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Though I had an iPad Pro

I use my debit card whenever I know that I have the money to pay it off right there and then. I use credit cards whenever I'm in a bind, perfect example whenever I go to Walmart I have a few things and then end up costing more than I thought of spending and then I'm thinking "Woah, I have a bill that due in a couple of days. Let me charge this and then pay my bill with my debit card"
Sadly I fall into this trend and then run up my credit cards. On a regular basis I try to pay my bill off in full whenever the first bill comes in (if its not too high or if I can manage)
 
bufffilm said:
Debit cards are a pain when it comes to disputes and other matters. Google it.

Debit cards are only recommended when you can't get a credit card.

Avoid them if you are smart.
Click to expand...
I've had my account compromised 4 times at Bank of America relating to my Visa Debit card. Each time around $700 was withdrawn in the Philadelphia area. Each time I have contacted Bank of America and reported it. Each time they have taken care of the matter without hesitation and issued a refund of the proceeds withdrawn from my account, usually by the end of the next business day. All I needed to do was sign and return an affidavit they sent me. They do an investigation and close the case in a month or two. Far from this pain you speak of.

Now I get instant alerts on my iPhone when there is activity that does not match my normal geographic or spending patterns. Took a trip to Denver from Miami, made some decent sized weed purchases, and I verified through an alert that I was actually in control of my card. Great protection.

I don't need to Google anything as I've been in the situation and never had one penny not returned because of "disputes and other matters". Why wouldn't you just call a bank or visit a bank's website to inquire about debit card protections instead of Googling anyway?

I actually think going to an ATM to get cash is more of a pain in the ass than anything. Plus, Apple Pay streamlines a lot of shopping that I do with my debit card.

Forgot to note. I actually have 6 credit cards to keep good revolving credit.
 
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Steve686 said:
I've had my account compromised 4 times at Bank of America relating to my Visa Debit card. Each time around $700 was withdrawn in the Philadelphia area. Each time I have contacted Bank of America and reported it. Each time they have taken care of the matter without hesitation and issued a refund of the proceeds withdrawn from my account, usually by the end of the next business day. All I needed to do was sign and return an affidavit they sent me. They do an investigation and close the case in a month or two. Far from this pain you speak of.

Now I get instant alerts on my iPhone when there is activity that does not match my normal geographic or spending patterns. Took a trip to Denver from Miami, made some decent sized weed purchases, and I verified through an alert that I was actually in control of my card. Great protection.

I don't need to Google anything as I've been in the situation and never had one penny not returned because of "disputes and other matters". Why wouldn't you just call a bank or visit a bank's website to inquire about debit card protections instead of Googling anyway?

I actually think going to an ATM to get cash is more of a pain in the ass than anything. Plus, Apple Pay streamlines a lot of shopping that I do with my debit card.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you. I have a debit card that has had frauduate activity a few times and never had a problem with the bank returning my money by the next business day. I hate carrying cash and rarely have any one me. If I need to use "Cash", I use my debit card. I don't have to worry about losing money or it getting stolen and its easier to keep track of purchases which I've done for years. I can go back 5 years and tell you exactly how much money I spent, on what, on what day and why. Using cash doesn't give me that visibility unless I manually write it down which is a pain.
 
Steve686 said:
I've had my account compromised 4 times at Bank of America relating to my Visa Debit card. Each time around $700 was withdrawn in the Philadelphia area. Each time I have contacted Bank of America and reported it. Each time they have taken care of the matter without hesitation and issued a refund of the proceeds withdrawn from my account, usually by the end of the next business day. All I needed to do was sign and return an affidavit they sent me. They do an investigation and close the case in a month or two. Far from this pain you speak of.

Now I get instant alerts on my iPhone when there is activity that does not match my normal geographic or spending patterns. Took a trip to Denver from Miami, made some decent sized weed purchases, and I verified through an alert that I was actually in control of my card. Great protection.

