Guide to Credit Terms

Listed below is a useful guide to credit card terms. It is a list of definitions of credit card terms that may or may not be familiar to you.

Annual Fee

Various card issuers charge an annual fee, which can help offset costs that issuers incur in maintaining accounts and providing services.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

Stands for 'annual percentage rate'. A figure, expressed as a percentage, which incorporates the interest charged upon the credit card as well as any additional fees.

Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS)

The banking industry body that oversees money transmission and payment clearing activities in the UK.

Automated Teller Machine (ATM)

Another term for a cash machine.

Balance

The total amount that you owe your credit card provider and includes charges such as interest and fees.

Balance Transfer Rate

The interest rate that will be charged on any balance transferred from a previous credit card onto a new one.

Cash Advance

Withdrawing money from a cash machine using your credit card. There is usually a charge imposed for this service. A cash advance is different from a withdrawal you make with your ATM card.

Charge Card

This is a type of credit card often favoured by businesses on which the balance must be paid off in full each month.

Credit Limit

This is the maximum amount you can borrow using your card.

Credit History

A record of how you have paid accounts in the past; used as a guide to determine whether you're likely to pay accounts on time in the future.

Credit Reference Agency

Organisations that specialise in providing credit reports that assess an individual or business's credit risk.

Credit Report

An assessment of an individual or a company's credit risk. These reports are composed using a variety of informational sources and are used by lenders in order to assess applicants.

Finance Charges

The price paid to a lender for the use of borrowed money.

Fixed Rate

A set annual percentage rate that does not change in response to interest rate changes and conditions.

Interest

The charge that the lender imposes on the borrower for the granting of credit.

Interest Free Period

The period during which no interest will accrue on credit card transactions.

Period

The period during which the Introductory Rate applies to balances outstanding on your account.

Introductory Rate

A special annual percentage rate that applies for only a limited time.

Minimum Payment

This is the minimum amount that you will need to pay back each month on your credit card balance.

Online Banking

Online systems enable you to access a host of banking services from a personal computer by connecting with the bank's computers over the Internet.

PIN

Stands for 'personal identification number' and is issued to a credit card holder in order to enable them to use cash machines to withdraw money.

Rewards Program

A point accumulating program based on purchases or transactions made on your card.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

About The Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Credit Information:

Related Articles

Identity Theft - Dont Think You Are Immune
As identity theft becomes more prevalent, the need to regularly check your credit report is veryeasy to see and understand. Two big headlines in the news recently point to how closely tied yourcredit report and identity theft are.
Credit Repair: How To Deal With Your Creditors
If you are in danger of credit problems because you have more debts than you can handle, there are things you can do at least keep your creditors reasonably happy.First, prioritize your debts or rank them in terms of the ones that can give you the most trouble the quickest.
Credit Counseling: Could it Work for Me?
In the face of financial hardship, many seeking a responsible solution turn to credit counseling. Credit counseling is, all too often, the last stop before bankruptcy.
How to Deal with Hire Purchase Debt
WHAT IS HIRE PURCHASE/CONDITIONAL SALE?Although people often talk about "buying on HP", Hire Purchase Agreements are quite unusual these days. Cars are the most usual goods sold under Hire Purchase or Conditional Sale Agreements.
Credit Cards - The Basics
How Lenders Operate - And How They'll Make a Tidy Fortune from the UnknowingCredit card companies might seem like immensely clever, money making enterprises that exploit every loophole to maximize the interest payments - and profits - they are taking from you every month. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.
How To Prevent Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions
What Are Possible Signs of Fraudulent Transactions see at Web Hosting Companies?Customer wants to pre-pay for a yearDomain Name Registration for 5 years or moreOrders using free email address providers like Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.Usage of multiple cards to complete order.
The Easy Way To Gain Access To Your Free Online Credit Report
When you apply for credit, those lending you the money want to know if you are going to pay them back. One way they decide if you are a good risk is to see how you've dealt with other people's money.
How To Get a Low Interest Credit Card
Consumers often have the first credit card that they ever applied for, never really analizing how the interest rate affects their payments, but many other options exist and can help consumers decrease their payments and achieve financial stability.With interest rates on some credit cards rising to over 23%, even low balance credit card debt can be crippling.
Credit Card Expenses Are Killing Your Budget!
Do you know the costs associated with your credit card? Do your really know? Many people assume they do but aren't aware of the hidden fees that many credit card companies are charging you month after month. In fact, if you don't keep a close eye on your credit card, you may end up paying hundreds of extra dollars per year-without ever knowing it! And if you're trying to budget your money, those hidden fees can add up!Let's take a look at some of the most common credit card fees, and then talk about how you can avoid them.
Free Credit Report - Really
2005 marks the year that consumers will be able to get a free credit report each year. The roll out of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act signed into law by President Bush actually began last December 1.
SuperCharged Secret 4, Credit Card Utopia
YOU SCRATCH MY BACK, AND I'LL BUY SOME MORE BEER!Let's just take a brief moment to recap:If you've been following along on this journey with me, learning the 5 Super-Charged secrets to Credit Card Utopia, then you now know 3 very important things:You now know how to take advantage of zero to low interest credit card offers.You now know that there is safety in numbers, and you know the magic "Who's Who" of the major credit card companies.
Useful Tips On Avoiding Credit and Charge Card Fraud
Credit and charge card fraud costs cardholders and issuers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. While theft is the most obvious form of fraud, it can occur in other ways.
Useful Tips When Choosing Credit Cards
Chances are you have received your share of "pre-approved" credit card offers in the mail, some with low introductory rates and other perks. Many of these solicitations urge you to accept "before the offer expires.
Credit Cards - A Blessing or a Curse?
Owning a credit card can be quite an advantage. Whethermaking online purchases, booking an air ticket or a hotelroom on the phone or simply being in need of someemergency cash, having a credit card can be a big help.
How Credit Scoring Works
The all important credit score! It determines the amount of loan you can get, it determines the interest rate at which you are charged for a loan, etc. Your credit score plays an important figure in your financial life.
Credit Reports - Why Your Credit Score is Important
If you have never heard of a FICO score before, you should become familiar with the term. Named for the firm that invented it, Fair Isaac Corp.
Read and Understand Your Credit Card Statement
Have you ever looked at your credit card statement and ended up just scratching your head in frustration? Well join the club! But don't take any comfort in the fact that you have plenty of company, because lack of knowledge can cost you?.right on your credit report, and once there can stay with you a while.
Rebuild Your Credit the Right Way the First Time
If you are one of the millions of people out there with bad credit you need to step up and start doing something to get yourself back into credits good graces. Having good credit is the only way to assure that you will get the best interest rates on any loans and credit cards that you apply for.
Credit Repair Kit Sound To Good To Be True? It Is.
A lot of people have bad credit. It is unfortunate that good people with good intentions are sometimes lured into credit card offers with outrageous interest rates or convinced to buy a new, overpriced car that they cannot afford.
Ways to Look Good without Selling Your Soul to the Credit Card Sharks
1. Buy clothes at thrift stores.