The illusory nature of credit card late fees.

It's getting close to the 1st of the month so I'm getting all of my accounts in order (rent, credit card, cell phone, etc). When I was reviewing my Bank of America credit card bill, I noticed a late fee charge for $39. I distinctly remember paying this bill, so I called up Bank of America to ask why I was being charged. Here's what I learned:

• The goal of all credit cards is to get your money, whether that be through interest, or in my case: late fees.
• Very often you will be assigned a late fee for no good reason in the hopes that you won't notice and pay your bill anyway.
• With B of A you must make your payment between the 11th and 30th. If you pay your bill before the 11th you will receive a late payment notice, even though you have paid your account EARLY.
• The online auto-pay feature won't auto-pay your account once you get your replacement card because your old card expired.

But the biggest lesson is: If you mention any of the above to a customer service person they will remove your late fee on a "one-time courtesy basis".

This is a good thing, 'cause papa needs that $40 right now. And yes, I did just refer to myself in the third person as "papa", and no, I don't know why.