Debit Card Dangers

It’s a hot-button question: If you’re in debt, do you get rid of all of your credit cards and stick to debit cards and cash only? Or can you discipline yourself to still use credit cards for routine purchases and pay the balance off in full every month, even if you’re digging out of existing debt? I’ve chosen to continue using a credit card for monthly purchases, with a keen eye on making sure I can pay it off each month. Others argue that total credit elimination is the only sure-fire way to rid yourself of debt. But that leaves you with debit cards. Although convenient, debit cards are not perfect.

In fact, debit cards have created so much controversy recently, on Tuesday two of the nation’s largest banks—JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America—announced plans to eliminate and lower fees and provide new ways for customers to opt-out of overdraft protection. The banks’ plans will make it harder for debit card users to overdraw their checking accounts when making debit card purchases and reduce fees for those overdrafts that are currently between $25 and $40 a pop. Still, there are a number of debit card dangers you need to watch out for.

The Drawbacks to Debit Cards

1. Fraud Protection

If your wallet falls into the wrong hands, your debit card’s fraud protection isn’t as strong as a credit card’s. With a credit card, your liability for fraudulent charges typically maxes out around $50. With a debit card, you may be responsible for up to $500 of charges you didn’t make. Plus, some banks will hold you 100% liable if your debit card is used fraudulently for pin-based transactions. Finally, if a thief uses your credit card, you can withhold payment for the charges until your credit card investigates the suspected fraud. If a thief uses your debit card, however, they can drain your bank account in a matter of minutes, and you won’t get that money back until your bank investigates. So keep track of your debit card and if you lose it—report it at once!

2. Building Credit

If you don’t have a credit history yet or you are trying to rebuild your credit score, a debit card won’t help. On the flip side, if you frequently forget to make credit card payments, sticking with a debit card may prevent you from doing further damage to an already lackluster credit report.

3. Merchant Disputes

Let’s say you go to a fast-food restaurant and buy lunch with your debit card for $6.59. Problem is, the cashier is stoned and rings your card through for $6,590! You decline a receipt, so you never notice the mistake until you use your debit card again and it’s declined. You get home to check with your bank and see the problem. Obviously, the merchant will probably return your money (hopefully with a forceful apology), but returning your money to your account will take several days. In the meantime, you need to get your bank to reverse any overdraft fees. If this same thing happened with a credit card, you wouldn’t owe the card company a penny until the problem was solved.

If there is a dispute regarding a purchase you make, you are in a weaker position when you use a debit card instead of a credit card. The merchant already has your money when you pay with a debit card. So while the dispute is taking place, your money will remain with the merchant and you will only see that money again if you win the dispute.

4. Fees!

If you use a debit card for most of your purchases, you need to be extremely diligent about keeping track of your account balance. If you overcharge by a few dollars (or even a few hundred), your card may not be declined. The bank may allow your charge to go through, and then hit you for one or more overdraft fees of up to $34 a piece. These fees will quickly add up to more than a credit card would charge in interest if you revolved a small balance from one month to the next.

Hopefully many banks will follow Chase and Bank of America’s lead and reduce these fees and or give people the option of opting out of overdraft protection (so if you don’t have enough money in your account to make a purchase, your debit card will simply be declined). Embarrassing, yes, but far less costly.

5. Rewards and Services

Many credit cards offer cash-back or other rewards programs, as well as services like warranties on big purchases and rental car insurance. Until recently, debit cards did not, although debit cards with these perks are starting to appear. I put this “debit card danger” last because I think it’s the least compelling reason to choose credit cards over debit cards. For most of us, the rewards we earn on our annual card purchases might add up to $100. If we carry a balance on a credit card, however, finance charges quickly eat up any rewards we might receive.

The Smart Way to Use a Debit Card

Knowing these debit card dangers, you may still decide that avoiding credit cards altogether is the way to go. In that case, follow these simple rules to use your debit card securely.

• Treat your debit card like cash—always keep it secure—and if lost or stolen, report it immediately.
• Never, ever, write down or share your PIN
• Keep a cushion in your checking account of between $500 and $1,000
• Keep extra funds in a savings account—not the checking account linked to your card
• Keep a checkbook register, on paper or electronically, so you always know how much money you have

Do you use your debit card as your exclusive payment card or are you sticking with credit cards? Let us know your thoughts in a comment.

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• Yes, Virginia, There is a Rewards Debit Card
• Does Your Debit Card Have a Daily Spending Limit?
• Credit, Debit, or Cash: How Do You Pay?
• Credit Card Alternatives
• Cruel Overdraft Traps