Is it a Debit Card?

In the United States, their bank card is completely different. Their cards automatically come with two options for getting money or paying for goods or services. Living in the states, I have been involved with several debates over what these bank cards should be called.

The first option is to choose debit; you will be asked to provide a pin number. This is obviously the safest way, but costly because you get charged bank fees each time you use the debit option. In Canada, this is the only option and there is no fee for using debit.

The second option is to choose credit and use your bank card like a credit card, but you are not borrowing any money from the bank, you are simply deducting money from your checking account. You are asked to sign the receipt. Obviously this makes it unsafe even to have a bank card - anyone can use your bank card to make purchases.

I saw an advertisement for Bank of America and they call the bank card a "check card" which makes more sense than calling the card a debit card!

Now we say it is safe to say America's bank cards should be called check cards.

Finally the argument of American's bank card being called a debit card is closed.