# Credit/Debit card



## Davey Jones (Sep 1, 2014)

Do you use these cards for your under $10 purchases?
I see it all the time at places like 7-11 purchasing newspaper,gum/candy,coffee and begin to wonder
 "what the hells wrong with these people?"


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## Vivjen (Sep 1, 2014)

I now have a wireless debit card, whican can be used for purchases less than £20, and is very quick..


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## Davey Jones (Sep 1, 2014)

Vivjen said:


> I now have a wireless debit card, whican can be used for purchases less than £20, and is very quick..



What did you use before debit cards.?


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## Vivjen (Sep 1, 2014)

To be honest, I haven't tried it yet!
i still use cash.
however, in NZ, I have used their Eftpos(?) card; which most people appear to use all the time; for everything; and that was 3 years ago.
Give them cash, and they know you are a tourist!


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## Davey Jones (Sep 1, 2014)

My problem is some of these cashiers have no idea what changes to give back unless the register tells them to after pressing a series of buttons and you wonder why our kids are getting dumber and dumber.
When I give them cash I get a dirty look then a call to the manager on what buttons to press on the register.


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## Vivjen (Sep 1, 2014)

Now that is pathetic!
i remember working in pounds, shillings and pence, when you had to work out change as well!
is it part of the dumbing down of Maths education?
oh, controversy!


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## Falcon (Sep 1, 2014)

I don't have a debit card, nor do I want one.  I find it much easier to pay cash for almost EVERYTHING except
"big box" items; then I use my CREDIT card.....or write a check.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 1, 2014)

Wife and I have NO credit cards.  We operate on a cash basis, using a number of debit cards.  I'm on the road alot.  I carry two debit cards.  One we keep a balance below $300.  That is the one I use for fuel and hotel, etc. away from home.  I carry a second debit card that will usually have about $1,500 in case of an emergency.
My wife checks balances every evening.  She can move money into either account if I have one running low.  We have a couple of money market type accounts that will at least make a small bit on what we keep as "cash".  To me, that's better than getting nothing by using credit cards.  
I'll carry some cash with me.  Incidentals will usually see us pay cash.  If it's over $10, or so, I'll use the small debit card.


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## ClassicRockr (Sep 1, 2014)

Until I met my wife, got married and bought a house together, I never owned a credit card. Didn't have a banking account either b/c of back taxes I owed, but we took care of that in one year of monthly payments. So, the only thing I could use to buy anything was cash. After my tax problem was taken care of, she put me on the checking/saving account. After buying the house, we use to have, I got a few credit card apps, filled them out and was sent the cards. Before then, we'd have to use my wife's cards, and some cash, for any trip we'd take. To reserve a motel room over the phone or online, a cc number was required........and now we can use either hers or mine.

Now, if I have some cash in my wallet, most likely I will use that to pay for something at a grocery store with cash instead of our bank card. If I want to save that cash for something, the bank card is used. 

Today, when something is bought online, a cc must be used. We have bought a number of things online that we couldn't find in any stores. 

Oh, as far as paying with cash, clerks no longer count your change out to you in your hand. They hand the change back to you and it's up to you to make sure you got the right amount back. Just another thing, like no longer having Service Station Attendants, that have changed over the years.


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## oldman (Sep 1, 2014)

We use credit cards as much as possible to collect points for hotel stays. I get free travel, but I also have a card to collect airline miles, so I can upgrade my free coach tickets to first class tickets. 

I am one of the lucky ones for which I am thankful. I can pay my cards off every month and normally have them paid before the statement arrives by looking on-line at the accounts and sending the payments electronically via my bank's Bill Pay system.

We do use the debit card for groceries, except when Chase gives us 5 points for every dollar we spend at the grocery store.


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## SeaBreeze (Sep 1, 2014)

I don't use debit cards at all.  For small purchases, I use cash or check, for large purchases, I use a credit card.  I pay off my entire credit card bills at once, never a minimum payment.  I figure if I can't afford to do that, then I can't afford to use credit cards.  Usually use them for gas or fuel purchases also.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Sep 1, 2014)

Cleaning ladies don't have credit cards! LOL  I have a debit card that gets used for almost everything. I rarely carry cash except for a dollar or two.


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## Ina (Sep 1, 2014)

Georgia, As a unemployed person, and I'm on disability, I don't use credit cards either. Although I find it funny that so many places keep offering me all types of credit cards.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Sep 1, 2014)

To be clear, I rarely carry more than a dollar or two because I rarely _have_ more than a dollar or two!

I get those solicitations, too. Ina. Why would they think I have any money?


