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Fees for making a late payment on a bank credit card have remained at their peak of $39. However, average late fees were up 4% at mid-year as more smaller issuers hiked their fees. Over the past three years late fees have increased 12%. Since 1993, late fees have risen by 194%, nearly tripling. Last year, the increase in late payment fees slowed to its lowest level in more than a decade. Last year, the average late payment fee was $32.61, up 3.7% over 2003. Four of the nation's top ten issuers charge a $39 late fee, while the other six charge $35. The largest single year gain in late fees occurred during 1997, when average fees rose from $14.21 to $19.24, a 35.4% increase, according to CardData (www.carddata.com).