In the latest fee rolled out by a bank, JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest card issuer, has begun charging hundreds of thousands of borrowers a [...]]]> Here’s a gem for you, courtesy of USAToday.com: apparently Chase is assessing new fees and raising minimum payments on credit card customers who are floating balances under promotional fixed rates.

In the latest fee rolled out by a bank, JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest card issuer, has begun charging hundreds of thousands of borrowers a $10-a-month, or $120-a-year, fee. Industry watchers say the fee is unusual because of its size but also because Chase is adding it to borrowers’ monthly balances, where it accrues interest. The bank is also raising the same consumers’ minimum payments to 5% from 2%.

The change affects consumers with low promotional rates who have carried a large balance for more than two years and made little progress paying it off, says Chase spokeswoman Stephanie Jacobson.

So let me get this straight: customers who took advantage of a promotion offered by Chase and are in every way abiding by the terms and conditions set forth by Chase and making the required payments on time are going to now be charged an additional fee simply for carrying a balance? This is absolutely outrageous! Consumers shouldn’t suffer just because they took advantage of a promotion that didn’t go as Chase thought it would.