[Pearls Before Swine]

About 20 years ago, one of my kids, then about 8 or so, asked me why the credit card companies gave you these credit cards. I replied, they do it because they hope you'll screw up, not pay, and they can charge you big penalties. Then I added, "Almost no one, except possibly your family, does anything for you for free."

When I related the conversation to my wife, she said, "Harsh." "But, True."

[Republican Wildcat]

Well it isn’t free even if you don’t carry a balance - every store that accepts the card pays a fee for each and every transaction the card is used for. That’s why they entice you to use the card even more with cash back bonuses even if you never carry a balance. Those that do that not only don’t pay anything for the card, but get paid for using it.