3 Key Differences: Charge Card vs. Credit Card (Dec. 2023)

It’s easy to think that “charge card” is just another way to say “credit card,” but the two actually have very different meanings. Charge cards were once widely used, but the market for them has been largely conceded to American Express (Amex). Nowadays, consumers mainly turn to credit cards for their spending needs, as the rewards and perks can be very similar.

In this article, we’ll discuss the major differences and characteristics of a charge card vs. credit card, and take a close look at three popular cards offered by Amex, as well as some of the top alternatives available with comparable benefits.

Differences (3) | Top Charge Cards (3) | Top Alternatives (10)

Charge cards do have spending limits, it’s just that they aren’t pre-set. In other words, they can easily change over time and to accommodate special requests. You can contact the charge card company at any time (online, by phone, or via a mobile app) to check your current spending limit and to ask for a higher one. That limit is based on your financial resources and history — obviously, if you’ve missed payments in the past, it will count against you.

Credit cards come with less flexible spending limits. They can be increased over time, but not nearly as frequently as for charge cards, and the credit card companies will want to see some improvement in your credit score before it grants a significant increase. Timely payments will help in that regard.

Unlike credit cards, charge cards require that you pay the full balance each month. That’s why there is no interest rate associated with a charge card, but there are stiff late fees if you don’t pay your balance on time. For Amex cards, the first late month costs $27, which grows to $38 on the second occurrence within the next six months. Two consecutive late payments will cost you the greater of $38 or 2.99% of the balance. Amex has a hybrid program called Pay Over Time that allows you to spread out the repayment of certain approved purchases, at a set financing rate.

Credit cards also charge late fees (on top of interest), and these fees may be higher than Amex’s. You avoid late fees (but not additional interest) as long as you make the minimum payment each month to the credit card company. Late credit card payments hurt your credit score, and late charge card payments may do so too – that is, if the card company reports it to the credit bureaus.

American Express charges annual fees as high as $550. In return, you get generous rewards and money-saving perks, especially for travel-related activities. However, many credit cards now offer perks, and a few of them provide benefits as good or better than those offered by American Express — for example, see our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Many credit cards don’t charge an annual fee, but don’t expect top rewards from them.

American Express remains the only giant charge card issuer in the U.S. Diners Club runs a distant second. American Express also offers credit cards and travelers’ checks. Here are the three popular Amex charge cards:

+ See More Amex Cards

If you’d prefer to be able to carry a balance and avoid the high annual fees assessed by many charge cards, check out our list of popular credit cards below. You’ll find cards with low or no fees, as well as cards with generous rewards, signup bonuses, and plenty of other benefits.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

at Bank Of America'ssecure website

EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

Our Review »

• $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
• Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice - now with expanded categories, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
• Newly expanded categories based on Bank of America customer feedback! 3% cash back on Gas (to now include Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Stations) and Online Shopping (to now include Cable, Streaming, Internet and Phone Services).
• If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
• No annual fee and no expiration on rewards.
• 0% Introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

• See application, terms and details.

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases	0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days	18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers	$0	Excellent/Good

Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

at Bank Of America'ssecure website

EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

Our Review »

• Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire.
• 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
• Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
• Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
• 0% Introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
• If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

• See application, terms and details.

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases	0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days	18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers	$0	Excellent/Good

Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
• Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel

• See application, terms and details.

See Rates & Fees

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
0% for 15 months	0% for 15 months	19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)	$0	Excellent, Good

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

• Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
• Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
• No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn

• See application, terms and details.

See Rates & Fees

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
0% for 15 months	0% for 15 months	19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)	$0	Excellent, Good

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

at Chase'ssecure website

EXCELLENT CREDIT RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

4.9/5.0

Our Review »

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC

• See application, terms and details.

Intro (Purchases)	Intro (Transfers)	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Credit Needed
N/A	N/A	21.49%-28.49% Variable	$95	Good/Excellent

+ See More Top Offers

A charge card is not likely to be a good fit for you if you like spreading out your payments over several months, or if you don’t want to pay annual fees.  However, if you travel a lot, want top rewards and have the budget for annual fees and full payments each month, a charge card may very well fit the bill.

Although they are not as popular among consumers as they once were, they certainly still have their place in the finance world. You just have to decide if they are a good fit for your situation and needs.