Card pages are written in shorthand. Here are the letters you will meet, grouped by where they show up.
On your card
- APR
- Annual percentage rate. The yearly cost of borrowing. Cards often have one APR for purchases and another for cash advances.
- APY
- Annual percentage yield. The yearly return on savings after compounding. Used for deposits, not loans.
- AU
- Authorized user. A person added to your account who can spend on it, usually with their own card.
- FX fee
- Foreign transaction fee. A percentage charged on purchases made in another currency or processed abroad.
- DCC
- Dynamic currency conversion. A shop or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, often at a poor rate.
On your credit file
- FICO
- The best-known family of credit scores, produced by Fair Isaac. Lenders use several versions.
- VantageScore
- A competing score model created by the three credit bureaus.
- Utilization
- The share of your credit limit that is in use. Lower is generally better for your score.
- Hard inquiry
- A lender checks your credit because you applied. It can lower your score a little for a while.
- Soft inquiry
- A check that does not count against you, such as checking your own file or a pre-approval offer.
Points and travel
- CPP
- Cents per point. How much one point is worth when you redeem it. See what a point is worth.
- SUB
- Sign-up bonus. A reward for opening a card and meeting the spending requirement.
- MSR
- Minimum spend requirement. The amount you must spend to qualify for a sign-up bonus.
- PNR
- Passenger name record. The booking reference an airline uses for your reservation.
- IATA
- The airline trade body whose three-letter codes identify airports and carriers, such as LHR or LAX.
Rules that protect you
- FCRA
- Fair Credit Reporting Act. Gives you rights over what is in your credit file and how it is used.
- FDCPA
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Limits how third-party debt collectors may contact you.
- ECOA
- Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Bans discrimination in lending on protected grounds.
- CFPB
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A US agency that supervises financial firms and takes complaints.
- FTC
- Federal Trade Commission. A US agency that handles scams, identity theft and unfair business practices.
How to read an offer
When a card or bank offer is full of abbreviations, look for four numbers: the APR or APY, the yearly fee, any foreign transaction fee, and the spending needed for a bonus. Then look for the date the offer ends. Everything else is detail you can read next.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between APR and APY?
APR is the yearly cost of borrowing, usually shown as a simple annual rate. APY is the yearly return on savings after compounding is included. Borrowing is quoted in APR, saving in APY.
Which abbreviations matter most for a newcomer?
Start with APR, FICO, the credit report and score, utilization, and FX fee. Those five shape what you pay and what lenders see.
Sources
Written from these pages and checked against them on October 5, 2026. Programs and rules change, so check the provider’s current terms before you decide.
General information, not financial, legal or travel advice. Your own card terms and the provider’s current rules always come first.