Charge card - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A charge card is a plastic (or occasionally titanium) card that provides an alternative payment to cash when making purchases in which the issuer and the cardholder enter into an agreement that the debt incurred on the charge account will be paid in full and by due date (usually every thirty days) or be subject to severe late fees and restrictions on card use.<br />
Though the terms charge card and credit card are sometimes used interchangeably, they are distinct protocols of financial transactions: a credit card is a revolving credit instrument that does not need to be paid in full; no late fee is charged so long as the minimum payment is made at specified intervals (usually every thirty days) which carries the balance forward as a loan charging interest. Charge cards are typically issued without spending limits (although one may be punitively imposed after a late payment), whereas credit cards always have a specified line of credit that the user may not exceed for purchases.