Glossary
A
Annual fee
A set yearly charge for holding a card, separate from the interest and fees you pay as you use it.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay is the built-in wallet on iPhones and watches, and a lot of card issuers include it as a listed extra.
APR
The yearly cost of borrowing, shown as a percentage and including interest and certain fees.
AT_FMA
AT_FMA is the Austrian entry in the payment services register, and each licensed firm carries its own code there.
B
Balance transfer fee
A balance transfer fee is the one-off charge for moving an existing card balance onto a new card.
Balance transfer intro period
A balance transfer intro period is the stretch after a transfer when a card charges no interest on what you moved across.
Banco Central do Brasil
Brazil's central bank, the authority that authorises and supervises the banks and payment firms behind the cards in this comparison.
Banco de Portugal
Portugal's central bank, which issues the licence numbers that confirm a bank or credit intermediary is authorised.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is the central bank of the Philippines, and its name on a card or e-money listing marks the national supervisor.
Bank of Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania is the national authority that licenses and supervises financial market participants in Lithuania.
BE_NBB
BE_NBB is the Belgian label in the European payments register, and every row under it is a payment institution with its own reference.
C
Card kind
The plain label used to sort a card, such as credit, debit or prepaid, when you compare offers.
Card network
The scheme that moves a payment from your card to the shop's terminal or machine.
Card type
Whether a card draws on your own money in an account or on a line of credit.
Cashback rate
A flat cashback rate pays a set share of what you spend back to you, so a higher rate means more returned on every …
Cashback rate
The share of spending paid back to you as credit, usually on selected payments or through a partner.
Central Bank of Armenia
The Central Bank of Armenia is the national authority that licenses banks and issues their registration numbers.
Central Bank of Bahrain
The Central Bank of Bahrain is the national monetary authority named on card and payment products in Bahrain, and it tells you who supervises …
Central Bank of Cyprus
Cyprus's central bank, the supervisor that authorises banks and payment service providers and issues their licence numbers.
Central Bank of Ireland
Ireland's financial regulator, which registers banks, payment institutions and e-money firms and publishes their details.
Central Bank of Ireland (CBI)
The same Irish authority, here covering crypto-asset service provider registrations linked to crypto card accounts.
Central Bank of Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya is the national authority that licenses and supervises banks and payment service providers in Kenya.
Central Bank of Nigeria
The Central Bank of Nigeria is the national authority that licenses and supervises banks and payment service providers in Nigeria.
Central Bank of the UAE
The monetary authority for the United Arab Emirates, which authorises the banks and payment service providers behind the cards in this comparison.
Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV)
The Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores is the Spanish market regulator, and its name appears beside MiCA references for providers of crypto asset …
Credit needed
Credit needed is the rough level of credit standing a card asks for before it will approve you.
Currencies
How many different currencies a card or account can hold and pay out in.
Currency conversion fee
The charge a card issuer adds when you spend or withdraw in a currency other than the one on your account.
Custody
Custody tells you who holds the crypto behind a card: the provider, or you.
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
CySEC is the Cyprus authority that licenses firms providing cryptoasset services, and each licensed firm carries a CASP code.
D
E
F
FDIC
The FDIC is the US deposit insurer, and a certificate number identifies each bank it covers.
Features
Extra functions a card adds, such as holding several currencies or earning rewards on spending.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
The US office that polices anti-money-laundering rules and registers the money services businesses that move customer funds.
Founded
The year a company was set up, which gives you a rough idea of how long it has been around.
FR_ACPR
FR_ACPR is the French authority that licenses banks and payment service providers, and each licensed firm gets a register code.
Free ATM withdrawals
The number of cash machine withdrawals a month that the provider will not charge you for.