Skip to Main Content

Debit Cards

Debit and prepaid debit cards provide convenient and secure payment options for consumers, allowing easy access to funds without the risk of accruing debt.

Explore debit card basics

Smiling businessman making payment with credit card
Debit cards can offer additional perks to help you save more of your money.
Man paying with credit card while shopping with woman at supermarket
Debit cards and prepaid cards can be used similarly, but debit cards tend to have fewer fees.
woman sitting on her couch and looking at her phone and credit card
Knowing your limit before making a purchase can help you make smarter decisions.

Use your debit card wisely

DEBIT

Where to avoid using your debit card

Just because you can use your debit card almost anywhere doesn’t mean you always should. Bankrate's experts keep you informed on the risky places to avoid swiping your debit card.

Arrow Right Icon
Checking

Daily ATM withdrawal limits

It's important to know how much you can withdraw from your bank's ATMs in a given day to help you better handle financial emergencies that require cash.

Checking

Available account balance vs. current balance

Understand the differences between the two balances you may see when looking at your bank account.

Image for Checking account and ATM fee study
BANKING

Checking account and ATM fee study

Maintaining a checking account with a debit card can come at a high cost. Learn how rising ATM fees and other banking fees are impacting consumers.

Arrow Right Icon

Experts in all things banking

Our expert reporters and editors bring the news and analysis you need—backed by data and firsthand experience.

About Bankrate
Stephen Kates headshot

Stephen Kates, CFP Arrow Right Icon

Bankrate Financial Analyst

Sarah Foster

Sarah Foster Arrow Right Icon

Principal U.S. Economy Reporter

Mark Hamrick

Mark Hamrick Arrow Right Icon

Senior Economic Analyst

Latest articles

Man in coffee shop using laptop with a card in his hand.
The rule provides a framework for settling unauthorized debit-card transactions.
Woman paying at the gas pump
Debit cards are inherently less secure than credit cards, especially at these spots.
Young woman holding a stack of cards and thinking
Credit and debit cards are both popular payment methods, but with different purposes.
A person takes a picture of a check.
Depositing a check using a smartphone is easy and can save you a trip to the bank.
man buying concessions at the movie theatre
Prepaid cards can be used to make purchases, but you only have access to preloaded money.
Man talking on cellphone
Ever heard of a neobank? If not, here’s what you need to know.
A young woman is in the living room, she is using a laptop and credit card
Stop wasting time writing checks. Learn the faster, safer way to pay.
Man renting a car at Hertz
Most rental car companies make you take extra steps to rent with a debit card.
woman sitting on her couch and looking at her phone and credit card
Knowing your limit before making a purchase can help you make smarter decisions.
person using mobile phone leaning on railing
A second-chance checking account is designed for those whose banking history may prevent them from opening a standard account. Applicants sometimes have past problems such as an unpaid negative balance [...]
Spend money, pay bills, write checks or make fund transfers with a checking account.
person on phone by computer looking at piece of paper
Here’s how these two bank fees compare and how to best avoid them.
This old-school way of paying is still in demand. Here’s everything you need to know.
close up of hands signing a check
Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.
A young man uses an ATM.
Over time, ATM fees have climbed. Here’s what you need to know.
close up of hands writing a check
Consumers without a bank account face hurdles when trying to cash a check.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a press conference
The Fed will continue to stay on the sidelines when it comes to rates.
A senior man works on his laptop.
Like cleansing your body with a special diet, purge your debt and start saving with a budget.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Fed Eccles Building illustration
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will have a communications tightrope to walk.
Illustration of American casting a ballot.
More than half of Americans say they are spending less because of those risks.
People sit and watch a broadcast of the first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Either candidate will have to wrestle with a potentially slow rebound while in the Oval Office.
A woman walks by a store going out of business in New York City.
States’ unemployment benefits are one of the few coronavirus relief lines left.
Democratic presidential candidates
Here’s what might happen if everyone received a guaranteed minimum income from the government.
The rotunda on Capitol Hill
The financial practice of spending less than you make doesn’t apply to the federal government.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc