On Mar 3, 3:45*am, Roland Perry wrote:

The difference is that someone with a credit card has been shown to be
eligible for credit *at all*. All you are doing is allowing a slightly
elastic limit. The debit cards are for people who don't qualify for
credit, either because of their age or their history.

My bank switched its ATM cards to debit cards. If I want to access an
ATM to get cash, I must use my debit card.

To protect myself, I set the limit for credit card use to be very
low. That is, if someone steals my debit card and tries to use it as
a normal credit card, they won't be able to buy too much due to the
low limit.

Of course, there are robberies where the victim is forced to use their
ATM card to withdraw cash for the robbers at gunpoint. If, for
whatever, the victim is unable to do this (too scared to remember PIN,
not enough cash in account, etc.), the victim may get shot.

Many stores seem to welcome a debit card used as such (PIN required)
over a credit card. They will give the customer "cash back" (add it
on the purchase amount), something they do not do on credit card
purchases. Presumably they are charged less by the clearing house on
debit card transactions.