信用交易又称"保证金交易"，也叫垫头交易，是指证券交易的当事人在买卖证券时，只向证券公司交付一定的保证金，或者只向证券公司交付一定的证券，而由证券公司提供融资或者融券进行交易。因此，信用交易具体分为融资买进和融券卖出两种。也就是说，客户在买卖证券时仅向证券公司支付一定数额的保证金或交付部分证券，其应当支付的价款和应交付的证券不足时，由证券公司进行垫付，而代理进行证券的买卖交易。其中，融资买人证券为"买空"，融券卖出证券为"卖空"。

英文中有Margin Trading一说，具体释义如下：Margin trading, or “buying on margin,” means borrowing money from your brokerage company, and using that money to buy stocks. Put simply, you’re taking out a loan, buying stocks with the lent money, and repaying that loan — typically with interest — at a later date.

Buying on margin has some serious appeal compared with using cash, but it’s important to understand that with the potential for higher returns, there’s also more risk. Margin trading is a form of leverage, which investors use to magnify their returns. However, if the investment doesn’t go as planned, that means losses can be magnified, too.

（https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/what-is-a-margin-trading-account-and-how-does-it-work）

供参考。