# cash, check, debit card, credit card **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289 "2011-12-15T09:49:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/21 "2011-12-15T17:23:47Z")
Debit for just about everything. The only exception, as someone else mentioned, is if I’m in a small store and I have the cash-- then I’d prefer to pay cash and save them the merchant fees. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/22 "2011-12-15T17:31:07Z")
Cash for small-ish purchases (and, of course, vending machines). Credit card for larger purchases, gasoline, and on-line spending. Checks for mailing in payments (e.g. rent) and on relatively rare occasions when it’s the most convenient way to give someone a payment. Debit card never; why not just use a credit card instead? ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/23 "2011-12-15T17:41:07Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I can carry all of the cash in my bank account on one thin little card. I like to know what my account balance is before anything comes out. I do that by handling my banking online, so I know that the payment to ABC Company deducts $X from the account. It would drive me crazy to be spending with a debit card and not knowing, outside of a rough estimate, what my balance was at any given time. Personal preference, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/24 "2011-12-15T17:43:16Z")
Credit card whenever possible for rewards. Balance paid off every month. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/25 "2011-12-15T17:51:44Z")
I use mostly cash for things I buy face to face and I pay my bills electronically. I don’t like using credit cards unless it is a larger purchase (over 200) as I don’t like the vendor getting hit with the discount and transaction fees. Especially with reward cards which often have them paying 6 or 7%! On smaller purchases, this can eat up profits pretty quick. I also spend less when I know I can only use the cash in my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/26 "2011-12-15T18:13:33Z")
Let’s see… Check for the rent, but occasionally this past year part or sometimes entirely cash. Credit card when traveling, but cash for gas. Cash for small purchases and laundry. Food stamps for groceries. Either debit or cash for non-food groceries, depending on amount and how much cash I have in my pocket. Automatic payment for the phone bill. Yeah, it’s kind of all over the place, and subject to change from time to time (when I get off food stamps will I use debit or credit for groceries? Not sure yet). ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/27 "2011-12-15T18:26:18Z")
Cash for small purchases but in practice almost never used, debit occasionally but credit most of the time. I (now, this is recent) have no carryover credit card debt. I pay all my bills online - the last time I wrote a check was only a couple weeks ago but it was the first to set up an ongoing authorized withdrawl for my new TFSA mutual fund. The last cheque before that was years ago. I’ve been at my current address for almost 5 years and I’m on cheque # 5. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/28 "2011-12-15T18:26:58Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > \ > > Debit card never; why not just use a credit card instead? We try very hard to not spend more than we make each month, and credit unhooks you from that too easily. When I use my debit card, I have to have the actual money in the bank to draw from, not theoretical credit. Using a credit card instead of debit would kind of work the same way, if you realize what your limits are and don’t go over them and pay off the balance each month, but it takes some discipline, and not everyone is that disciplined with money (hell, as we all probably know, most of us are not that disciplined with money, the way everyone in North America is so far in the hole). I use my debit card almost exclusively, using my credit card for online purches (which are not all that frequent), and cash for small purchases like gum. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/29 "2011-12-15T18:30:52Z")
Credit Card, always - Cash/Debit card loses 2-3+% of purchases because of Cash-back (2% fidelity AMEX, 3% in special categories with certain cards/or from the merchant themselves, ie 5% from target). Cash would cost me at least an additional $700 a year and I don’t want to piss away that kind of money. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/30 "2011-12-15T18:38:00Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I can carry all of the cash in my bank account on one thin little card. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > That’s also the down side to it. AFAIK, all debit cards have a $300/day transaction limit, so there’s no way anyone with those numbers would be able to get at all the cash in your bank account if you should have the card stolen or the # used by someone you didn’t authorize to use it. Really, losing all your money because of a debit card isn’t a worry unless you only have $250 to your name. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/31 "2011-12-15T18:41:02Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > AFAIK, all debit cards have a $300/day transaction limit, so there’s no way anyone with those numbers would be able to get at all the cash in your bank account if you should have the card stolen or the # used by someone you didn’t authorize to use it. You sure? I’ve put close to $1000 on my debit card in one transaction before, no special call to the bank needed, before or after. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/32 "2011-12-15T18:44:11Z")
I prefer cash but I use my Cabelas card for almost everything. I don’t carry a balance so I figure the 1-3% in points that I’m earning is worth it. So far I’ve gotten some clothes and a free smoker out of the deal. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/33 "2011-12-15T18:51:40Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > That’s also the down side to it. There are numerous controls to keep someone from fraudulently using my card. First it has my picture on it, so unless Brad Pitt steals my card, the merchant’s gonna know it’s not me using it. 😉 Second, you have 60 days to report any fraudulent transactions on your account and you have zero responsibility for them. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/34 "2011-12-15T19:03:17Z")
First: No annual fee rewards credit card, paid off every month. They add up fast. Last year, my family got 3 plane tickets and 6 hotel nights in Hawaii free. Only needed to pay for one plane ticket, rental car, and food, which we paid for using rewards credit cards. Next: cash if they don’t take credit cards or it’s a really small amount, say under $10. Also cash if paying for lunch while eating with a group from work. Occasionally I will pay cash for a gift for my wife, so she doesn’t see it on the credit card statement and know (a) what she’s getting and (b) how much it cost. Check for school donations and property taxes (Los Angeles County will let you pay your property tax on-line, but they charge a processing fee - screw that) Debit card: never. Why pay now when I can pay at the end of the month? Why hit the store with a bigger transaction fee? Paypal: never-ever-ever-again-they-can-burn-in-hell-bummer-I’ll-have-to-lose-my-charter-membership-here-but-screw-them-they’re-never-getting-another-dime-from-me. Personal reasons. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/35 "2011-12-15T19:11:25Z")
Cash. I write about 5 checks a month to pay my bills, and use a credit card for online purchases. Anything else I buy is bought with cash. I find it much easier to control my spending when I have to use cash. I’ve thought about the credit card for cashback thing. Does anyone have a recommendation for a card that provides the best cashback option? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/36 "2011-12-15T19:43:25Z")
Credit card. It has better rewards than debit, is safer, and doesn’t drain the account. I use debit if it is easier at the time, or if I need cash back and it’s offered there (usually grocery stores). Cash if I want to get rid of it, or it’s faster, or for places like bars/pubs where I don’t want to run a tab. Checks almost never, usually if I owe someone money. I never carry a balance or intentionally accrue interest on my credit card. Most debit cards have a $300 dollar a day **ATM** transaction limit, and the POS limit is usually something like $750 or $1000 when you buy somewhere. This is the **default** and you can usually ask your bank to up your limits. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/37 "2011-12-15T20:10:00Z")
I’m self-employed and get paid various ways - by check (usually), cash (sometimes) and via PayPal (sometimes, I use their debit card.) So…it depends. Checks always for basic regular bills - mortgage, water, cell, utilities, insurance and so on. Paypal or credit card for online purchases. Any of the above for whatever else I’m spending money on depending what’s most convenient at the time. I rarely use my bank debit card; once in a while to withdraw cash. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289/38 "2011-12-15T20:21:52Z")
Cash - definately anything under $20, often anything under $40 Credit card - everything else On-line banking - pay off the credit card monthy, and pay anything that used to require mailing a check. I actually like keeping my credit card statement short enough that I can quickly scan it for activity that isn’t mine. If I put every $5 transaction on the cc, I could easily miss something. By only putting the larger transactions on it, the list is shorter, and I’m more likely to remember that yes, I did pay for that. Grocery store down the street? Yep, mind. Grocery store across town - Nope, I didn’t shop there this month. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-check-debit-card-credit-card/606289.md?page=1)