Credit Card

A credit card lets the cardholder borrow up to a limit and repay on statement cycles. Issuers fund the purchase and settle with acquirers; cardholders repay later, often with interest if not paid in full.

Compared with a debit card, credit cards draw on a revolving credit line rather than a bank balance. Some markets also use giro cards, which clear against local bank accounts and may have limited cross-border acceptance.

Merchants should model interchange and scheme fees by card type: premium credit products often cost more to accept than basic debit or giro rails.