cash card

IPA/ˈkæʃ kɑːd/
IPA/ˈkæʃ kɑːrd/

cash card — noun

1. a plastic card from your bank that lets you pull cash out of a machine (also cal

1.nounB1
Definition

a plastic card from your bank that lets you pull cash out of a machine (also called an ATM)

Example

Mei-Ling used her cash card to withdraw money for the weekend market.

collocation: use a cash card to withdraw money

The ATM swallowed Joaquín's cash card after he entered the wrong PIN three times.

Common collocations
  • use a cash card
  • insert a cash card
  • withdraw money with a cash card
  • cash card PIN
  • a new cash card
Synonyms
  • ATM card

    very similar, though 'ATM card' is the broader and more common term in American English

  • bank card

    a wider term that can also mean a debit or credit card issued by a bank

Usage Note

Distinguish from a debit card: a cash card usually only lets you withdraw cash from an ATM, while a debit card can also be used to pay for goods in shops and online.

Common Mistakes

I paid for my shopping with my cash card.
I paid for my shopping with my debit card.
a cash card is mainly for taking money out of a cash machine; a debit card is what you use to pay for things in shops.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A cash card and an ATM card are very close in meaning — both let you take money out of a cash machine. In everyday use, 'ATM card' is more common in American English, while 'cash card' is widely used in British English. A debit card does everything a cash card does but also lets you pay for things directly in shops and online, with the money taken straight from your bank account. A credit card is different altogether: it lets you borrow money from the bank to pay now and settle the bill later. If you only need to get cash from a machine, any of these cards will work; but only a debit or credit card can be used at a shop checkout.

ATM carddebit card ↗credit card

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • insert a cash card
  • withdraw cash

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle FrenchLatinEnglish

A compound noun formed from 'cash' (money in the form of notes and coins, from Middle French 'caisse' meaning a money box or chest) and 'card' (from Latin 'charta', meaning a leaf of paper). The term 'cash card' appeared in the late 20th century alongside the spread of automated teller machines (ATMs), when banks began issuing dedicated plastic cards for cash withdrawal.