Get ready to pay penalty fees and wreck your credit by going over the credit limit. Plus, you could face a double whammy -- one misstep on a credit card often leads to rate hikes on other accounts. There's no room for credit errors today. You're better off giving your credit card debt the "payment push."

Nope, the creditor is not your friend. Don't expect a late payment to be forgiven or forgotten. It will cost you. With late fees climbing higher, it's best to play this relationship by the rules -- send your payment on time. Here's how. Plus, here are 20 more sneaky ways you can get burned in this relationship.