Does having to pay the late fee automatically mean that I will be reported as late to the credit bureau?

If you are hit with a late fee because you are 15 days past the due date of the credit card statement, that does not mean that you will be hit with a late in your credit bureau. From the 15th-29th day after the credit card statement due date you wont get a late on your credit as long as you make the credit card payment. You will only get a 30 day late on your credit after the bill has gone unpaid for 30 days.

Do not mess around with paying your credit card bill

Pay your bills on time. You never know when you will need your good credit. Get in the habit of paying your bills on time. If you lack discipline, you may want to try online bill payment. I do mine through Bank of America. It is very simple. You could even sign up for automatic payment.