What is a credit card nickname? (2024)

A credit card nickname is a phrase to help you tell your cards apart when shopping or managing your finances online. It can come in handy if you’ve saved more than one credit card to your account on a favorite retailer’s website, for example. And in that sense, it makes the payment process more convenient, helping you avoid charging something to the wrong card.

You can also use a credit card nickname on sites like WalletHubto distinguish between the accounts on your credit report.

Here’s how credit card nicknames work:

• When you save a credit card as a payment method on a website, the site may ask you to set a credit card nickname.
• The nickname can be anything you want, but it’s best to pick something that will easily allow you to identify the card you want to use without having to compare the numbers. For example, you could call it “Bob’s Chase Visa”.
• Using a credit card nickname that describes the card’s benefits can help you get the best terms for each transaction. This could be “1% cash back” or “double miles on travel,” for example.
• Credit card nicknames prevent anyone looking over your shoulder from seeing your credit card numbers.

Credit cards themselves have a few nicknames. You might hear people refer to them as “plastic”, “plastic money” or “bank cards” (although these terms can apply to debit cards too). And if you’re wondering whether you can put your nickname on a credit card, rather than your legal name, some issuers – like American Express– allow it. But not all will.