charge plate

Thân thiện

A customer hands the cashier a charge plate at the checkout counter.

Definition

Noun: A small, rectangular card, typically made of plastic, issued by a financial institution or retailer. It authorizes the cardholder to purchase goods or services on credit, with the issuer guaranteeing payment to the seller for the delivered merchandise. It is a formal term for a credit card.

Usage

The term "charge plate" is a somewhat dated or formal synonym for a modern credit card. It is used to refer to the physical card itself that facilitates credit-based transactions. - Example: "The store clerk asked if I would be paying with cash or a charge plate." - Example: "He handed the waiter his charge plate to settle the bill."

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: "Charge plate" was a more common term in the mid-20th century, especially for early, non-embossed credit cards or store-specific credit cards. Its usage has largely been supplanted by "credit card" or simply "card."
  • Example: "In the 1950s, department stores issued their own metal charge plates to loyal customers."

Variants and Related Words

• Credit Card (n): The modern, more common term for a charge plate.
• Charge Card (n): A specific type of card where the balance must be paid in full each month, unlike a revolving credit card.
• Plastic (n, informal): A common slang term for credit cards collectively.
  • Example: "I never carry cash; I just use plastic."

Synonyms

• Credit card
• Bank card
• Payment card

Related Phrases

• "Take plastic": An informal commercial phrase meaning to accept credit cards as a form of payment.
  • Example: "We need to find a restaurant that takes plastic."

Học thuật

Noun

1. a card (usually plastic) that assures a seller that the person using it has a satisfactory credit rating and that the issuer will see to it that the seller receives payment for the merchandise delivered
   • do you take plastic?

Từ đồng nghĩa

• credit card
• charge card
• plastic