A check card is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. Physically the card is an ISO 7810 card like a credit card; however, its functionality is more similar to writing a check as the funds are withdrawn directly from either the cardholder's bank account (often referred to as a debit card), or from the remaining balance on a gift card.
Credit cards are issued after a bank account has been approved by the credit provider, after which credit card holders can use it to make purchases at merchants accepting that credit card.