A
charge card is a means of obtaining a very short term (usually around 1 month) loan for a purchase. It is similar to a
credit card, except that the contract with the card issuer requires that the cardholder must each month pay charges made to it in full -- there is no "minimum payment" other than the full balance. Since there is no loan, there is no official interest. A partial payment (or no payment) results in a severe late fee (as much as 5% of the balance) and the possible restriction of future transactions and risk of potential cancellation of the card.