I don't need to Google anything as I've been in the situation and never had one penny not returned because of "disputes and other matters". Why wouldn't you just call a bank or visit a bank's website to inquire about debit card protections instead of Googling anyway?

I actually think going to an ATM to get cash is more of a pain in the ass than anything. Plus, Apple Pay streamlines a lot of shopping that I do with my debit card.

Forgot to note. I actually have 6 credit cards to keep good revolving credit.
Click to expand...

I'm glad BoA has acted swiftly to refund the money taken out of your account.

But it still merely underscores the great weakness of debit cards...funds are taken straight out from the account and until they are put back, that money is gone. Whereas with a credit card, you have much more protection...you can dispute a charge and don't have to be 'responsible' for it while they investigate. Also, credit cards can 'float' you if you need a little extra for an emergency.

For ex. you get paid bi-weekly and you already used the last paycheck to pay for food, rent, and bills. A few days later, you need $200 to fix your car because the starter is dead.

With a debit card, unless you have some draft protection, etc... you can do nothing. Whereas, with a credit card...you can charge it and when you get paid in 2 weeks, you can take that money and pay off the credit card. And if you need a little time (say 2 months) to pay it all off, at least with the credit card you can. Not so if you have a debit card in most cases.

That's just one example of why a credit card is better than a debit card. Of course, you have to keep track of the charges so you are not overextended, but that goes with the territory.
 
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bufffilm said:
I'm glad BoA has acted swiftly to refund the money taken out of your account.

But it still merely underscores the great weakness of debit cards...funds are taken straight out from the account and until they are put back, that money is gone. Whereas with a credit card, you have much more protection...you can dispute a charge and don't have to be 'responsible' for it while they investigate. Also, credit cards can 'float' you if you need a little extra for an emergency.

For ex. you get paid bi-weekly and you already used the last paycheck to pay for food, rent, and bills. A few days later, you need $200 to fix your car because the starter is dead.

With a debit card, unless you have some draft protection, etc... you can do nothing. Whereas, with a credit card...you can charge it and when you get paid in 2 weeks, you can take that money and pay off the credit card. And if you need a little time (say 2 months) to pay it all off, at least with the credit card you can. Not so if you have a debit card in most cases.

That's just one example of why a credit card is better than a debit card. Of course, you have to keep track of the charges so you are not overextended, but that goes with the territory.
Click to expand...

I don't see how this is different that a credit card situation. You can have fraud on credit cards just like you can have fraud on debit cards. Both type of cards I never had an issue with the bank or credit card company giving me my money back by the next day. Also the example you have can just as easily been applied to credit cards. You can have low available credit and go over on a cc just like you can have a low balance and go over on a debit card.

If someone knows they're not responsible with money or can't help to buy things they can't pay off in a month, then for them a debit card is the best option as they're not going in debt.
 
missbing said:
I don't see how this is different that a credit card situation. You can have fraud on credit cards just like you can have fraud on debit cards. Both type of cards I never had an issue with the bank or credit card company giving me my money back by the next day. Also the example you have can just as easily been applied to credit cards. You can have low available credit and go over on a cc just like you can have a low balance and go over on a debit card.

If someone knows they're not responsible with money or can't help to buy things they can't pay off in a month, then for them a debit card is the best option as they're not going in debt.
Click to expand...

It sounds like you need to read my post again. It presents a case which you can't do with a debit card.

And of course, if you are not disciplined enough to control your spending (and over-spend)...then a credit card is dangerous.

That is obvious.

I never said credit cards were without flaws. What I am saying is that debit cards are more limited in usage.
 
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bufffilm said:
It sounds like you need to read my post again. It presents a case which you can't do with a debit card.

And of course, if you are not disciplined enough to control your spending (and over-spend)...then a credit card is dangerous.

That is obvious.

I never said credit cards were without flaws. What I am saying is that debit cards are more limited in usage.
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Like I noted in an earlier post. I retain 6 credit cards to keep my credit rating high.

Regardless of that, carrying large amounts of cash for larger purchases will always be the least wise thing to do versus using a debit card to access that cash electronically for bill settlement.

