Final answer:
Delayed charges can increase a customer's balance over time, making it harder to pay off the debt.
Step-by-step explanation:
Delayed charges can affect a customer's balance by increasing the amount owed over time. When a customer fails to make a payment on time, a credit card company may charge a late fee. In addition to the late fee, the company may also impose a daily fee for each day the payment remains unpaid. These charges increase the customer's balance and can accumulate over time, making it more difficult to pay off the debt.
For example, let's say a customer has a credit card balance of $500 and fails to make the minimum payment of $50 on time. The credit card company may charge a $10 late fee and a $5 daily fee. If the payment remains unpaid for 3 days, the customer's balance would increase to $525 ($500 + $10 + $5 * 3). This demonstrates how delayed charges can impact a customer's balance.