# Debit cards vs. credit cards for purchases **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859 "2006-11-10T13:43:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/1 "2006-11-10T13:43:44Z")
The local news just had a story about a rash of fraudulent debit card usage. They said authorities are unsure of how thieves get the PINs, but opined that one could use binoculars at gas stations to see the number a person enters and then get a duplicate receipt from inside of the store. They also said they could be using ‘PIN grabbers’. That made me wonder why people use debit cards for purchases. Many places charge debit card users a ‘convenience fee’ that could be over a dollar, while not charging a fee to credit card users. Buyers are probably using their credit cards for other things, so the ‘convenience fee’ (a 37¢ stamp) is being spread over a month’s worth of purcahses. So what’s the advantage of using a debit card for purchases? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/2 "2006-11-10T14:53:36Z")
DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. if a thief gets your PIN number, he can clean out your account and you have NO recourse (other than to find the thief, hire a lawyer, and sue him in civil court). Nope, use your credit card-you are only liable for the first $50.00 of a fraudulent purchase, and the bank will represent you (with their own legal staff0, in any action concerning fraudulent use of your card! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/3 "2006-11-10T14:55:31Z")
It takes the money directly from my checking account and I can’t spend what I have not got. I get into trouble with credit cards and the debit card keeps me under control. I can always use the debit card as a credit card and have to sign so no one can see me punch in the PIN. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/4 "2006-11-10T16:01:43Z")
Well, I don’t shop with a debit card anywhere that has a surcharge (and I’ve noticed no place that has a surcharge). My debit card can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and can be signed rather than use a pin. My bank covers its Debit Mastercards with the same protection it offers any pure credit card. On the plus side, I get more bank points for entering my pin rather than signing. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/5 "2006-11-10T16:18:26Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. if a thief gets your PIN number, he can clean out your account and you have NO recourse (other than to find the thief, hire a lawyer, and sue him in civil court). [/QUOTE] No, mine doesn’t work like that. I have all the protection of a credit card. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/6 "2006-11-10T16:22:55Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. if a thief gets your PIN number, he can clean out your account and you have NO recourse (other than to find the thief, hire a lawyer, and sue him in civil court). [/QUOTE] Obviously this may differ from bank to bank, but this is Bank of America’s policy: “In addition, if your card is lost or stolen, our Total Security Protection Zero Liability guarantee reimburses you for any unauthorized card transactions up to the amount of the loss, when reported within 60 days from statement date.” Now it is true that if you make a purchase using a debit card and wish to contest that purchase, you don’t have the same ability to cancel the transaction as you do with a credit card. But no one can just “clean out your account”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/7 "2006-11-10T16:39:24Z")
Most businesses have gotten smart about their receipts canceling out all but the last 4 digits of the card number too. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/8 "2006-11-10T17:56:06Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] That made me wonder why people use debit cards for purchases. Many places charge debit card users a ‘convenience fee’ that could be over a dollar, while not charging a fee to credit card users. [/QUOTE] I’ve never seen this or heard of this. Is it maybe local to where you are? And I use it for small purchases so that I don’t have to carry cash but am not constantly running up my credit card debt. My card has all of the same protections as a credit card and can be used anywhere that takes Mastercard, so why not use it? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/9 "2006-11-10T18:04:36Z")
Our supermarket charges a service fee, but only if you are getting cash back, and I think that’s only if the purchase is lower than a limit or the cash back is higher than the purchase amount. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/10 "2006-11-10T18:22:18Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. if a thief gets your PIN number, he can clean out your account and you have NO recourse (other than to find the thief, hire a lawyer, and sue him in civil court). Nope, use your credit card-you are only liable for the first $50.00 of a fraudulent purchase, and the bank will represent you (with their own legal staff0, in any action concerning fraudulent use of your card! [/QUOTE] I can’t help but notice that this is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and oh yeah, wrong. Almost every reputable bank has debit card protection that is nearly identical to credit card protection, _even if the thief used your PIN number._ If your bank doesn’t offer it, then I suggest you change banks right the fuck now. And I have only heard of debit card fees being charged to the user of the card is certain instances of cahs back (it seems the average is a $0.50 fee for cash back if the purchase is less than $20-$30 (before cash back, obviously.)) Yes, the store may get charged a fee for using the debit card even if there is no cash back, but I have NEVER seen the charge on my debit card. I always look at my receipt, and there is never a mantion of a debit card charge, except when I get cash back and am below the minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/11 "2006-11-10T18:29:55Z")
My debit card is never charged a service fee, and is fully protected by the bank. Ditto about not spending money you don’t have by using a credit card. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/12 "2006-11-10T21:22:57Z")
I use a credit card. I get a float of 21 days to use the bank’s money AND they give me awesome rewards to boot. If you pay off your balance every month, I’d say a rewards credit card is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/13 "2006-11-10T22:19:56Z")
