For months, issuers have raised credit card rates and fees at a dizzying pace. Now, a growing number are starting to tack on new card fees for inactivity or purchases made outside the U.S.

In June, Fifth Third Bank began charging $19 if credit card borrowers have no account activity in 12 months. Discover levies a 2 percent fee on purchases made outside the U.S., and Chase has introduced a $30 annual fee on its popular Freedom card.

Citigroup, meanwhile, has rolled out a policy where certain credit card borrowers who pay late are subject to a "reinstatement fee" to be able to redeem accumulated points for rewards. This fee is currently $0, but it won't stay that way if Citigroup finds cardholders aren't objecting, predicts industry consultant Robert Hammer.

The fees represent issuers' latest attempt to mitigate the effects of a credit card law passed in May, which restricts rate increases and marketing to college students. Analysts say that because most provisions don't take effect until February 2010, issuers are finding ways now to bolster their income despite consumers' precarious financial situations.