# Cash back when purchasing with debit card **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939 "2003-05-28T03:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Donut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Donut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donut)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/21 "2003-05-29T01:51:50Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by amarone_ > retailers lose more from their own employees than from shoplifting Do you have a site for this? I expect it’s true for fast food places and corner stores, but it flys against my (admittedly often wrong) common sense in the case of big department stores like Wal-Mart. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/22 "2003-05-29T04:25:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Donut \* > \*\*Do you have a site for this? I expect it’s true for fast food places and corner stores, but it flys against my (admittedly often wrong) common sense in the case of big department stores like Wal-Mart. \*\* Well, I could claim to be an “expert witness” as I work for a company that develops retail software, including loss prevention reports. [But here is a cite.](http://onlineretailing.about.com/library/weekly/aa001122a.htm) For those that do not want to follow the link, the key figures are that 44.5% of shrink is down to employee theft and 32.7% shoplifting. One of the main reasons that employee theft is bigger is that a dishonest employee can rip off far more than the typical shoplifter - nearly 10 times as much is quoted in the article I linked. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/23 "2003-05-29T05:31:48Z")
POS use for debit cards do get charged a fee by the bank to the consumer ($1 a month (if used)at bofa). The reason stores want you to use the card as an atm card is that they don’t get charged interchange fees by visa/mc for the purchase (anywhere from 1%-5%). Asking if you want extra cash is simply a courtesy. It doesn’t cost nor benefit either party in a merchant transaction. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/24 "2003-05-29T05:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*Whatever fee is charged by one’s bank for using an ATM will generally be charged for a POS purchase. \*\* Really? I always thought debit cards functioned like credit cards - does this mean I’m paying $.99 per POS transaction? (That’s what my bank charges for ATM use for non-bank customers, I think). If so, it was never specifically enumerated on my bill - maybe it was just tacked onto the price of the transaction and I never noticed it. I guess I’ll test it out. Sometimes when I’m short on cash I’ll make $2-5 purchases on debit - which will stop if I’m paying an extra $1 for the transaction. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/25 "2003-05-29T07:15:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JCorre \* > \*\*POS use for debit cards do get charged a fee by the bank to the consumer ($1 a month (if used)at bofa). The reason stores want you to use the card as an atm card is that they don’t get charged interchange fees by visa/mc for the purchase (anywhere from 1%-5%). Asking if you want extra cash is simply a courtesy. It doesn’t cost nor benefit either party in a merchant transaction. \*\* Unless, like me, you have “really free checking” and that includes a fee-free debit card. One interesting point … some fast food places around here take debit cards … but they charge a .49 to .79 fee. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/26 "2003-05-29T14:51:08Z")
My credit union charges a $1.00 each time I use my debit MasterCard as a debit card. Ridiculous, I know, but it’s true. So I always use mine as a credit card unless I need cash back. Banks around here charge something like $2.50 per non-cardholder withdrawals, along with the $1.50 my credit union charges!!! I would much rather pay the $1 fee than the $4 fee. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/27 "2003-05-30T00:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fat Bald Guy \* > Not so with a credit card. Most credit cards have different interest rates for purchases and cash advances, so you can’t mix the two on the same transaction. I’ve been using my Discover card for years to get cash back at the supermarket, and there’s never been a fee or interest. The cash back is just included in the amount charged. The first time, I specifically asked the supermarket management if there was a fee, and they said no. I checked my next statements carefully - no fee. This is how it’s been working, regardless of cash advance-specific terms. I suppose the supermarket could be paying some additional fee and including it in the overall cost of items, as it does for non-cashback credit card transactions. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/28 "2003-05-30T01:58:25Z")
How can you tell if you’re using a debit card as a debit card or a debit card as a credit card? Is it the difference between punching in your PIN or signing? ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939/29 "2003-05-30T02:20:33Z")
Yes, **SenorBeef**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-back-when-purchasing-with-debit-card/177939.md?page=1)