While paying by card can make things more convenient, there are times when the choice is harder than it should be.
The United States government has long promoted electronic payments in place of paper cheques for such things as unemployment assistance and Social Security payments.
The devices which are used to process point of sale payments for both credit cards and debit cards are now under attack from cyber-thieves.
Consumer brands tend to offer many credit cards but not debit cards. Understanding the reason for this will help a debit card user better understand how debit cards work and where they can best be used.
Debit cards are payment cards that are linked to bank accounts. Although they look like credit cards and are accepted in the same places, they are quite different.