Most credit cards give you the option of withdrawing a cash advance from your line of credit on your card. You just go to any ATM, and use your credit card to withdraw cash as if it were a debit card. This might seem like an attractive option—sometimes cash is just handier than using plastic. In theory, it seems like it should be the same as using your credit card to purchase goods for an equivalent amount. Unfortunately, people who use their cards to get cash advances while under this impression are in for a big shock.