As far as debit cards being “more limited”? It’s cash. If you don’t have cash in the bank or on your person it’s the same limitation versus a CC.

If you aren’t disciplined enough to control your spending, a credit card is dangerous. Sure. And most people revert to CC once they’ve spent their cash.
 
Steve686 said:
Like I noted in an earlier post. I retain 6 credit cards to keep my credit rating high.

Regardless of that, carrying large amounts of cash for larger purchases will always be the least wise thing to do versus using a debit card to access that cash electronically for bill settlement.

As far as debit cards being “more limited”? It’s cash. If you don’t have cash in the bank or on your person it’s the same limitation versus a CC.

If you aren’t disciplined enough to control your spending, a credit card is dangerous. Sure. And most people revert to CC once they’ve spent their cash.
Click to expand...

I'm not advocating carrying large sums of cash either.

Where did I say that?
 
bufffilm said:
I'm not advocating carrying large sums of cash either.

Where did I say that?
Click to expand...
When you said to avoid debit cards.

"Debit cards are a pain when it comes to disputes and other matters. Google it.

Debit cards are only recommended when you can't get a credit card.

Avoid them if you are smart."

So you're saying use credit cards only and pay them off as you go while avoiding debit cards?
 
Steve686 said:
If you have enough cash on hand to pay for a house, car, or any other large purchase without the need for a credit history, sure.

Otherwise, credit cards are a means to show you have the ability to pay for those large purchases by way of lenders giving you the “cas” to do so.
Click to expand...

Inb4 they come at you with underwritten loan for your house and car~
 
Steve686 said:
When you said to avoid debit cards.

"Debit cards are a pain when it comes to disputes and other matters. Google it.

Debit cards are only recommended when you can't get a credit card.

Avoid them if you are smart."

So you're saying use credit cards only and pay them off as you go while avoiding debit cards?
Click to expand...

There seems to be some sort of disconnect here!

When did "avoid debit cards" become "it's ok to carry large sums of cash"?
 
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bufffilm said:
Debit cards are a pain when it comes to disputes and other matters. Google it.

Debit cards are only recommended when you can't get a credit card.

Avoid them if you are smart.
Click to expand...

My personal preference is to use credit cards to pay for large items, to pay for things live travel, but to use debit cards for "every day" expenses because it helps me manage those expenses better. I also have around 15 debit cards and 15 credit cards (though I only carry about $100 in total credit card debt). Just my personal preference. Debit cards thesedays come with the same amount of fraud protection as credit cards.
 
Adelphos33 said:
My personal preference is to use credit cards to pay for large items, to pay for things live travel, but to use debit cards for "every day" expenses because it helps me manage those expenses better. I also have around 15 debit cards and 15 credit cards (though I only carry about $100 in total credit card debt). Just my personal preference. Debit cards thesedays come with the same amount of fraud protection as credit cards.
Click to expand...

If many debit cards come with equal fraud protection...that's good.

Clearly, things are changed since I last looked at them.

You have an awful lot of cards, though. 30 cards?!
 
Steve686 said:
To pay with cash without a debit card you need physical cash. If your credit isn't good enough to get a credit card, what are your options?
Click to expand...

If you can't obtain a credit card, a debit card offers more than not having one.
 
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Steve686 said:
So you're saying use credit cards only and pay them off as you go while avoiding debit cards?
Click to expand...
Absolutely.

Credit cards offer better benefits than debit cards, including (but not limited to): fraud protection, travel insurance, new purchase protection, extended warranties, improved merchant dispute mediation, better rewards programs, and others.

I don't think I've used my debit/ATM card for anything but an ATM cash withdrawal in 10+ years. That's right: no merchant POS transactions whatsoever.

That's right: I pay with a credit card or with cash but there is no way in hell that I am paying for something using a debit card, the stupidest of my three payment options.

