credit card

American  

noun

1. a card that identifies a person as entitled to have food, merchandise, services, etc., billed on a charge account.

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credit card British  

noun

1. a card issued by banks, businesses, etc, enabling the holder to obtain goods and services on credit

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Etymology

Origin of credit card

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

A generous 60-day free trial requires no credit card — though if you don’t cancel before it ends, you’ll roll automatically into a 1-year subscription.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

Dumping war costs on the nation’s credit card puts taxpayers on the hook — not only for the conflict’s principal amount but the interest on it.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Today, Robinhood Markets announced its own automated AI trading for users, also allowing users to utilize AI to make credit card decisions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Last month, Trader Joe’s paid $7.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit for exposing customers’ credit card information on receipts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

And as it happened, my dad paid for our Ming Palace dinners every Saturday night with a bright blue credit card.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

Related Words

• bank card