Standard Card

Definition

• The most basic type of credit card that is offered to customers. This type of card is typically given to new credit card holders to help them establish credit. Those with higher incomes typically opt for credit cards with more options and higher limits such as a gold or platinum card.

Synonyms
basic credit card, standard credit card, starter card, basic card, starter credit card

Related Terms and Acronyms

• Air Miles — Company,
  • One of the most popular rewards issued by airline-affiliated co-branded cards. Air miles are earned with every use of the card, and then transferred monthly to the cardholder's account with that airline.
• American Express Company (AMEX, AXP) — Company, Important,
  • A corporation known for its credit card business.
• Co-branded Card — Definition,
  • A type of affinity card issued through a partnership or alliance between a bank and another retail company. For instance, a large department store may co-brand a card with a bank. The card would have two brand names on it -- the bank's name and the store's name. Usually, the attraction of the card is special deals with the retail partner. Many -- particularly the ones affiliated with airlines that offer air miles -- are popular enough to command a hefty annual fee.
• Credit Card (CC) — Acronym, Very Important,
  • A plastic card with a coded magnetic stripe that, when signed, entitles its bearer to a revolving line of credit, with a credit limit and interest rate determined by the borrower's income and credit report.
  ➥ A payment card that gives customers access to a revolving line of credit.
• Credit History — Definition,
  • A record of an individual's or company's past borrowing patterns and whether or not debts were repaid on time.
• Debit Card (DC) — Acronym, Important,
  • A payment card that is linked directly to a customer's bank account. Some cards require a personal identification number. Others require a customer's signature. A PIN-based or direct debit card removes a purchase price from a customer's chequing account almost immediately. A signature-based or deferred debit card has a Visa or MasterCard logo and removes the purchase price from a customer's bank account in two or three days.
• Grace Period — Definition,
  • If the credit card user does not carry a balance, the grace period is the interest-free time a lender allows between the transaction date and the billing date. The standard grace period is usually between 20 and 30 days. If there is no grace period, finance charges will accrue the moment a purchase is made with the credit card. People who carry a balance on their credit cards have no grace period.
  • A window of time where a policyholder still has time to pay insurance premiums.
• Interac — Definition,
  • Canada's largest shared network of ATMs. It allows cardholders to access their accounts from any ATM on the network regardless of which financial institution owns the machine.
• MasterCard (MC) — Acronym,
  • A credit card issued by MasterCard International which is distributed by many financial institutions around the world. Card holders borrow money against a credit line and pay it back with interest if the balance is carried over from month to month.
• Personal Identification Number (PIN) — Acronym, Important,
  • A unique, confidential number or pass code, usually consisting of four to six digits, entered by a customer when using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or Interac Direct Payment, that gives the customer access to his or her account.
• Secured Credit Card — Definition,
  • A credit card that a cardholder secures with a savings deposit to ensure payment of the outstanding balance if the cardholder defaults on payments. It is used by people new to credit, or people trying to rebuild their poor credit ratings.
• Smart Card — Definition,
  • A card with an embedded computer chip which stores more information, performs more functions and is more secure than a credit card or debit card.
• Visa (V) — Acronym,
  • A type of credit card that is distributed by financial institutions around the world. A VISA card holder borrows money against a credit line and repays that money with interest if a balance is carried over from month to month.
  ➥ A brand of credit card.