Credit Card Glossary (A–Z)

150+ credit card terms — simple bhasha me, har sawal ka jawab.

Home » Guides » Credit Card Glossary (A–Z)
Last updated: 17 August 2026

Credit card glossary (A-Z) — every term explained simply. From "What is APR?" to "What is utilization?" — every question is answered here. Use the guide to understand your statement and the free tool to convert it.

Quick Navigation

ABCDEFGILMOPRSTUVZ

A

Annual Fee — the yearly cost of using the card (₹499–₹66,000 India; $0–$695 USA). It is waived based on spending. Waive guide

APR (Annual Percentage Rate)

Interest rate — India me 30-48%, USA me 18-30%. Full payment par 0%. How to calculate Available Credit — credit limit minus used amount; how much more you can spend.

Average Daily Balance

Interest calculation ka basis — har din ke balance ka average.

Authorization — the transaction's approval; a pending hold that posts once it settles.

B

Balance — the total amount you owe: purchases + interest + fees − payments.

Balance Transfer

Ek card ka debt dusre par 0% APR ke saath. Full guide

Balance Transfer Fee

3-5% of transferred amount ($5-10 min USA).

Billing Cycle — the 28–31 days between two statements. Understand it

Billing Statement — the monthly document: transactions, balance, due date, minimum due.

BIN (Bank Identification Number) — the first 6 digits of the card number; identify the bank/network.

Business Credit Card

Business expenses for — employee cards, GST records. Business statements

C

Card Member

Account ka primary holder.

Cash Advance

ATM se cash — fee + turant interest, no grace period. Costs

Cash Advance Fee — 2.5–3% or $10, whichever is higher.

Cashback — a percentage back on purchases. Maximize it

Chargeback — the dispute process — bank paisa wapas le leta hai. Guide

Closing Date

Billing cycle ka last day — statement generate. Guide

Credit Bureau — CIBIL (India) / Experian, Equifax, TransUnion (USA); they report your score.

Credit History — your record of past loans/cards, spanning 6+ years.

Credit Score

300-900 (CIBIL India) / 300-850 (FICO USA) — creditworthiness.

CVV — the 3-digit security code on the back of the card, for online transactions.

Credit Card Agreement

Rates, fees, terms ka legal document.

D

Daily Periodic Rate

APR ÷ 365 — roz ka interest rate.

Debit

Statement me kharch — purchases, fees, interest. Excel me Debit column.

Dispute — a complaint about a wrong charge. Process

Due Date — your payment deadline, 21–25 days after closingin baad. Guide

Dual Currency / DCC

Dynamic currency conversion — foreign me local currency me pay do, DCC reject do.

E

EMI

Equated Monthly Installment — badi purchase ko chhote hisson me. Guide

EMI Card — a card like Bajaj Finserv, meant for EMIs only. Statement convert

Expiry Date — the card's valid-till month/year; a new card arrives on expiry.

F

Fees

Annual, late, cash advance, foreign transaction, overlimit — statement me alag sections.

Finance Charge

Interest + fees ka official naam. Calculation

Foreign Transaction Fee

2-3.5% on foreign currency spends. Avoid do

Foreclosure Charge — a fee for closing an EMI early.

Fraud Alert

Suspicious activity par bank ka notification.

Fuel Surcharge — 1–2.5% extra at petrol pumps; see cards that waive it.

G

Grace Period — 21–25 interest-free days, when you pay in full. Guide

GST

Fees aur interest par 18% GST (India) — statement me alag line.

I

Interest — the cost of carrying a balance: 30–48% p.a. in India. Formula

Introductory APR / 0% Offer — 0% for 6–18 months on new cards; great for balance transfers.

Instalment — another name for EMI; the monthly payment.

Issuer — the bank that issues the card: HDFC, ICICI, Chase, Amex, etc.

L

Late Payment Fee — ₹500–₹1,300 for missing the due date. Guide

Lifetime Free Card — no annual fee; e.g. ICICI Amazon Pay, IDFC First.

Loyalty Program — a rewards points program; every bank has its own.

M

Markup Fee

Foreign transactions par 2-3.5% (India) — Axis 3.5%, Amex 2.7%.

Merchant Category Code (MCC)

Merchant ki category — groceries, dining, fuel etc. Cashback category is decided by this.

Minimum Amount Due — 5% or a fixed ₹200–500; avoids late fees, but interest applies. Trap

Membership Rewards

Amex ka points program. Track

Monthly Periodic Rate

Monthly interest rate = APR ÷ 12.

O — Outstanding Balance: the total you owe — current + overdue.

Overlimit Fee — charged for spending beyond your limit (capped by the RBI in India).

Online Transaction — spending on the internet; online-only cashback cards count these.

P

Payment Due Date

Due date ka official naam. Guide

Penalty APR

Late payment ke baad badha hua rate.

Points

Rewards units — redeem flights, vouchers, cashback. Value

Posting Date — when the bank adds the transaction to your account; billing is based on this.

Previous Balance

Pichle statement ka ending balance.

Prime Rate — the banks' base rate; variable APRs are linked to it.

Processing Fee

EMI/loan par ek baar ki fee (₹99-₹999).

Purchase APR

Purchases par interest rate.

R

Refund

Return/merchant credit — statement me Credit. Timeline

Revolving Credit — carrying a balance and paying it next month, with interest.

Reward Points — points program; earn points on spending, redemption me value.

Reversal

Transaction wapas — refund/credit adjustment.

S

Secured Credit Card

FD ke against — credit building for.

Statement — the monthly bill: transactions + balance + due date. How to read it

Statement Balance — the billed amount up to the closing date; pay in full for no interest. Guide

Statement Credit — a refund/cashback that reduces your balance.

Statement Period — the range of transactions in this bill.

Surcharge

Extra charge — fuel, wallet loads par.

T

Total Amount Due

Full bill — due date tak pay do to no interest.

Transaction

Har spend/paymentransaction/refund — the statement's basic unit. Convert to Excel. Transaction Date: when you spent. Transfer Fee: the balance-transfer fee (3–5%).

U

Unbilled Transactions

Statement ke baad ki purchases — agle bill me aayengi.

Utilization Ratio — credit utilization; keep it under 30%.

V

Variable APR — an interest rate that moves with the prime rate.

Voucher — a redemption option for points: shopping/travel vouchers.

Z

Zero Balance — after full payment; no dues.

0% APR

Introductory offer — 6-18 months no interest. Balance transfer for best.

Statement samajhna seekh gaye? Ab convert do!
🚀 Free Credit Card to Excel Converter
⚠️ Important Note: Credit card rates, fees and rules vary by bank and card (and change over time). This guide is general information — confirm details with your bank's official statement, fee schedule or customer care. Our tool only helps extract your statement data into Excel — it does not provide financial advice. Poora disclaimer read.