a couple days later a citi rep called, so i immediately paid over the phone with another card. they reversed the late fee when i asked, but defaulted to 26% interest three months before my time was up due to this mistake.

i had been paying more than the minimum each month, and did not miss a payment (just had the one payment several days late due to the online snafu). they were not willing to transfer me to another plan with a lower rate than 26%, so i am transferring balance back to my local credit union, who has never given me any grief in 25 years of business with them.

i would recommend working with a local bank or credit union, even if you end up paying interest. my credit union has been at 12.9% interest for years with no rate hikes or lowering of credit limits.