# credit card > payment card issued to users as a system of payment **Wikidata**: [Q161380](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161380) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/credit-card ## Summary A credit card is a payment card issued to users as a system of payment, allowing cardholders to borrow funds from a card issuer to pay for goods and services. It is a subclass of payment card and is distinct from charge cards (which require full payment of the balance each billing cycle) and debit cards (which draw funds directly from the cardholder's bank account). Credit cards are standardized physical cards measuring 85.60 mm in length, 53.98 mm in width, and 0.76 mm in thickness according to ISO/IEC 7810 specifications. ## Key Facts - **Physical Dimensions**: 85.60 mm length × 53.98 mm width × 0.76 mm thickness (ISO/IEC 7810 standard) - **Classification**: Subclass of payment card - **Distinct From**: Charge card, debit card - **Wikidata Description**: payment card issued to users as a system of payment - **Wikipedia Sitelink Count**: 93 (indicating presence in 93 language editions) - **Wikipedia Languages**: Available in over 100 language versions including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and many others - **Freebase ID**: /m/0d7pp - **BabelNet ID**: 00017800n - **KBpedia ID**: CreditCard - **Unicode Character**: 💳 (U+1F4B3) - **IAB Code**: 406 - **Dewey Decimal Classification**: 332.765 - **Library of Congress Authority ID**: sh85033865 - **GNR (German National Library) ID**: 4032937-9 - **National Library of France ID**: 11973341f - **NDL Authority ID**: 00567024 - **Equivalent Class**: https://schema.org/CreditCard - **Subreddit**: r/CreditCards (established September 14, 2008) - **Social Media Followers**: 1,244,962 (as of May 23, 2023) ## FAQs **What is a credit card?** A credit card is a payment card issued to users as a system of payment that allows cardholders to borrow funds from the card issuer to pay for goods and services, with the obligation to repay the borrowed amount later, typically with interest if not paid in full. **How does a credit card differ from a debit card?** A credit card extends a line of credit from the issuer, meaning funds are borrowed and must be repaid, while a debit card draws funds directly from the cardholder's linked bank account immediately at the time of purchase. **What are the standard physical dimensions of a credit card?** Credit cards follow ISO/IEC 7810 specifications: 85.60 mm in length, 53.98 mm in width, and 0.76 mm in thickness. **What are some notable credit card issuers?** Major credit card issuers include Chase, Capital One, Citibank, Bank of America, American Express, HSBC, and many others. Specific notable cards include Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One SavorOne Rewards, American Express Platinum Card, and Discover Card. **What is the relationship between credit cards and payment cards?** Credit card is a subclass of payment card, which is the broader category of cards that can be used to make payments. Other types of payment cards include fuel cards and Eurocard. **What are some alternative names or aliases for credit card?** Credit cards are also known as credit cards, creditcard, dinero de plástico (Spanish), クレジットカード (Japanese), 信用咭 (Chinese), Кредитные карты (Russian), and many other terms across different languages. **What organizations are associated with credit cards?** Major payment networks include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and JCB. Processing companies include Diners Club International and BC Card (South Korea). Banks issuing credit cards include HDFC Bank, Yes Bank, Federal Bank (India), Bank of China, and many others globally. ## Why It Matters Credit cards represent one of the most significant financial innovations of the 20th century, fundamentally transforming how consumers and businesses conduct transactions. They enable deferred payment, allowing purchases to be made now and paid for later, which facilitates consumer spending and economic growth. The credit card ecosystem supports trillions of dollars in global transaction volume annually, making it a cornerstone of modern commerce. The standardization of credit card dimensions (ISO/IEC 7810) ensures compatibility with payment terminals, ATMs, and card readers worldwide. This interoperability allows credit cards to function seamlessly across international borders, supporting global trade and travel. The presence of credit cards in over 100 Wikipedia language editions and their inclusion in numerous academic classification systems (Dewey Decimal Classification 332.765, Library of Congress authority files) reflects their cultural and economic significance. Credit cards also serve as a gateway to credit history building, enabling individuals to establish and improve their credit scores through responsible use. This financial tool has democratized access to credit, allowing consumers to access funds without traditional collateral requirements. Additionally, credit cards offer consumer protections, rewards programs, and fraud