Is it permissible to own credit cards that have contracts that say you must pay with interest if you don't pay back within a certain time. And I make sure I always pay on time. Because I live in the west where it is extremely difficult to live without having a credit card.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: > “The Visa card includes a usurious condition: if I delay payment, they impose a fine. But where I live in America, I cannot rent a car, a place, or access many public services without a Visa card. If I avoid using it, I’ll face severe hardship. So, if I commit to paying on time so that no interest applies, is it permissible for me to use it in this situation of hardship?” He answered: > If the hardship is certain, and the likelihood of delay in payment is weak, then I hope there is no problem in using it. Question: Does the presence of an invalid (usurious) condition nullify the entire contract? Answer: Even if the contract includes an invalid condition, it does not necessarily invalidate the contract, for several reasons: 1. Necessity (ḍarūrah). 2. Because the usurious condition does not actually occur — the person strongly assumes that he will pay on time. Thus, since he expects to pay in full and the usurious condition is not realized, and given the necessity — which is the key point here — I hope there is no sin in using it. Because what is certain here is necessity, and what is doubtful is delay in payment; so it is more appropriate to give priority to what is certain. And Allah knows best.