Call your bank to reverse the late fee

I occasionally forget to pay my credit card bill... maybe 1x a year. I catch the mistake, pay the balance, and give them a call. Simply ask them nicely to reverse the fee (you don't have to over explain yourself). It takes a little effort to pick up the phone but I think it's worth the $25 bucks. Even if it’s been a few months, give it a try. I reversed one from July, today in October.

Also, yeah I should probably turn on autopay, I've only had a credit card for 15+ years.