Millions of individuals have traditional cards and see them as a convenient way to pay for purchases. In contrast, some people prefer a debit card instead. If you are wondering what is the difference between using a traditional card and a debit card, keep reading.
The main paying difference between using a traditional card and a debit card is that if you don't have enough cash in your account to cover your purchase, a debit card will be rejected. However, if you use a credit card and you don't have enough credit, the purchase will likely go through and you'll simply be charged an over the limit fee. So, a debit card is like having money in the bank that you can only use if you can cover it.
In addition, with a bank debit, you don't pay interest but with a traditional card you do. That is, with a traditional card you pay for the convenience of using the card. You pay interest on your purchase and you pay a lot of it. With a debit, there is no interest charged or add-on costs. The charges you pay are very minimal indeed. For instance, you may have to pay an annual fee for maintaining the card if your bank has this policy. Also, if you deposit from other branches, there might be a small fee for inter-branch transactions however the fees are quite limited. With a debit, you can keep track of your expenses better since you do not have to compute interest payments for purchases. Finally, with a debit, you won't increase your debt load when you make a purchase.
As you can see, there are many advantages of having a bank debit instead of a traditional card. Plus, if you buy impulsively, a debit card can help you stay on track and will force you to only purchase what you need.