You think a credit card is just a tool. It is not.

For millions, credit cards have become something far more dangerous – a symbol of identity, a shortcut to perceived success, and a socially accepted disguise for debt.

The heavy metal card, the airport lounge access , the brag-worthy cashback – these are not rewards. They are bait. We have turned borrowed money into a badge of honour, and in doing so, confused visibility with value.

This is not just about overspending. It is about how status is sold, how financial anxiety is dressed up as prestige, and how the illusion keeps spreading.

In this piece, I will unpack how credit cards have come to represent personal status, why that illusion works so well, and what it is really costing people: financially, emotionally, and cultural

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