At least for the purposes of building credit (part of the main point of the original topic), debit cards are even more useless. Debit cards don't show up on your credit report. The guy who has fifteen debit cards? Well, those fifteen cards have zero effect on his credit report (well, except if maybe he gets an overdraft). There is nothing beneficial from a credit standpoint in having a debit card.
 
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tambur123 said:
I will never understand people who buy things they cannot afford or why somebody needs to own a credit card. Things are so very different in Europe from this point of view.
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lol right? i am from Europe as well and just hearing the word "Kredit" is so threatening to me i could never do it. one time i thought i didnt have enough money by the end of the month and i would go over my balance by 20 euro and i was freaking out. i cant imagine maxing out multiple let alone 6 credit cards!

i have only one but its basically a debit card, i can only spent what i have. most people i know only have a credit card for travelling.

i also do not think we have something like a "credit score" to built upon either. what we do have is "schufa" but it can either be good or bad and the more cards you have, how many phone plans you got, how often you moved in xy years etc. lowers it and it is very hard to get it up to excellence again
 
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My debit card does not work if I try to use it without the funds in my checking account. I have an adequate Saving account associated with this checking account and with overdraft protection. But that overdraft protection only works if I write an insufficient check and not on my debit card. Nor do I want it to. I chalk it all up to financial responsible management.
 
tambur123 said:
I will never understand people who buy things they cannot afford or why somebody needs to own a credit card. Things are so very different in Europe from this point of view.
Click to expand...

Can only speak for Germany, but I don't even own a private credit card just because it's pretty useless.
There is no accidental damage coverage, no extended warranty, very few miles and the possibility to pay it back later with unreasonable interest rate.

Many places in Germany actually don't take credit cards or just specific brands or even charge like 1.5% extra.

The business credit card is used for managing business expenses and mostly traveling.
Inside of Germany you can easily pay cash or directly with your bank account, but most other countries don't support the process.
 
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im surprised my BB card hasn't been cut off due to non use (not non Payment). I am on the use the credit card for big purchases side as well. Chase Amazon offers me 5% back on all purchases on Amazon and a couple other percent for other things not purchased on Amazon.
 
jquest68 said:
I thought I was gonna get the iPad Pro 10.5 when I went to BestBuy. Apparently my card is cancelled in March. I bought an iPen in October thinking that I was gonna get an iPad Pro by Feb-Mar but people told me that a new one was coming out so wait.
I waited and then I go to the store and felt so embarrassed when they told me my card was cancelled by Citibank. Man I really wanted it but they said I had too many inquiries. I had $1000 credit limit and was gonna trade in my iPad Air 2. So now I have to wait a while to get it.

I just had to share my sad story, lol.
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I went to Best Buy and told them I wanted the top of the line newest iMac that had recently been released. I bought it, drove about an hour home, started setting it up, for some reason pulled the "About This Mac" up and discover I have a 2015 model... I ended up getting it exchanged but what a pain in the arse. They let me know it was my fault since the receipt showed $200 off for clearance. I asked how many people review the receipt. I don't. I didn't catch the $200 off since I bought the AppleCare and a couple of other items.
 
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tambur123 said:
I will never understand people who buy things they cannot afford or why somebody needs to own a credit card. Things are so very different in Europe from this point of view.
Click to expand...
What a weird statement. The bulk of the world's credit is accrued in European countries. It's literally the same there as it is in the US. What are you even talking about?
 
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MacScott said:
I went to Best Buy and told them I wanted the top of the line newest iMac that had recently been released. I bought it, drove about an hour home, started setting it up, for some reason pulled the "About This Mac" up and discover I have a 2015 model... I ended up getting it exchanged but what a pain in the arse. They let me know it was my fault since the receipt showed $200 off for clearance. I asked how many people review the receipt. I don't. I didn't catch the $200 off since I bought the AppleCare and a couple of other items.
Click to expand...
I think that was the only model released. I bought my iMac I think in October 2016.
 
You are probably better off without the debt. The Air 2 is still VERY relevant today. (Unless you feel the need for a pen)
 
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