# credit card

CEFR A2 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/credit-card
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

A plastic card from a bank that lets you buy things now and pay for them later.

For teachers: A payment card issued by a financial institution, enabling the cardholder to borrow funds to pay for goods and services.

## Examples

- I will pay with my credit card.
- She used her credit card to book the flights online for their vacation.
- The widespread acceptance of credit cards has fundamentally altered consumer spending habits and personal finance management across the globe.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I lost my creditcard." but "I lost my credit card." — This compound noun is written as two separate words in standard English.

## Usage notes

- This is a countable noun, often used with verbs like 'pay with', 'use', or 'accept'.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'debit card', which uses money directly from a bank account, whereas a credit card uses borrowed money.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.