Some credit card issuers charge a monthly a maintenance fee rather than an annual fee because cardholders are more likely to accept a $12 monthly charge than a $120 annual charge. It could be another way to get money from cardholders, especially those who don't pay interest because they pay their balances in full every month.
Credit card maintenance fees are common with subprime or fee-harvester credit cards aimed at people with poor credit histories. Fortunately, Federal law says that the total of all fees on these cards can't exceed 25% of the credit limit.
Contact your credit card issuer to find out how you can waive your credit card monthly maintenance fee. You may be able to convince them to drop the charge if you've been a long-time, good-paying customer.
