留英准备：七种英国银行卡的区别-新东方前途出国

    　　即将去英国留学的同学们，免不了要跟英国的银行打交道，不知大家对英国银行的服务项目和其所提供的银行卡类型有多少了解？英国目前主要有七种银行卡，下面就为同学们简单地介绍一下这方面的信息：

    　　英国留学生到达学校后，要尽快开设银行账户，留学生在英国学习期间，很有可能会享受到英国银行所提供的，一些国内银行目前尚未开展的服务，一是因为英国的金融业非常发达，二也是因为英国银行完善的服务。以下介绍英国银行常用的项目服务类别：

    1.  cash card

    　　A cash card can be those cards that you can insert into an ATM or other cash dispenser, or a pre-paid credit card, or a card with a preset cash value from a particular store (Costco or Subway)， which is read by a cash card reader and used to pay for products or services at that retailer。

    　　英国银行的现金卡，英文称呼为Cash Card，它主要的作用是帮助持卡人在银行或ATM机上存取现金。

    2.  cheque guarantee card

    　　A cheque guarantee card is essentially an abbreviated portable letter of credit granted by a bank to a qualified depositor, providing that when he is paying a business by cheque and the retailer

    　　writes the card number on the back of the cheque, the cheque was signed in the retailer's presence, and the retailer verifies the signature on the cheque against the signature on the card, then the cheque cannot be stopped and payment cannot be refused by the bank。

    　　英国银行的支票保证卡，英文称呼为Cheque guarantee Card，它主要的作用是在使用支票时出示，以作为支付保证，支票保证卡上会被注明担保的金额，也就是持卡人每次可以开具支票的最高额度。

    3.  debit card

    　　Debit cards usually allow for instant withdrawal of cash, acting as the ATM card for withdrawing cash and as a check guarantee card. Merchants may also offer cashback facilities to customers, where a customer can withdraw cash along with their purchase。

    　　英国银行的借记卡，英文称呼为Debit Card，它主要作用是帮助持卡人在商场里刷卡消费，这样持卡人所消费的费用都会直接通过银行的结算，从相应的账户上扣除。

    　　(英国银行对以上三种卡会采取合并的形式，将上述的功能统一到一张银行卡上，方便客户的使用。)

    4.  credit card

    　　A credit card allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services.A credit card is different from a charge card: a charge card requires the balance to be paid in full each month. A credit card also differs from a cash card, which can be used like currency by the owner of the card。

    　　英国银行的信用卡，英文称呼为Credit Card，它主要的作用是透支消费。如果留学生的信用纪录比较好，在申请并经过审核后，英国银行就会为留学生提供一张信用卡，允许留学生从中透支部分资金，而后再定期还款。

    5. current account

    　　In economics, the current account is one of the two primary components of the balance of payments, the other being the capital account。

    　　英国银行的现金账户，英文称呼是Current account，主要是用来存取日常开支的账户，账户利息很低或没有利息。

    6.  savings account

    　　Savings accounts are accounts maintained by retail financial institutions that pay interest but cannot be used directly as money (for example, by writing a cheque)。

    　　英国银行的存款账户，英文称呼是Saving account，主要是用来存款的账户，利息较高但是不能支付支票，如果需要提取现金需要和银行提前预约。

    7.  overdraft

    　　An overdraft

    　　occurs when money is withdrawn from a bank account and the available balance goes below zero. In this situation the account is said to be "overdrawn". If there is a prior agreement with the account provider for an overdraft, and the amount overdrawn is within the authorized overdraft limit, then interest is normally charged at the agreed rate。

    　　英国的透支服务，英文称呼是Overdraft，一般来说英国银行是支持透支的，如果留学生需要透支，可以与银行进行协商，部分银行会同意为留学生提供一定额度的无偿透支，而更多的银行会要求有偿透支，也就是说留学生要提前支付透支利息。