The system of payment using a small plastic card is referred to as a credit card, which is different from a debit card. The difference is that with the debit card money is removed from the account after each transaction, which does not happen with a credit card. Money is lent to the user or consumer by the issuer under the form of a credit card.

As far as the balance is concerned, the credit card allows the user to revolve the balance, keeping in mind that they will be charged interest, as opposed to the charge card (which most people refer to as credit card as well) which requires the consumer to pay the balance in full each month.

The shape and size of most credit cards are the same, as the follow specified standards, and so is the information on both the front and the reverse of the credit card. The front of a typical credit card should offer information concerning the card number and brand logo, the cardholder's name, the expiry date, the issuing bank logo, a hologram and an EMV chip, whereas the reverse of the same credit card should contain a magnetic stripe, which serves the purpose of obtaining data from the card, a signature stripe and a card security code.

A credit card is often issued by a general bank, after the approval of an account and the issuing of a credit. However, credit card can also be issued by a captive bank, and the consumer uses it to make purchases up to a limit, which is set in advance. The purchases with such a credit card can only be made from merchants who accept that type of credit card. Upon payment, the cardholder signs a receipt with the amount to be paid and the card details, giving his or her consent of the transaction. There are cases when the transaction cannot be made in the presence of the customer, which are also known as ?customer not present? transactions. In such cases, most merchants accept electronic authorization through the Internet or a verbal one through the telephone. It only takes a few seconds for merchants to verify whether the purchase can be covered and whether the credit card is valid with the electronic verification system, which allows verification to happen at the purchase is being made.

Another type of credit cards, but somewhat different, is represented by gift cards,, which are substitutes of payments other than legal tender. A gift card also has a magnetic strip or a barcode, which can be processed through the standard electronic machine to obtain the necessary information. A gift card has no value prior to the moment when it is sold, and at that time the amount the customer wants on the card is entered by the cashier.

A gift card is usually given for a substantial discount or at no cost as an incentive for the consumer, and this process is continually increasing. For instance, when consumers use a credit card they can get points which they can later on exchange for a gift card.

Buying and selling gift cards, as well as trading or donating them is possible some web sites. Sellers are interested in using these web sites because they may not like the store where for which the gift card was issued, and buyers turn to the same web sites as they have the opportunity to pay less for a gift card than it is nominally worth.