What article do we need in this example?

Question

1. They offer several payment methods, one of them being a credit card.

2. They offer several payment methods, one of them being the credit card.

3. They offer several payment methods, one of them being credit card.

Answer 1

Technically, all three could work. The item is going to be a "payment method". Thus, your parenthethical-- what's separated from the rest of the sentence-- is going to talk about one of the options. So, there is nothing wrong with saying a, the, or an omission. I will say, however, that the a sounds the best because you are talking about a single method. But the works in the way that you are talking about the credit card as general method, not a single item from that class. With the omitted article, you are getting a little sticky. It doesn't really flow off of the tongue as well as the other options, but is it wrong? I say not. When you say it aloud, it simply sounds like you are, again, talking about a general option of payment. It would work the same way if you exchanged "credit card" for "cash" or something of the sort.

Answer 2

One of them paying with a credit card