In many ways, the economy has been as tough on credit-card issuers as it has been on their debt-ridden customers.

Charge-offs and delinquencies are rising as unemployed credit-card holders are falling behind on their payments. Interchange revenues are declining, as suddenly-frugal consumers are opting to leave their cards at home and pay with cash. And a new credit-card law is reining in practices, like charging over-limit fees and retroactive rate increases, which used to bring in reliable cash for the industry.

“Not only is a card issuer now somewhat hamstrung about the pricing they can apply to an account, but even good accounts are underperforming because everyone has a recession psychology,” says David Robertson, owner of The Nilson Report, which tracks credit-card industry trends.

Yet, the industry may recover sooner than many of its customers. Recently, Citigroup (C) analyst Donald Fandetti upgraded Capital One (COF) and MasterCard's (MA) stocks from Hold to Buy, citing the stabilization of the U.S. and global economies. “Though management has been cautious about the credit outlook, we believe the worst is behind the company in terms of credit card charge-offs,” he wrote in a Sept. 9 research note on Capital One.

With the recession “likely over,” as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week, banks now can focus on repositioning their credit-card portfolios for growth, albeit at a slower pace than they’ve seen after past recessions. They’ll face tougher regulations -- and that’s not necessarily good news for consumers.

“[Banks] are, of course, looking to make money on their cards so it’s reasonable for them to adjust to the new regulatory environment,” says David Ely, professor of finance at San Diego State University. “You’d expect them to seek ways to make these cards profitable.”

Here are six strategies that credit-card issuers are using to lift their bottom lines:

Unable to increase interest rates on past purchases under the new credit-card laws, card issuers warned that they may have to start charging higher interest rates across the board.

Cue in the latest card from Bank of America (BAC). The BankAmericard Basic Visa card, launched last week, boasts “simplified rates and terms,” including charging the same interest rate for purchases, cash advances and balance transfers. But its annual-percentage rate -- a variable pegged to the prime rate plus 14% -- is currently 17.25%. “That’s considerably higher than the 9.99%-plus-prime that issuers like Bank of America, Citi and Chase used to charge,” says Robert McKinley, the founder of CardWeb.com, which provides industry research and analysis. So unless you’re among the 10% or so of card holders trapped paying off an expensive cash advance or balance-transfer offer, you’ll end up paying a lot more interest with this card, McKinley says.

Bank of America spokeswoman Betty Reiss says the Basic card is for consumers looking for greater simplicity and predictability in their financial products, and that the rate will not change over the life of the account, except if the prime rate moves up or down.

Just three years ago, more than 80% of all credit cards charged a fixed interest rate. Now, 80% to 85% of credit cards carry a variable rate: a shift that means most card holders will see their rates go up as the prime rate starts increasing, McKinley says.