Ten Strategies to Fight Bank Fees

There is also, in most cases, a fee for replacing lost or stolen cards.

3. ATMs

Oftentimes consumers get hit twice for using an out-of-network ATM. One fee comes from the ATM and another from the card issuer. With many banks increasing ATM fees to $3 per swipe, a customer taking out $20 could pay 30% of that withdrawal in surcharges.

Also be wary of higher fees when using your card abroad, or inside of casinos. These charges can be $5 per withdrawal or more, from your bank alone.

4. Interest Rates

Though not technically a "fee," banks that issue credit cards often change interest rates and have other terms. The interest rate can rise due to economic shifts, changes in your credit profile or because an "introductory" period of low rates or no interest has expired. Late payments can lead to higher rates as well.

Banks also can change rates simply because they've decided to, as long as they inform clients. (It's usually done with a densely worded, fine-print brochure that is mailed to the customer's home and promptly discarded.)

Daugherty says complaints about unexpected interest rate hikes have become more common, even among those with good credit scores. "There's no obvious reason why their interest rate all of a sudden went up," he said. "These are the kind of people who pay their bills. We're hearing that right and left at this point and you can only conclude that [banks are] trying to make their money some place."