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StephenL429439
Contributor ⭐
March 22, 2025

Debit cards

  • March 22, 2025
  • 10 replies
  • 2914 views

Good Morning,

I have a debit card that I use for certain purchases.  The reader will ask me if I want to use it as a debit card or credit card?

Is one way safer than the other as far as fraud goes?

 

Thank you,

Steve Leccese

      10 replies

      GailL1
      GailL1
      Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
      March 22, 2025

      @StephenL429439 

      A credit card is always safer than a debit card for several reasons.

      1.  a debit card takes the money for whatever the purchase directly out of your bank account whereas a credit card goes to your credit card account and then is billed to you on a monthly basis.

      2.  there are certain consumer protections built into using a credit card that were brought about by the Fair Credit Billing Act.  As long as you follow the directions for disputing a charge, the credit card company has to hold off on collecting it until the matter has been resolved with the merchant.  There is a specific routine you have to follow to have this apply and your credit card company has it posted on the statement whether online of in a mailed paper form.

      3.  The same law limits your liability on a credit card for fraudulent purchases

      4.  Nowadays with all the technology, you can sign up to know exactly what is going on your credit card either by text or email.  

      5.  By paying off your revolving credit in full each month, it builds your credit. 

      6.  another great advantage of a credit card with cashback or rewards points is that you can get these bonuses.  With some of these cashbacks being several %, you actually earn while you buy and can use this card cashback just like money or points if that is the way the card issues them.

       

      As a disclaimer, I have never used a debit card so I can't speak of them too much - i use my cashback credit cards for everything. 

      To each their own 

       

       

      IT‘S ALWAYS SOMETHING . . . . .. . . . Roseanne Roseannadanna
      papawofboo
      papawofboo
      Community Champion ⭐
      March 23, 2025

      Might want to check with bank on that. I'm not sure that the credit card rules applies to a debit card when it is run as a credit card. I thought the only advantage for doing that was not having to use pin and it took 2-3 days to come out of account.

      I only use debit card to get cash out of atm. So many credit cards now are giving you reward points for each $ and also have cash back offers on 50-60 companies at any given time. If you can pay off each billing cycle then you are turning the table on them

      Papaw of Boo
        SummerOnTheWay1
        SummerOnTheWay1
        March 23, 2025

        📎  Papaw @papawofboo , WHY is this being allowed? The whole reason I had gotten a Debit Card from my bank INSTEAD of a Credit Card was the PIN.  😭

         

        Anyway, it is what it is and now to hope no one steals my Debit Card.

         

        Take care,

        Nicole  👵  

        [*** @papawofboo wrote 3/22/25:

        Might want to check with bank on that. I'm not sure that the credit card rules applies to a debit card when it is run as a credit card. I thought the only advantage for doing that was not having to use pin and it took 2-3 days to come out of account. ***]

        GailL1
        GailL1
        Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
        March 24, 2025

        The US Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has a lot of good info on their site about all kinds of banking, currently and credit and debit cards and related problems and laws.

         

        OCC.treas.gov - Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud 

        IT‘S ALWAYS SOMETHING . . . . .. . . . Roseanne Roseannadanna
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