I can say with certainty that GEMB does NOT charge a late fee if not deserved. There may be errors here and there as with any other computer-based program, but for the most part the system works as it should.
I've also found that approx 80-90% of the time if a cardholder says "I've never been late on a payment", they're not telling the truth. With a click of a button I can see 12 months worth of payment history. There are almost always late fees and finance charges on accounts where the member states the above sentence. Only 1 late fee can be waived per 12 month cycle. All others have to be overridden and most associates are not willing to risk an inquiry by a supervisor for doing so.
Furthermore, the high interest rate is due to a "deliquency trigger". If you are late 2 times in a 12 month period, you trigger the deliquency rate APR. These terms are specifically detailed in your TOA (terms of agreement).
My best recommendation for customers is to pay your bill at your store with cash or debit. It posts to the account immediately and you have a receipt as proof of payment. The days of snail-mailing in a check should be a thing of the past. Online payments are another alternate method of payment, however, the websites are not very user friendly. This causes many errors and adds even more stress to the payment process.
I hope this may help to answer some questions regarding keeping your credit account up to date.
MEGEGEME