Plastic money

When someone carries money in a purse, there is always a chance that a thief may seize it and run away with it. People in many countries now do not carry paper money. Instead, they carry a plastic card, which can buy nearly everything. They also call it a credit card.

In , the credit card has the owner’s name and a special number. When the card is given to a salesman, he makes a copy of it and the bill goes to his bank. In this way, no money is carried and the thief loses his chance to steal money.

It is very difficult for a thief to use a stolen credit card. The reason is that the card owner has signed the card. If the thief tries to use the card, he must sign the name of the owner in exactly the same way. Most salesmen can immediately tell the difference between the two signature.

The card can be used to buy anything in a shopping mall. An American may buy clothes, food, medicine and furniture on the same shopping trip. Nearly everything can be bought with the credit card because it is safe. However, Americans will carry a small amount of money to buy some things like newspapers, magazines, gum and candy. If the price of a product is very low, it is more convenient to use cash than a credit card.