Key Takeaways. Credit cards give you access to a line of credit issued by a bank, while debit cards deduct money directly from your bank account. Credit cards offer better consumer protections against fraud compared with debit cards linked to a bank account.
Credit cards often offer better fraud protection
With a credit card, you're typically responsible for up to $50 of unauthorized transactions or $0 if you report the loss before the credit card is used. You could be liable for much more for unauthorized transactions on your debit card.
Since credit cards offer fraud liability protections that debit cards do not, meaning online purchases with credit come with fewer risks. So if you're debating debit or credit for online shopping, pick credit for a safer shopping experience.
With a debit card, you're able to track your purchases in real-time because transactions take money directly out of your bank account immediately, unlike credit cards which provide monthly statements. This can make purchases easy to forget, until your payment due date or when you catch it online.
Credit cards and debit cards may look alike -- your debit card may even have a little Visa or MasterCard emblem on the side of it -- but make no mistake. Losing your debit card can cost you tons more if it's stolen.
Unlike credit cards, debit card activity isn't reported to the three credit bureaus (Experian®, Equifax®, and TransUnion®) that monitor and provide access to your credit report. When you make a purchase with a debit card, the funds are deducted from your checking account.
Payments with a debit card are taken instantly from your checking account and shopping online comes with the added risk that your information may be stolen. Using a debit card opens up the possibility that the thief will gain access to the funds in your checking account.
But like credit cards, debit cards are vulnerable to rip-off artists. And debit card fraud is particularly scary because thieves can withdraw money directly from your checking account.
Debit card fraud occurs when a thief accesses your card or PIN number and makes unauthorized transactions. The easiest way to spot debit card fraud is to sign up for online banking and monitor your account for suspicious activity.
On the other hand, debit cards are not debt instruments because whenever someone uses a debit card to make a payment, that person is just tapping into their bank account. Except for any related transaction costs, the debit user does not owe money to any external party; the purchase was made with their available funds.
If you don't have enough funds in your account, the transaction will be declined. When you choose to run your debit card as credit, you sign your name for the transaction instead of entering your PIN. The transaction goes through Visa's payment network and a hold is placed on the funds in your account.
Paying bills via debit card is usually as easy as inputting your card and billing information. They have speed and convenience going for them, and debit also bodes well for money management. However, debit cards are not quite as secure as credit cards, they don't come with perks, and there are fees to worry about.
High-net-worth Americans (with a self-reported net worth of over $1 million) hold between 2 and 4 credit cards on average. Just over half of wealthy respondents open a new credit card at least three times per year. Only a third of respondents pay off their statement balance every month.
Debit Cards Cost You Less
This is due to a number of factors, chief of which is that debit cards are less of a risk. (Debit card transactions are deducted directly from the cardholder's bank account, remember; the card issuer is not carrying any debt that consumers might not pay.)
A debit card spending maximum is set by the individual bank or credit union that issues the debit card. Some debit cards have spending capped at $1,000, $2,000, or $3,000 daily. Try to spend more than the maximum allowed, and your debit card will be declined even if you have enough money in your checking account.
CVV stands for “Card Verification Value” and is a 3 or 4 digit code found on the back of a debit card. This code is necessary to complete many online transactions and should be kept private to protect the card from unauthorized use or fraud. The CVV number is embossed on the card and should not be shared with anyone.
You may be charged an inactivity fee if you do not use your card for a certain period of time. Prepaid card providers generally charge either a monthly fee or an inactivity fee, but not both. Remember, if your provider charges a monthly fee, you will continue to be charged this fee even if you're not using your card.
The Electronic Fund Transfer Act can protect you against errors during electronic transfers, including through a set maximum liability for fraudulent charges on your account. But when you report your debit card as lost or stolen is important. That's because the amount that you may be liable for increases with time.