Sometimes I think that they should not be called credit cards. I think that more appropriate nomenclature would be convenience cards or lifestyle cards. Because credit cards do tend to have a lifestyle altering effect.
Without doubt credit cards come in handy at times when you have to suddenly expend above average money. That is where a common application of credit cards is in the form of Christmas shopping. When you are trying to spread that holiday cheer, it sure helps when you have a line of credit in your pocket.
But it is more than that. If you look at all the promotions that are prevalent around Xmas time, you will see that there is more to it that just a line of credit. For instant, given the higher spends that issuers expect, they routinely provide extra Christmas benefits, such as cash back deals, extended warranty coverage programs, extra mileage points and reward programs.
Interestingly, this form of festival cheer is quite the global phenomenon. The US naturally leads in consumer spending. But other countries, for example, Australia, also have amazing deals on credit cards during Christmas.
So let us draw a picture. You have to buy last...