Some statements here are inaccurate, I suggest you take a look at these two sites before you assume that your protection w/ a debit card is the same as w/ a credit card: [http://www.in.gov/dfi/education/debit\_vs.htm](http://www.in.gov/dfi/education/debit_vs.htm) [http://credit.about.com/od/buyersguide/bb/debitrisk.htm](http://credit.about.com/od/buyersguide/bb/debitrisk.htm) Debit cards are a much better deal for the issuer than they are for the cardholder. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/14 "2006-11-10T22:33:09Z")
I’ve used a debit card for ten years for just about everything, and I’ve had them from three different banks. Never once have I been charged an extra fee for using one. I use it instead of a credit card because I’m very forgetful about paying things on time, and one single late fee can wipe out all of the advantage. I want to switch over to using a credit card and having the full balance paid automatically each month, but I haven’t gotten around to it. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/15 "2006-11-10T22:45:55Z")
Well, I always use debit and have no intention of stopping, but in the interests of accuracy, when I lived in Las Vegas all the fast food establishments _did_ charge a service fee to take debit. Nobody else did. This was a year ago, if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/16 "2006-11-11T00:55:26Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. if a thief gets your PIN number, he can clean out your account and you have NO recourse (other than to find the thief, hire a lawyer, and sue him in civil court). Nope, use your credit card-you are only liable for the first $50.00 of a fraudulent purchase, and the bank will represent you (with their own legal staff0, in any action concerning fraudulent use of your card! [/QUOTE] Not to pile on… But yeah.. You are pretty much wrong from start to finish. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/17 "2006-11-11T03:29:35Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. [/QUOTE] Like others have stated, it’s going to depend on the bank in question. In 2002 my debit card was compromised online at about $1200 in fraudulent charges at Yahoo, some place in the UK, and some other transaction. My bank called me as soon as possible to verify the usage and canceled the debit card immediately. They depositied the lost money in three days, and all I had to do was sign a form saying that it wasn’t me, and that they are going to investigate the charges. Either way, I never use my debit card anymore, unless there was something wrong with my CC. Even then, depending on what I want to purchase, I’ll wait to use my CC then my debit card. I’d rather dispute the money lost on the CC issuer, then from my cash account. They have more money to risk then I do. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/18 "2006-11-11T17:31:54Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] The local news just had a story about a rash of fraudulent debit card usage. They said authorities are unsure of how thieves get the PINs, but opined that one could use binoculars at gas stations to see the number a person enters and then get a duplicate receipt from inside of the store. They also said they could be using ‘PIN grabbers’. That made me wonder why people use debit cards for purchases. Many places charge debit card users a ‘convenience fee’ that could be over a dollar, while not charging a fee to credit card users. Buyers are probably using their credit cards for other things, so the ‘convenience fee’ (a 37¢ stamp) is being spread over a month’s worth of purcahses. So what’s the advantage of using a debit card for purchases? [/QUOTE] I think this applies mostly to what [Clark Howard](http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/7/40/225/) calls “fake” (aka debit) Visa or Mastercards. They’re the ones that can be used as either a debit or a credit card. I have an ATM card that I can use at places like Target. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/19 "2006-11-11T18:18:23Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] DO NOT use debit cards. they offer NONE of the protections afforded by credit cards. if a thief gets your PIN number, he can clean out your account and you have NO recourse (other than to find the thief, hire a lawyer, and sue him in civil court). Nope, use your credit card-you are only liable for the first $50.00 of a fraudulent purchase, and the bank will represent you (with their own legal staff0, in any action concerning fraudulent use of your card! [/QUOTE] _I can’t help but notice that this is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and oh yeah, wrong._ there is a lot of truth to the statement: Debit cards don’t have the same protection as credit cards as credit card protection is mandated by law, debit card protections are provided by the bank - and I’ll wag that in their fine print it states that the protection they offer is subject to change. Contrary to the postings of **Push You Down** _You are pretty much wrong from start to finish._ and \*\*bouv \*\* Your bank account can be cleaned out by DC fraud, even if the funds are replaced right after you report it it could cause your other transactions, such as checks you have written, autodebit transactions to bounce if they get deposited at the time when the crook cleaned out your account, which would cause you to incure other fees (not from your bank, but from the people who deposited your now bounces check). [QUOTE=Doctor J] use it instead of a credit card because I’m very forgetful about paying things on time, and one single late fee can wipe out all of the advantage. [/QUOTE] No longer a issue, at least one very popular CC issuing bank (Chase) has the option to autodebit your bank account the full amount that you owe every month on the last day of your billing cycle. They also have a great many ‘rewards’ cards. ---
**Author:** ![JacksonRoykirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@JacksonRoykirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacksonRoykirk)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859/20 "2006-11-11T18:26:07Z")
I use a debit card because I don’t have any other alternative. To be honest, I have lousy credit. My debit card on the other hand is limited to the amount of money I actually have in my checking account and is more convenient than carrying around a checkbook. And yes I do enter my debit transactions in my register and keep a balanced account. I pay nearly all my household expenses with it, including buying groceries and paying my electric and gas bills. And I have never been charged a convenience fee for using it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debit-cards-vs-credit-cards-for-purchases/379859.md?page=2)