Banks are clawing back lost penalty fees with new charges

Millions are being charged up to £24 a year just to use their accounts, the magazine Which? Money found.

Other rogue tactics involve penalising customers for not using their cards enough and even charging them for failing to provide upto-date personal information.

The charges are an attempt by banks to recoup the money lost in the crackdown on penalty fees.

After a public backlash, the Office of Fair Trading last year ruled that the charge for going overdrawn without permission must not exceed £12.

The regulator also signalled that fees of up to £39 when a cheque bounced were illegal - prompting an avalanche of claims for refunds.

Since then, banks have hiked interest rates and increased the cost of other services in their efforts to claw back some of their lost revenue.

Measures include the introduction of annual fees and charging for transferring balances-between credit cards. Martyn Hocking-editor of Which? Money, said: "Credit card providers seem to be resorting to a raft of ingenious methods to recoup lost revenue following the Office of Fair Trading's crackdown on penalty fees.

"To avoid being stung, people should always check the small print of their cards and bank accounts to make sure they know what charges apply."

Research by Which? showed that some banks now charge a £24 annual fee for the use of a credit card.

Low-usage fees are reaching £35 a month, while balance transfer fees have been hiked from a typical 2 per cent to 3 per cent.