many banks will readily remove it unless you are a repeat offender. This just happened to me last week with my Chase Freedom Plus and I was able to reverse the fee in one short phone call.
Steps to take if you missed a payment
1. Pay off the overdue balance as soon as possible
2. Wait for a few days till your payment is through
3. Call the service center and explain your situation
4. The officer will usually reverse the fee unless your are repeat offender
Now, since I always pay my balance in full I was also hit with an unusual for me finance charge (the interest on the balance). So far I have not been lucky to reverse that one… :-(
Did you have a recent late fee charge on your credit card? Did you try to remove it? Please share your experience in the comments!
Yes I did. It was on my Capital One No Hassle Card. I always pay my balance in full every month as well. I took the amount out of my checkbook and filed my bill in the paid file, but FORGOT to make my payment online!! I had no clue it was overdue until my bill came the next month with a $35 late fee and $10 finance charge.
I called Capital One right away and told them what I’d done and they reversed both charges for me!! They’re great to work with.
I recently forgot to pay my Chase Amazon card. I have never been late on this card. I called and asked if the late fee could be removed. The answer was no. I cancelled the card on the spot. I suspect the agent helping me was having a bad day. I probably should have asked to speak to a supervisor.
I was 1 business day late on my Chase Amazon card. According to the terms/contract, I should get a 20 grace period and if my balance is under $100, a $15 late fee is charged after the grace period. Well, I was charged the full $29 late fee. I spoke to 3 different people (all of whom wouldn’t let me speak to supervisor and told me it would teach me a lesson to pay bills on time) after I paid the balance in full minus the late fee. I immediately cancelled the card. I have been told by the credit bureaus to report them to the FTC and BBB. If the late fee shows on my credit report, I can report Chase to the credit bureau. This is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Act!!!!
MY SITUATION IS-
I WAS trying to pay my dad’s chase credit card with my bank account. Seeing that it was 5 days prior to due date, I didnt want to take the chance of mail arriving with the payment late so I set up to pay account online.
-Did the online transaction, and got the regular notification via email as “thank you for scheduling your online payment”.
-So I didnt think anything of it and considered it paid and taken care of….
Week later CHASE notifies that the transaction did not go through. I called and found out I had late fee and payment did not go thru fee totaling to $78.
I called and found out that I was missing the last digit of my checking account number while setting up to pay credit card with checking account.
-Told the rep that it was an honest mistake and the attempt to pay the card was made prior to the due date and if they can remove the fees. mention that we’ve had this account for 10 years, good standing, did not have any prior late payments this year.
-REP DENIED COURTESY REMOVAL
-First time, he said they dont do courtesy removals anymore, second time he says courtesy removals are a MYTH. and that the charges are valid.
-refused to transfer to supervisor.
-and that he would be glad to cl ose the account.
THere is no human courtesy here and feel like these reps are given a scrip to stick with it. AND because late fees are pure profits, they would rather take an instant profit that than keeping a long term customer. What is the point of having a confirmation sent if the confirmation is meaningless. Where else can I escalate this other than this Kelly person that is supposedly the director of nothingness.
If you go to most company’s websites and/or financial prospectus, you can find various employees with various positions. Most of them follow the generic…first name/last name email format, or first initial/last name, you can try it all or figure it out and write and email and/or snail mail letter. Calling at a different time of the day may help as well. Another option is to call main corporate number or human resources and asked to be transferred. It works, trust me. I’ve tried all of these techniques.
Chase Amazon Card here. Submitted my payment online the last day, possibly after 4. Charged 29 late fee. I called and the person was like a rock. the answer was always no. I will call again and if that doesn’t work send a letter. Once I paid this off I will close the account. What a bunch of sharks.