After constantly dealing with being overcharged, having bogus charges added to my accounts and having one of my credit card numbers stolen once, I wouldn't ever consider using a debit card. After dealing with all of the agencies including the police, state attorney generals and private investigators the one thing I learned that each and every one agreed with is this; if you use a debit card, it's your money that's gone, not the banks. In no way, shape or form are they nearly as interested in getting the money back or protecting you than if it's their money. I've heard this over and over again. I'm amazed that anyone uses a debit card after knowing what I know.
On one of the worst issues I had, when my card number was stolen, I bluntly had to tell the credit card company "I don't know how to tell you any more clearly than I didn't make the charges and I won't pay the bill!" It was only then that the person from the card company realized that my card was a credit card and not a debit card. They then immediately erased the charges and pursued the issue. I never heard about it again. If it had been on a debit card I would have been screwed. In today's world with tens of millions of attempts to steal our credit card numbers and identities each and every day by criminals, I wouldn't have a debit card on a dare. Even if I didn't have any money in the account I'd still be screwed because the fine print on a debit card says that I'll make up any deficit in my account. That really changes things. A credit card is unsecured. Even if the credit card company refuses to drop the bogus charges you still have the option of simply not paying. At the very worst they leave a bad mark on your credit and you leave a comment explaining that mark. Either way, you still have your money.
The police even told me that phishers consider it a "jackpot" when they phish a debit card. They know that they won't be pursued nearly as hard by anyone as compared to stealing a credit card. I don't care what assurances a card company gives you about a debit card being secure and safe. They are paid bonuses to "sell" debit cards as to place more of the risk on the consumer than the credit card company. Think about it. Do you think they are going to work nearly as hard to get your money back as they will to get their money back?
