This is the agreement that you sign once you have been approved for the credit card. The written statement that gives the terms and conditions of a credit card account and you have to sign to indicate that you understand it before you can have a credit card account.

The cardholder agreement must include certain kinds of information as required by Federal Reserve regulations. It must include the Annual Percentage Rate, the monthly minimum payment formula, annual fee if applicable, and the cardholder's rights in billing disputes.

One thing to be wary of when you are looking at credit cards is that the card issuer can make changes in the cardholder agreement with only about two weeks written advance notice at any time.

I have applied for a credit card but the rules in the credit card holder agreement are different and even same to break the law in my state?  What's going on?

Rules for imposing changes vary from state to state, but the rules that apply are those of the home state of the issuing bank, not the home state of the cardholder.