We’ve never used a debit card; always had a credit card. Now we’re thinking of switching and just getting rid of the credit card.
Advantages? Disadvantages?
Especially any pitfalls I may not have heard about?
Thanks.
The only drawback to a debit card (other than it not extending credit, of course) is that you can’t generally use one to rent a car. It has to do with how a preauthorization works, and it’s stupidly complicated, but if you only have a debit card, then they treat your rental like a cash rental, which is more expensive up front (although refunded when you return the car.)
Also, of course, a debit card won’t help you build credit. If you’re older and own your own home and building credit is not important to you, then that’s OK. But if you’re young and still getting started in life, the best thing to do is use your credit card a little bit and pay it off in full at the end of each billing cycle.
Generally, I’d recommend keeping your credit card but not using it, or using it very little.
I always use a Credit card with places I do not totally trust, obviously it is paid off in full every month.
I’ve only twice had people delving into it, but it is handy having a firewall between skimmers and my bank account.
For large purchases I use a Debit card, but only if I 98% trust the vendors.
Actually I know rather a lot about clearing plastic transactions, silly sods started demanding a full copy of Track II and then, too late, realized that they were creating a skimmer’s paradise.
A credit card is limited by it’s credit limit.
A debit card is limited by how much money you have in your account.
Credit cards are for buying with someone else’s money that you will pay back later with interest.
Debit cards are for buying with your own money.
Credit cards stop working when they are over their limit.
Debit cards put your account overdrawn and charge you overdraft fees when over their limit.
Credit cards build credit.
Debit cards don’t.
Debit cards can get you cash advances from ATMs for free if it’s your own banks ATM.
Credit cards can get you cash advances with huge interest charges.
A debit card with a Visa/Mastercard logo will be accepted everywhere a Visa/Mastercard credit card is accepted.
One thing I hate about using a credit card is that I feel (irrationally) that I’m paying for something twice. I pay for it, and feel like I’ve paid for it on the card, then get a bill a few weeks later and feel like I have to pay for the damn thing again. But yes, keep the CC, just use the debit for most things. If you don’t have my psychological hang-up, though, some CCs have cash back or airline miles to consider.
I am trying to not use my credit card so I use the debit card for convenience but knowing that I can’t spend more than I have.
I prefer debit to credit at the store because I can type the PIN rather than having to sign anything.
I use a debit card for 99% of my purchases, groceries, gas, shopping, dining etc. I use it for online stuff, too, but I don’t buy much online. And I have a credit card that I rarely use. i have it just for, I don’t know, security or something. The idea is that you budget your money and spend it either in cash or via your debit card. It’s easy to spend money tou don’t have with a credit card, but if you try that with a debit card you will quickly be overdrawn and in trouble. So it can help to keep you on your budget.
It depends on your lifestyle and you your budget and your goals. If you want to control our spending a debit is better (IMO). If you already have your spending under control, credit cards do offer points or miles or"'rewards" that can be a nice bonus and it’s all one bill.
What’s this about skimming? You’re making me nervous–I use my debit card all the time (I even just bought a plane ticket with it).
Credit, ATM and Debit Cards: What to do if They’re Lost or Stolen
Source: Latest News - News Viewer - MarketWatch
Bottom line - Credit cards and debit cards are not the same thing and do not have the same protections. Generally speaking, if you are in a dispute over a credit card transaction, your money is not held up. If your are in a dispute over a debit card transaction, the money in question is yours and you may not have access to it.
Keep your credit card. Get a debit card.
It depends on the company. I just got a rental through Alamo at the Cleveland airport and paid with my business incentive card which is a debit card. The only thing different was I have to show evidence that I’m actually flying out from that airport. It may also be because I prepaid online, I’m getting the car the 21st.
Oh BTW, I’m really loving alamo right now…they give a discount if you prepay for your rental so I saved 50 bucks on a weeks rental. 
The most important difference between the two comes down to this. An account authorized for electronic transfers of money like a debit card, sticks you with the problem of pursuing remuneration via the judicial system if your account is incorrectly withdrawn from. Some banks are starting to take some responsibilities for this, but most don’t. Blame Bush and Congress for changing the laws, making it clear that the banks and the businesses you do transactions with are not responsible, but you are. The local store or overseas scam artist is your problem. Never keep larger sums than you need to in a debit card accessible account. A large bank could pursue the international and local fraud so much better than an individual, but they lobbied Congress and you didn’t. Some dopers have admitted to being drained in this way of thousands of dollars.
Welcome back! So, what’s the dark side of the moon like (which is where you’ve must have been living not to have a debit card yet)? 
Anyway, with debit cards you don’t have to get foreign cash before you go out of country. Just go to a local ATM machine when you arrive and get cash there. You usually have to pay a flat fee of a couple of bucks, but you get the bank rate for the transaction. No more nasty travelers checks that no one wants to cash.
This is false in most circumstances. You will not pay any interest if you pay your balance in full each month. Now if your CC account is not funded properly each month (to cover the amount you owe), you will incur interest charges, but just like a debit card if you withdrew more then you have and tapped into overdraft. The difference is that you have a grace period to pay back the CC in full with no extra fees, but tap into overdraft on a debit card and you will be paying interest.
Another big issue, CC’s have consumer protection LAWS, while DC’s have bank promises, which is subject to change without notice at the whims of the bank.
I have both a debit and credit card. I only use the debit card for ATM cash withdrawals.
In addition to the reasons listed in above posts that favor CC use, I’ll add the following:
Why use your own money when you can use the CC company’s money free for a month or more?
Now, this depends on paying the credit card off entirely every month so you don’t incur interest charges.
Also, one monthly check to a CC company is easier to keep track of than oh, say, 47 debit card withdrawals.
If someone has a problem managing impulse purchases, and many people do, then a debit card may be the way to go. Otherwise, a credit card has it all over the debit card.
Do most credit card holders pay their balance off in full each month, though? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say “no”.
Change that to most Dopers and I would not bother with a limb.
I saw a report in one of the news magazines, Time, Newsweek or similar, that indicated that most people actually do pay their credit cards off every month. We always hear horror stories about families sunk in tons of CC debt, but according to what I read, they aren’t the norm.
You are, by default, going to have to “pay off” your debit card every month. Paying off the credit card is the same amount of money. Why not utilize the protection and convenience advantages that a CC has over the debit card?
I would be very careful going out on that small limb. It only takes a few people in revolving debt at high interest rates to offset many who pay no interest and get rewards.
The point is that if you are going into revolving debt you will pay interest, no matter what form of payment you use. Interest is not inherent in CC use, just going into revolving debt. Actually since using CC’s allows a short interest free loan, it is a good way to go into a short term dept (30 days or so), as opposed to overdraft of a DC.
I never understood the benefit of a debit card. Have never had one and see no use for one. Of course, I always pay off my balance as it becomes due.
If nothing else, you get a month’s “float” using someone else’s money, instead of having it instantly come out of your account. And there are also the protections and incentives mentioned above.
Of course, I don’t use ATMs either…
Between a Discover and a Visa or Mastercard, they are accepted just about everywhere. Are there places that accept debit cards but not credit? I’ve never noticed.
Only reason I could imagine needing a debit card is if I were too irresponsible to avoid racking up debt.
I’m just sayin’ - the average credit card debt in the US is something like $14,000, so it would be interesting to find out what the straight dope is on that, rather than just speculation. I’d be willing to wager on it, even. Sure I might lose, but it seems a safe bet.