What are Bank Credit Cards?

A bank credit card is a card issued by a bank. The card can access different funding resources, depending upon type. One common definition of bank credit card is the ATM check card, but there are various additional descriptions of bank credit cards.

In the case of ATM check cards, people can use these very much like credit cards, making purchases at any location that accepts them. These cards are usually given to those who open checking and/or saving accounts. However instead of drawing on credit for funding, they draw on the person’s designated bank account.

There can be some pitfalls to using bank credit cards that are check cards. Sometimes certain companies will not accept them to guarantee reservations of rentals. For instance, you may need an actual credit card attached to a line of credit to rent a car or reserve a hotel room. It really does depend on the individual company. However, if a company places a hold on a bank account to guarantee a rental, it can tie up access to this money until the hold is removed. This could bounce checks, if money in the account is low.

Bank credit cards can also simply mean ATM cards that don’t have a credit card symbol on the back, though these are becoming less common. They’re not often issued anymore, since many people want to be able to use their ATM cards for things like online purchases.

Some people specifically think of bank credit cards as credit cards. In this case they are issued by any bank, and they access available credit. People may see these cards as only coming from banking chains like Bank of America®, which offers additional personal banking services on a large scale. In actuality, any credit card issued by any bank fits would be a bank credit card.

Another definition of bank credit cards can apply to cards issued to people who have a line of credit at the place where they do the majority of their banking business. Large or small banks often want to loan money to customers with impeccable credit ratings. Sometimes these cards allow the bank to draw on available credit if a bank overdraft occurs, though this practice can involve fines or fees.

People often are curious as to whether getting bank credit cards from the banks where they have checking and savings accounts are better deals. This can really depend upon the interest rate offered and any additional terms and conditions of issuing credit. Sometimes bank credit cards offer the best interest rates, but on other occasions, people can find better rates by shopping around for a credit card.