With debit cards you pay straight away. The newest type of card is the electronic purse, which you load up with money before you spend. Using Cards Different types of card can be used in different ways. What is not always clear is how they fit in to the picture of card payments. You may find there are a number of different logos on your card.
Plastic cards are a widespread form of payment, providing a growing alternative to cash and cheques.
Many different kinds are available but all offer you a flexible and convenient way to pay. The two most popular types of card are the credit card and the debit card. However, with developments in technology, more advanced plastic cards are emerging which will give you greater scope and choice in making financial transactions. These advances in technology are taking place only 70 years after the emergence of the first payment card - introduced in the USA in the 1920s. The first British bank to launch credit cards in the UK was Barclays.