It is neigh impossible to imagine that credit cards have an active history that predates to only fifty years. After the credit cards came into vogue, one would find the purses bulging with multitude of credit cards, and cash hidden in some obscure corner. Credit cards have attained widest acceptability for individual commercial transactions, as every transaction done through a credit card is backed by the guarantee of a bank to make the payment on behalf of the user. This is the primary reason why even in small shops one can find signage of credit cards of various merchant establishments displayed prominently announcing about its acceptance. In these times when there is always a threat of loot looming large in the neighborhood shops, encouraging business through credit cards is in everyone's interest. Cash is really becoming a discounted commodity after the advent of credit cards.

Food joints are still the places where the cards are in used to the maximum. It is logical as the first credit cards were made to facilitate eating out among the traders by the Diners Club. The acceptance of credit card is increasing as it ensures increased number of business transactions in a much shorter time, as by making payment through credit card one need not be bothered about tendering exact change. Usage of credit cards in leisure activities is also picking up pace.

After the advent of information technology credit card has indeed become the medium of exchange in the cyber world as also in the physical world. One can book cinema tickets by exchanging the information about credit card over phone or through the Internet. The travel that is booming exponentially all over the world owes majorly to the wider spread of credit cards, more so the international credit cards. The synergy between the credit cards and multitude of travel portals has ensured that one can travel to any corner of the world just by swiping the card either over the machine or through the web site. Credit cards and the travel portals almost feed on each other.

Credit card users now have special counters for them at places like cinema halls, as also across various malls, and the holders of the credit cards are given precedence over those dealing in cash. Such is extended usage of the credit cards that it is difficult to imagine a scenario where it cannot be used. Real effectiveness of the credit card is apparent when the festival season sets in around the Christmas time. One is tempted to do quite a lot of shopping, and the same has been facilitated to a great extent by the advent of credit cards.

In the kind of busy life that one leads, one mostly missed out in paying of utility bills. But that is a thing of the past. Credit cards have come to the rescue here as well. One has to just give standing instructions to the bank that has issued the credit card, and the bill is paid out in a jiffy. The payment compliance has increased exponentially after the advent of the credit card. Icing on the cake is now that one can also pay for charity through credit cards.