cardholder
noun /ˈkɑːdhəʊldə(r)/
/ˈkɑːrdhəʊldər/
- a person who has a credit card from a bank, a loyalty card from a shop, etc.
- Cardholders pay interest on the amount of money left unpaid.
Culture credit cardscredit cardsIn Britain, credit cards and debit cards are increasingly becoming the most common form of payment for goods and services, even for small amounts. When the cardholder is present, for example, in a shop or restaurant, they insert their card into a special machine and key in their PIN (personal identification number). For smaller amounts, it is often possible to make a contactless payment, which involves simply holding the card over the card machine. Purchases by credit or debit card can also be made on the internet or over the telephone. Credit cards and debit cards can be used to get money from a cash cash machine. Cards linked to organizations such as Visa and MasterCard can be used in many countries. People who earn a good salary and have limited debts and therefore have a very good credit rating may get a gold card, a credit card with a higher credit limit than most other credit cards. Cardholders receive statements each month showing all their purchases and must pay at least part of the bill. They are charged interest on the amount they do not pay.The term credit card is sometimes used to include charge cards, but the whole amount owed on a charge card account must be paid each month, while credit card payments can be paid back in instalments (= regular payments over a period of time). One of the most famous charge cards is American Express (although the company also provides credit cards). Some people have an affinity card, a credit card that is linked to a charity. Each time the card is used, the card company pays a small amount of money to the charity. Credit cards from shops, called store cards or sometimes charge cards, can usually be used only in branches of the shop concerned. Debit cards, such as Visa Debit, can be used to pay for goods, but the whole amount is deducted from (= taken out of) the user's bank account within a few days.Most Americans have a variety of plastic money, including Visa, MasterCard (often more than one of each) and American Express, as well as store cards. The use of credit, debit and store cards is also very common in Britain. People decide which cards to have depending on the way they plan to use them. For example, some cards are free but have a high rate of interest, called the APR (annual percentage rate) or ; others have an annual fee, but charge lower interest rates, and so are good for people who do not pay the whole bill every month.