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If I buy coffee, I buy it on a credit card. Every daily purchase uses a credit card. Why? I want a buffer between me and the purchaser. I don't want them to be

by vngzs 5y ago

If I buy coffee, I buy it on a credit card. Every daily purchase uses a credit card. Why? I want a buffer between me and the purchaser. I don't want them to be able to take money from my bank. https://youtu.be/vsMydMDi3rI?t=2595 https://youtu.be/vsMydMDi3rI?t=2595 Now, if I shop online, I used to put it on a credit card. Now I generate a virtual debit card using an online service and pay with that. The logic is the same.

anyfoo 5y ago
That is actually the one thing I grant credit cards to be superior in. Back before I moved here, I was traveling with friends to the US. We knew credit cards were prevalent in the US, so I got a "normal" credit card from my bank, and one of my friends got a debit type credit card. We later got some fraudulent charges on it, which got resolved for either of us, but for me the money was never gone (I had not paid the bill yet), while for my friend it took a while to get the money back on their account. Another fun difference: When during our trip, waiters and cashiers would not just take the credit card, but walk away with it, we were horrified. In Germany, you never give your card away to anyone. You stick it in a terminal and type in your PIN.
- throwawayboise 5y ago
  Yes, the European/Canadian way to do credit cards at a restaurant is nice. The card never leaves your posession. I wish that would get adopted here, but restaurants will resist having to buy the handheld devices. I like restaurants where you get the bill at the table but pay at a desk near the front door, avoiding the problem of handing your card to the waiter.
  - drdec 5y ago
    Many "family" restaurants in the in my area of the US have tablets at the table which allows you to pay your bill when you are ready to leave with a credit/debit card with no interaction with the server required. Family restaurant means a chain like Applebees for those unfamiliar with the term. The tablets are also a revenue-generating device as you can play games on them for a fee. They also have surveys so you can give feedback on the service, this has become somewhat controversial (see https://www.eater.com/2018/6/22/17492528/tablets-restaurants-surveys-score-servers https://www.eater.com/2018/6/22/17492528/tablets-restaurants...).
    - wholinator2 5y ago
      Yes, I believe ive seen those terminals at applebees and chili's
- setr 5y ago
  > That is actually the one thing I grant credit cards to be superior in I mean, it’s basically their only purpose in life (if you use it for the other purpose to purchase things ahead of your paycheck, that you don’t have the cash for already, you’re going to get yourself in trouble — 20% interest _hurts_)
  - Semaphor 5y ago
    > I mean, it’s basically their only purpose in life Cash back/miles is another one.
    - skeletal88 5y ago
      Does not exist in europe, because they come from insane fees charged from merchants and the fees are regulated here to be lower than in the us.
      - maccard 5y ago
        Amex offers 1.25% cashback, and they also have rewards cards that provide "points" which are redeemable on most major airline/hotel rewards programs. In practice Amex is almost universally accepted (I make 1-2 transactions a month that aren't on my Amex, but almost never a big ticket purchase). For the cases that amex isn't accepted, all the major airline groups have a rewards card too (although BA's is an Amex), and most of the supermarkets have cashback cards in the 0.75-1% range.
        Semaphor 5y ago
        Yup. I’m in Germany and I get cash back points on my Amex. Same experience that it’s very rare not being able to use it, I carry a Mastercard for that case.

by vngzs 5y ago

anyfoo 5y ago

That is actually the one thing I grant credit cards to be superior in. Back before I moved here, I was traveling with friends to the US. We knew credit cards were prevalent in the US, so I got a "normal" credit card from my bank, and one of my friends got a debit type credit card. We later got some fraudulent charges on it, which got resolved for either of us, but for me the money was never gone (I had not paid the bill yet), while for my friend it took a while to get the money back on their account. Another fun difference: When during our trip, waiters and cashiers would not just take the credit card, but walk away with it, we were horrified. In Germany, you never give your card away to anyone. You stick it in a terminal and type in your PIN.

throwawayboise 5y ago
Yes, the European/Canadian way to do credit cards at a restaurant is nice. The card never leaves your posession. I wish that would get adopted here, but restaurants will resist having to buy the handheld devices. I like restaurants where you get the bill at the table but pay at a desk near the front door, avoiding the problem of handing your card to the waiter.
- drdec 5y ago
  Many "family" restaurants in the in my area of the US have tablets at the table which allows you to pay your bill when you are ready to leave with a credit/debit card with no interaction with the server required. Family restaurant means a chain like Applebees for those unfamiliar with the term. The tablets are also a revenue-generating device as you can play games on them for a fee. They also have surveys so you can give feedback on the service, this has become somewhat controversial (see https://www.eater.com/2018/6/22/17492528/tablets-restaurants-surveys-score-servers https://www.eater.com/2018/6/22/17492528/tablets-restaurants...).
  - wholinator2 5y ago
    Yes, I believe ive seen those terminals at applebees and chili's
setr 5y ago
> That is actually the one thing I grant credit cards to be superior in I mean, it’s basically their only purpose in life (if you use it for the other purpose to purchase things ahead of your paycheck, that you don’t have the cash for already, you’re going to get yourself in trouble — 20% interest _hurts_)
- Semaphor 5y ago
  > I mean, it’s basically their only purpose in life Cash back/miles is another one.
  - skeletal88 5y ago
    Does not exist in europe, because they come from insane fees charged from merchants and the fees are regulated here to be lower than in the us.
    - maccard 5y ago
      Amex offers 1.25% cashback, and they also have rewards cards that provide "points" which are redeemable on most major airline/hotel rewards programs. In practice Amex is almost universally accepted (I make 1-2 transactions a month that aren't on my Amex, but almost never a big ticket purchase). For the cases that amex isn't accepted, all the major airline groups have a rewards card too (although BA's is an Amex), and most of the supermarkets have cashback cards in the 0.75-1% range.
      - Semaphor 5y ago
        Yup. I’m in Germany and I get cash back points on my Amex. Same experience that it’s very rare not being able to use it, I carry a Mastercard for that case.