A hundred years ago, the average family was not pleased to go into debt to afford everyday living. Accounts at the neighborhood stores or at the department store were as far as most people could go in terms of extending their credit to obtain services or goods without immediate payment. The status of being in debt has changed to one of being perceived to participate in consumer spending and popular retail buying culture. The good credit cards charge excess fees and return more value for spending than exploitative or "ripoff" credit cards. But many consumers need credit card help to sort through the fine print.

One's earnings used to dictate spending and budgets. But today individual consumers rely heavily on financial instruments and loans in the form of credit card charges and credit card use. The average household has not one or two but at least a half dozen credit cards and uses them actively, a fact the good credit card companies actively bet on for volume application.

The good credit cards have benefits that warrant getting credit card help to obtain them. Instant credit cards and zero interest rate financing can also result from getting credit card help.

In the 1970's merchant banks went looking for new revenue streams of income and discovered the financial instrument in the form of the credit card. A few banks dipped their toes in the waters and found that millions and millions of account holders were willing to go immediately into debt using the credit card as a discretionary spending device.

The commercial pressure to compete with lenders for the massive revenue in fees and interest charges caused other financial institutions to follow suit. But the evolution of credit card products has allowed some specialization in the product tiers of credit cards available.

The world of debt is scary to many borrowers and the complex language employed to explain and outline credit card terms can be confusing or hard to understand. The dense boilerplate fine print often stipulates hidden credit line minimums, spending requirements or secured deposit requirements some credit cards can make part of the application process. Some users often need an explanation and credit card help understanding why cash advances, foreign ATM access, and currency conversions have hidden costs or fees as well.