What is the difference between a “Credit Card”, a “Check Card” and a “Debit Card”?
A Credit Card is an account you have set up with a bank (MBNA, Associates, Chase, etc) that will allow you to make purchases on credit. In other words, the bank will pay the merchant up front, and you pay the bank back later. (For a good place to learn more about Credit Cards, visit the Wells Fargo Credit Card Education site.) The bank that holds your Credit Card has an agreement with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc that allows your card to be accepted almost anywhere. A Check Card is a card that your bank has issued you that is tied to your Checking Account. Most of the time, this card also doubles as your ATM (or Debit) Card. This card bears the symbol of Visa or MasterCard, but instead of purchasing on credit, when you make a purchase, the funds are deducted straight from your Checking Account.
