Pay by Credit Card: Meaning, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：pay by credit card (pay by credit card)

pay by credit card 🔊

/peɪ baɪ ˈkrɛdɪt kɑːrd/

v.phr.

To make a payment using a credit card, which allows you to buy things now and pay the bank back later.

Customer paying by credit card at a cafe counter

pay by credit card 🔊

➕

/peɪ baɪ ˈkrɛdɪt kɑːrd/

v.phr.

To make a payment using a credit card, allowing the buyer to defer the payment and pay the bank later.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Pay (Latin pacare), credit (Latin credere, trust), card (Greek chartes, papyrus).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'Pay by credit card' = 'Pay later, trust now'. Imagine a card as a key to future money.

📖 Example

When I bought the new headphones online, I chose to pay by credit card because it's safe and convenient. 🔊 When I bought the new headphones online, I chose to pay by credit card because it's safe and convenient.

🔗 Collocations

pay with a credit card – Same as 'pay by credit card'

charge to a credit card – To put the cost on a credit card account

settle by credit card – To complete the payment using a credit card

🔄 Synonyms

make a credit card payment (v.phr.) – To pay using a credit card

use a card to pay (v.phr.) – To make a payment with any card, including credit

pay with plastic (v.phr.) – Colloquial term for paying by credit card

🚫 Antonyms

pay by cash (v.phr.) – To pay using physical currency

pay by check (v.phr.) – To pay using a written check

pay in installments (v.phr.) – To pay over time, often without a credit card

🌱 Derivatives

credit cardholder (n.) – A person who owns and uses a credit card

credit card debt (n.) – Money owed from using a credit card

credit card payment (n.) – An instance of paying by credit card

📖 Cultural Story

The first universal credit card was introduced by Diners Club in 1950, allowing deferred payment. 'Credit' originates from Latin credere (to trust), reflecting the lender's trust in the borrower.