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I have noticed one at the gas pump when I use my debit card. If you use a debit card as a credit card, they pay the CC fee, so they want you to enter a PIN. I

I have noticed one at the gas pump when I use my debit card. If you use a debit card as a credit card, they pay the CC fee, so they want you to enter a PIN. Instead of presenting two choices: credit or debit, they ask the question "Is this a debit card?" I am using a debit card so the answer is yes, it is a debit card; but you can answer no and they will process as a credit card. It makes me think about it each time. Pretty sneaky -- I am sure it raised their debit card rate

cemregr 16y ago
Walgreens and most supermarkets I shop at default to debit now when I swipe my card, and ask my PIN without prompting "debit or credit?". To use credit, you have to press "cancel", which wouldn't be the first thing to come to your mind.
- Groxx 16y ago
  Or "enter" or "OK" or "clear" or the credit button or some unlabeled button with a post-it next to it saying "credit"... and all on machines made by the same company. It's insanity.
paulgb 16y ago
For any non-Americans confused by this, in the USA it's common for bank-issued cards to work as both a debit and credit card. The same machine is used for both.
- chronomex 16y ago
  More precisely: There are two protocols for running a card: "debit" and "credit". "Debit" uses a PIN, and "credit" uses a signature. There are two types of cards, "debit card" and "credit card". "Debit card" is tied to a bank account, and "credit card" carries a balance paid off at the end of the month. There isn't a strong connection between the two, at least in America. But when I was working full-time in retail, people would occasionally hand me their cards and say "it's a debit card". The retailer I worked at only supported the "credit" (signature) protocol, so I nodded and ignored the request.
  - baddox 16y ago
    It's also possible (common?) for there to literally be no difference (to the cardholder). My credit union's debit card is the credit/debit card like you describe, but there is no actual credit whatsoever. I can only spend the money in my account. For some reason, I always choose to run it as a credit card (mostly because I don't know my pin), which is kind of a dick move since it costs the sellers.
  - tempblah7 16y ago
    I don't think you know what you're talking about. The credit/debit cards that banks issue support the debit (PIN) and credit (signature) based protocols. The credit does not carry a balance, it just uses the MC/Visa network for the transaction. These cards are debit cards and are not credit cards, even though they use the MC/Visa credit networks and "act" like credit cards. In fact, most of these Debit/Credit cards have "Debit" or similar text on them to indicate that even though they may carry the MC/Visa logo they are not credit cards. This is what your customers were talking about - you were just too fucking stupid to understand it. You sir are a smug piece of shit, and I hope your mother dies of cancer. If she is already dead, good.
guiseppecalzone 16y ago
Paypal oftentimes defaults to your non-credit card account. I have to click several buttons to reset it to credit. Then, it asks me if I'm sure I want to pay with a credit card. One time, I swore I chose credit, and my debit was charged. It was likely my fault, technically, but I'm sure I was swayed by designers.
wallflower 16y ago
My friend got skimmed at a gas pump in Georgia. He used his debit card with PIN. They cleaned out his entire account. He's still fighting to get the money back. Please consider not using your debit card and PIN.

cemregr 16y ago

Walgreens and most supermarkets I shop at default to debit now when I swipe my card, and ask my PIN without prompting "debit or credit?". To use credit, you have to press "cancel", which wouldn't be the first thing to come to your mind.

Groxx 16y ago
Or "enter" or "OK" or "clear" or the credit button or some unlabeled button with a post-it next to it saying "credit"... and all on machines made by the same company. It's insanity.

paulgb 16y ago

For any non-Americans confused by this, in the USA it's common for bank-issued cards to work as both a debit and credit card. The same machine is used for both.

chronomex 16y ago
More precisely: There are two protocols for running a card: "debit" and "credit". "Debit" uses a PIN, and "credit" uses a signature. There are two types of cards, "debit card" and "credit card". "Debit card" is tied to a bank account, and "credit card" carries a balance paid off at the end of the month. There isn't a strong connection between the two, at least in America. But when I was working full-time in retail, people would occasionally hand me their cards and say "it's a debit card". The retailer I worked at only supported the "credit" (signature) protocol, so I nodded and ignored the request.
- baddox 16y ago
  It's also possible (common?) for there to literally be no difference (to the cardholder). My credit union's debit card is the credit/debit card like you describe, but there is no actual credit whatsoever. I can only spend the money in my account. For some reason, I always choose to run it as a credit card (mostly because I don't know my pin), which is kind of a dick move since it costs the sellers.
- tempblah7 16y ago
  I don't think you know what you're talking about. The credit/debit cards that banks issue support the debit (PIN) and credit (signature) based protocols. The credit does not carry a balance, it just uses the MC/Visa network for the transaction. These cards are debit cards and are not credit cards, even though they use the MC/Visa credit networks and "act" like credit cards. In fact, most of these Debit/Credit cards have "Debit" or similar text on them to indicate that even though they may carry the MC/Visa logo they are not credit cards. This is what your customers were talking about - you were just too fucking stupid to understand it. You sir are a smug piece of shit, and I hope your mother dies of cancer. If she is already dead, good.

guiseppecalzone 16y ago

Paypal oftentimes defaults to your non-credit card account. I have to click several buttons to reset it to credit. Then, it asks me if I'm sure I want to pay with a credit card. One time, I swore I chose credit, and my debit was charged. It was likely my fault, technically, but I'm sure I was swayed by designers.

wallflower 16y ago

My friend got skimmed at a gas pump in Georgia. He used his debit card with PIN. They cleaned out his entire account. He's still fighting to get the money back. Please consider not using your debit card and PIN.