[antoncohen]

The debit card behavior is probably bank specific. I had fraudulent transactions on my debit card. The bank caught it after a few transactions, alerted me, and shutdown the card when I told them it wasn't me. I didn't get charged for any of the fraudulent transactions. I also had a restaurant charge my debit card for my bill and another customer's bill (honest mistake, not fraud). The restaurant wouldn't refund the transaction, so I disputed it with my bank, who reversed the transaction. The bank was fully set up to dispute debit card transactions from their website.

[nicolas_t]

It’s bank specific but the major difference is that with credit cards you are protected by law whereas with debit cards it depends on the whims of your bank and the contract you signed with them

[PH95VuimJjqBqy]

You call it whims, but I don't know of any bank that doesn't offer those protections. Generally the terms are that you have to report it w/i 30 or 60 days. Maybe some of the smaller credit unions?

but like the other poster, I've had people try to charge me for things that weren't mine and I've never had the problems people seem to imagine exist with debit cards.

At this point I've concluded it's a marketing scheme by the CC companies that has convinced large swathes of society that debit cards are dangerous.

Not only that, but I would argue the false sense of security of CC's makes it so people are less safe in their habits.

[kelnos]

Sure, but why deal with that uncertainty? The money is not in your account until the dispute process finishes.

With a credit card, the money never leaves your account in the first place, at least until the bill is due.

Regardless, I know I'm legally protected with any credit card I use. With a debit card, it depends on the bank's fine print as to how disputes are handled.

[ssl-3]

It does vary by bank, but:

> The money is not in your account until the dispute process finishes.

That's not necessarily always the case.

I use a debit card for almost everything. I've been doing it this way for quite a long time now.

Both times I've filed a dispute over debit card transactions, my bank immediately put the disputed amount back into my account while they investigated the dispute.

It was inconvenient to deal with (as many things in life can be), but it was not particularly problematic.

[PH95VuimJjqBqy]

debit cards also have legal protections. If you didn't know that then perhaps don't speak on things that you're not fully aware of.

[feoren]

> I also had a restaurant charge my debit card for my bill and another customer's bill (honest mistake, not fraud). The restaurant wouldn't refund the transaction,

I know this wasn't the point of your story, but refusing to refund the transaction takes it firmly from "honest mistake" into "fraud" territory in my book. Oops, I accidentally stole your money, my bad. No, I won't give it back. WTF?