American Express Customer Service

A credit card is a system of payment. It is named after the small plastic card. The card is issued to users of the system. The issuer lends money to the user to be paid later to the merchant. It is different from a charge card, since it does not require the balance to be paid off in full each month. It allows the consumer to 'revolve' his/her balance with the interest being charged. Almost all credit cards are issued by local banks or Credit Unions. They are of the same shape and size as indicated by the Standard. Credit cards are issued after an account has been approved by the credit provider. The validity of the card is verified using a credit card payment terminal or Point of Sale (POS) system. Sometimes poor security level of the credit cards and/or credit card systems can provide different possibilities for fraud. There's even such a thing as a black market for stolen credit card numbers, which are usually used quickly before the cards are reported stolen. So, be aware!