liability limits that many other payment methods lack. ## Notable For - **Global Standardization**: Credit cards adhere to ISO/IEC 7810 physical specifications, ensuring universal compatibility with payment infrastructure worldwide. - **Extensive Language Coverage**: Present in 93 Wikipedia language editions, making it one of the most widely documented financial concepts globally. - **Diverse Issuer Ecosystem**: Supported by major financial institutions including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and thousands of banks worldwide. - **Cultural Penetration**: Recognized by a dedicated emoji (💳) and extensive presence in social media communities (r/CreditCards subreddit with established history since 2008). - **Academic Recognition**: Catalogued in multiple library classification systems and encyclopedic references including Britannica, Brockhaus, and Great Russian Encyclopedia. - **Historical Significance**: First major credit card (Diners Club) was introduced in 1950, revolutionizing consumer finance. ## Body ### Definition and Classification A credit card is a payment card issued to users as a system of payment. It functions as a short-term loan extended by the card issuer to the cardholder, allowing purchases up to a predetermined credit limit. The cardholder is obligated to repay the borrowed amount, either in full by the billing due date or over time with interest charges on unpaid balances. Credit cards are classified as a subclass of payment card, which represents the broader category of cards facilitating financial transactions. This classification places credit cards alongside related financial instruments including fuel cards (designed specifically for acquiring fuel at gas stations) and Eurocard (a European credit card format). ### Physical Specifications Credit cards follow strict international standards for physical dimensions. According to ISO/IEC 7810 specifications (referenced April 19, 2018), standard credit cards measure: - **Length**: 85.60 mm - **Width**: 53.98 mm - **Thickness**: 0.76 mm These specifications ensure compatibility with payment terminals, card readers, and ATMs globally. The standardization enables credit cards to be used seamlessly across different merchants and countries. ### Related Financial Instruments Credit cards are distinct from several other card types: - **Charge Card**: Requires full payment of the balance each billing cycle; does not allow revolving credit - **Debit Card**: Draws funds directly from the cardholder's checking or savings account at the time of purchase - **Prepaid Card**: Loads funds onto the card in advance; no borrowing occurs The source material explicitly notes these distinctions, clarifying that credit cards involve borrowing funds while debit cards and charge cards operate differently. ### Major Card Networks The credit card ecosystem relies on major payment networks that process transactions: - **Visa**: American multinational financial services corporation, founded in 1958, headquartered in the United States - **Mastercard**: American multinational financial services corporation, founded in 1966 and 1979, headquartered in New York - **American Express**: Known for charge cards including the American Express Gold Card (founded 1966), American Express Platinum Card, and American Express Centurion Card (founded 2004) - **Discover Card**: American credit card founded in 1985, headquartered in the United States - **JCB**: Japan Credit Bureau, Japanese credit card network ### Notable Credit Card Products The source material documents numerous specific credit card products from various issuers: **Chase**: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Freedom Flex **Capital One**: SavorOne Rewards, Savor Rewards, Venture X Rewards, VentureOne Rewards, Venture Rewards **Citibank**: Citi Premier Card, Citi Double Cash Card, Citi Custom Cash Card **Bank of America**: Unlimited Cash Rewards, Travel Rewards, Premium Rewards, Premium Rewards Elite, Customized Cash Rewards, Cash Rewards Credit Card **American Express**: Cash Magnet Card, American Express Green Card, Blue Cash Everyday Card, Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card, American Express Gold Card, American Express Platinum Card, American Express Centurion Card **HSBC**: Multiple cards including HSBC Privé, HSBC Hong Kong Premier Mastercard Credit Card, HSBC Hong Kong Visa Signature Card, HSBC Hong Kong EveryMile Credit Card, HSBC Hong Kong Red MasterCard, HSBC Platinum Credit Card, and numerous regional variants for Hong Kong and Macau **Other Notable Cards**: Discover Card, monedero (micropayment card), VIEW Suica Card (Japan), Sony Card, Sumitomo Mitsui Card, MUJI Card, DMM JCB Card (Japan), Famima Card, Passolig (Turkey), re:member (Sweden/Norway), Mastercard Titanium Card (founded 2016), Mastercard Black Card (founded 2008), PAYBACK Visa Flex, OnePulse (UK, founded 2007), Miles & More Gold Credit Card, Miles & More Blue Credit Card, N26 Black (2017), N26 Metal, N26 Business, DKB Cash (Germany), ADAC Credit Card GOLD (Germany), BankAmericard, Metro Mega Card (Indonesia), Blue Cash