credit card
Banking Terms -> credit card
- A credit card is a plastic card used by clients as a form of payment. Goods and services can be bought based on the cardholder’s promise to pay for them by a specified date. Consumers have a revolving account created for them by the credit card issuer. A line of credit is granted which can be used to borrow money and pay merchants. Alternatively, users can draw cash advances.
There is a difference between charge cards and credit cards. With charge cards, cardholders should pay the balance in full every month while credit cards allow consumers to pay the minimum balance only. Thus, cardholders can maintain a continuous balance of debt, on which interest is charged. Credit cards also differ from cash cards, which function like a form of currency.
Credit cards are of two main varieties, personal and business credit cards. Personal credit cards are issued by credit card companies to individuals and allow borrowing money at point of sale and other locations. Naturally, business credit cards are issued to small, medium, and large business enterprises and can be used for various purposes, including business projects. Credit cards also come with various perks and additional benefits and can be differentiated according to these. Rewards credit cards, for example, allow cardholders to earn bonus points by charging various items to the credit card. No annual fee credit cards obviously go with no fee, but the interest rate may be higher compared to other cards. Low interest credit cards are offered by most banks, and most are featured with an annual fee. Cash back credit cards allow holders to earn cash back and redeem it for various items, travel, and more. Credit cards may also go with various insurance types, including travel medical insurance, baggage insurance, extended warranty, and others. Other beneficial options are online banking, 24/7 customer service, and emergency replacement.
In general, credit cards are a short-term financing option as they charge interest. Interest typically begins one month after you make a purchase while your borrowing limit will be based on your credit rating. In addition, your creditworthiness will determine the interest rate you are offered by the card issuer, as well as other terms and conditions. You need to have excellent credit rating to be approved for some products. With others, even borrowers with compromised credit score are likely to be approved.
Credit cards offer a variety of benefits to cardholders, including access to cash, convenience of payment, and better fraud protection than debit cards. Credit cards are accepted in various locations and can be used to make bookings, shop online, and more. Apart from their worldwide acceptance, credit cards are a widespread and popular form of payment in the United States. On the downside, credit cards go with higher interest rates compared to lines of credit and consumer loans. While cardholders benefit from low introductory interest rates, they only apply for a fixed term, and it is typically up to one year. Then, the standard rate is charged, which can go as high as 30 percent. The interest rate can go up if you miss a payment, even if it is about the average (around 19 percent). Some borrowers become excessively indebted and can be even driven to bankruptcy. Sometimes universal default applies. If you miss a payment on another, unrelated card account from the same issuer, high default rate applies to all cards, even those in good standing. Finally, many cardholder agreements contain clauses that allow issuers to raise the interest rate or change other terms and conditions for any reason and at any time.
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