10-15 years ago (when I started using paypal) most Europeans didn't have a credit card and most US-based services (and things like Ebay and Dealextreme) didn't accept anything but credit cards and paypal. And this sometimes is still the case.
In France (and I'm going to guess similar rules exist in other EU countries), businesses are required to accept at least 2 different payment options. They choose which 2, for example Apple Store accepts cards or ... cash. Buying a Mac with cash is a funny albeit slightly stressful experience.
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/people_with_credit...
Not sure if it's still true but it also used to be the case in Canada while I lived there a decade ago or so.
Bank cards today seem to be double more and more as Mastercard/VISA debit cards and I think the amount of people bearing credit cards might decrease in the future. At least that's what has been happening with a few people around me.
- Debit card: payment is immediately subtracted from the bank account. "Normal". No charge backs. Accepted almost everywhere. No or nearly no charge per transaction (for the user). Return debit possible (when returning an item)
- Credit card: payments either summed as a loan or monthly charged from the bank account. Charge backs possible. Costs additional money each year, and some transactions may also cost 10 or 15 cents. Not accepted everywhere, mostly in diners or super markets - not in most retail stores. Most people don't have a credit card and/or don't use it regularly.
It was also the case 10-15 years ago. The usage has became much higher, but it was already all right by then.
Except Germany, for cultural reasons.
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/people_with_credit...
Technically a CC, feels like a DC. Thats my experience in EU a I worked in Banking in many countries .
The only good way I've found to use the card is through Paypal, ironically. At least this way I can see, down to the minute, what I spent and where, which the bank is unable or unwilling to show me.
A credit card is, well, a credit with rates etc. You may pay a part and the rest runs as a credit. You have a specific contact for that. Also a credit card can be issues without a backing bank account. Our cards always (in practical sense) are backed by an account.
This is not how the cards work in the EU. You have delayed debit but no credit (formally - in practice you spend the money of the bank obviously, but you have to pay in full after 30-45 days).
American Express is a system that is used by companies (for various reasons) and this IS a credit card, but people use it for business related reasons and its delivery is triggered by the company.
Is it common in Spain to use CC, as opposed to Debit Cards (usually delayed payment ones)?
I don't think it's super common to use them day to day as I do. People often use them to split payments for big ticket items. But by using it, I get percentages when buying food and other specific items, so I just run the card and pay it off immediately.