Preferred, Revolut Standard ### Issuing Institutions Credit cards are issued by various financial institutions globally: **Major Banks**: HDFC Bank (India, founded 1994), Yes Bank (India, founded 2003), Federal Bank (India, founded 1945), IndusInd Bank (India, founded 1994), South Indian Bank (India, founded 1929), Punjab National Bank (India, founded 1894), Bank of China (founded 1912), National Bank of Kuwait (founded 1952), Zenith Bank (Nigeria, founded 1990), Metro Bank (UK, founded 2010), İşbank (Turkey, founded 1924), TBC Bank (Georgia, founded 1992), Bank Leumi Le-Israel (founded 1902, 1951), Israel Discount Bank (founded 1935), Bank Hapoalim (founded 1921), Ameriabank (Armenia, founded 1910), Ardshinbank (Armenia, founded 1924), Kenya Commercial Bank Group (founded 1896), Sunrise Bank Limited (Nepal, founded 2007), Fidelity Bank Nigeria (founded 1988), BLOM Bank (Lebanon, founded 1951), Bank of Punjab (Pakistan, founded 1989) **Financial Services Companies**: Synchrony Financial (founded 2003), Barclaycard (founded 1968), SBI Cards (India, founded 1998), Cetelem (BNP Paribas company, founded 1953), BC Card (South Korea, founded 1982), U.S. Bancorp (founded 1850), Mizuho Financial Group (Japan, founded 1999, 2003) **Fintech Companies**: PayPal (founded 1998), bunq (Netherlands, founded 2012) ### Regional and Specialized Cards The source material includes several regional and specialized credit card variants: - **Taiwan Traveller Card**: Dedicated credit card for Republic of China (Taiwan) government employees - **Fuel Card**: Credit card designed specifically for acquiring fuel at gas stations - **Eurocard**: European credit card format - **Credit Card in Japan**: Specific variant used in Japan, with cards like VIEW Suica Card, DMM JCB Card, and Sumitomo Mitsui Card - **enRoute**: Canadian credit card ### Digital and Cultural Presence Credit cards maintain significant digital presence: - **Social Media**: r/CreditCards subreddit established September 14, 2008, with 1,244,962 followers as of May 23, 2023 - **Unicode**: Dedicated emoji 💳 (U+1F4B3) for visual representation - **Wikipedia Coverage**: 93 sitelinks across language editions, covering over 100 languages - **Quora Topic**: Credit-Cards - **Zhihu Topic**: 19557587 (Chinese platform) ### Academic and Library Classification Credit cards are extensively catalogued in academic and library systems: - **Dewey Decimal Classification**: 332.765 - **Library of Congress Authority ID**: sh85033865 - **German National Library (DNB) ID**: 4032937-9 - **National Library of France ID**: 11973341f - **National Library of Japan NDL Authority ID**: 00567024 - **BabelNet ID**: 00017800n - **KBpedia ID**: CreditCard - **Freebase ID**: /m/0d7pp - **YSO ID**: 13907 (Finnish) - **Treccani ID**: carte-bancarie-e-carte-di-credito - **Encyclopaedia Britannica Online ID**: topic/credit-card ### Terminology and Aliases Credit cards are known by numerous terms across different languages and contexts: - English: credit cards, creditcard - Spanish: dinero de plástico, cartões de crédito, tarjetas de crédito - Japanese: クレジットカード, クレカ - Chinese: 信用咭, 贷记卡, 貸記卡 - Russian: Кредитные карты, Пластиковая карта, Пластиковые карточки - Korean: 신용 카드, 크레디트 카드, 크레딧 카드 - Arabic: بطاقة إئتمان, بطاقة الائتمان, بطاقات الائتمان - German: Chargekarte, Firmenkreditkarte, Kreditkarte - Portuguese: cartões de crédito - Italian: carte di credito e carte di debito - Swedish: kreditkort - Czech: kreditní karty ### Historical Context The credit card industry has historical roots in: - **Diners Club International**: Founded in 1950, considered one of the first modern credit cards - **American Express**: Charge card operations began significantly in 1966 with the American Express Gold Card - **Discover Card**: Founded in 1985 in the United States - **Access**: UK credit card founded in 1972 ### Related Concepts - **Cash Advance**: A service provided to credit cardholders allowing withdrawal of cash against their credit limit - **App-o-rama**: Term associated with credit card applications - **Crop-lien System**: Related financial system in agricultural contexts - **monedero**: Micropayment card variant This comprehensive documentation reflects the credit card's position as a fundamental component of modern financial infrastructure, with extensive representation across technical standards, academic classifications, cultural references, and global financial institutions. ## References 1. [Nuovo soggettario](https://thes.bncf.firenze.sbn.it/termine.php?id=14240) 2. Nuovo soggettario 3. Czech National Authority Database 4. BBC Things 5. [Source](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-a-prepaid-card-a-credit-card-and-a-debit-card-en-433/) 6. [Source](https://www.iso.org/standard/31432.html) 7. [Source](https://www.secureidnews.com/news-item/card-size-specifications-when-does-card-size-matter/) 8. YSO-Wikidata mapping project 9. BabelNet 10. Quora 11. [Credit Cards](https://old.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/) 12. National Library of Israel 13. KBpedia 14. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)