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## Ina (Sep 1, 2014)

I put return to sender, and send them back, or put the application in their own return envelope. After awhile they take you off their mailing list, at least until they make another one.


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## rkunsaw (Sep 1, 2014)

What's an under $10 purchase?


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## GeorgiaXplant (Sep 1, 2014)

And what the heck is so awful about using the debit card for small purchases?


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## Bullie76 (Sep 1, 2014)

Under $10, I pay with cash. Use credit cards for all other purchases.


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## Kitties (Sep 2, 2014)

I pay cash for everything I purchase in stores. I even pay cash at the veterinarian etc. I don't have a debit card. I don't trust them. Right now I have nothing on my credit card.


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## ClassicRockr (Sep 2, 2014)

It's funny how some of us live the "old fashion" way of only using cash, while others do the "modern way" of cc and bank card/debit. I still think it's sort of funny when I see someone in a grocery store pay with a check or cash. I do see a few of the young generation using cash, but it mainly the us older folks that do that.


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## oldman (Sep 2, 2014)

Cash is still KING! However, cash nowadays comes in other forms such as debit cards. If the account doesn't have enough money in it, the card will be rejected as I have seen done in grocery stores and is embarrassing for the cardholder. Some people just do not like carrying cash or having to run to the ATM machine and get cash out and in some cases being charged a fee for using the ATM. 

I carry varying amounts of cash depending upon what my intentions are for the day. Sometimes I will only have a few bucks in my pocket and other times, I may have a few hundred dollars, just depending on the situation of where or what I am going to be doing. In any event, I still carry my check cashing card, which works very similar to a debit card. My bank, Wells Fargo, sends me the card, but VISA is the underwriter of my check cashing card. 

If I go to an auto auction to buy parts, most want only cash or a bank check. Tough to do in a pinch, so I carry the cash. Anything else, I pay by credit card or check cashing card (debit card). 

I like getting the hotel points using a credit card, so I have become accustomed to using it at almost anywhere possible. I do pay my cards off by the end of the month. I hate paying interest. Like my Dad used to say, "Interest is something that I get paid."


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## Debby (Sep 2, 2014)

Vivjen said:


> Now that is pathetic!
> i remember working in pounds, shillings and pence, when you had to work out change as well!
> is it part of the dumbing down of Maths education?
> oh, controversy!




No it's not pathetic.  I have always had a problem with numbers.  They mean nothing to me and my brain just shuts down when confronted with even the most basic math.  Some people are good at math, some aren't.  Some can paint beautiful pictures (soooo easy!!!) and some can't get past stick men.


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## Davey Jones (Sep 2, 2014)

GeorgiaXplant said:


> To be clear, I rarely carry more than a dollar or two because I rarely _have_ more than a dollar or two!
> 
> QUOTE
> 
> It seems you dont have any kids because between ages 12 -19 you *have* to have ready cash available in your pocket 24/7.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 2, 2014)

Not to thread jack, but on a similar note... We have a Kroger (Dillons) store close to where we live. Many of the Kroger/Dillons stores have gas kiosks. You accumulate fuel points... gas discounts... based on your purchases at Kroger stores. Many of the stores have an array of gift cards for other big box stores (Home Depot, Target, etc.) You get a multiple of the value of the gift card in fuel points. At our store, you most generally will get quadruple fuel points for purchase of a gift card. So, if we need something at Home Depot, we'll stop at the Dillons store and purchase a gift card. A, say, $25 Home Depot gift card gets 100 fuel points or 10 cents/gallon on your next fuel purchase. We do little shopping or eating out without first checking to see if there is a gift card for that specific business at Dillons.
Likewise, we get fuel points for every prescription filled at Dillons Pharmacy. I drive 30,000 miles/year and use considerable fuel. Gaining the fuel points makes for a nice discount when I fill my 25 gallon tank. You can accumulate as much as $1.00/gallon discount. That dramatically cuts my cost of running up and down the highway.


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## Justme (Sep 2, 2014)

Under £10  I use cash, otherwise my debit card.


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## SifuPhil (Sep 2, 2014)

It's perhaps a funny thing, but I've never been a fan of rebate programs / frequent flyer miles / bonus points / etc. To me they're just different ways of accomplishing the same thing - getting your money, and often getting more than you would otherwise have spent. 

I've always thought cash was king and have only 2 debit cards with which to cash out my Bitcoin, which is the system I'm embracing at the moment.


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## Davey Jones (Sep 2, 2014)

GeorgiaXplant said:


> And what the heck is so awful about using the debit card for small purchases?



Dont you feel foolish when viewing your end of the month statement from debit card purchases.

$.96...pack of gum


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## GeorgiaXplant (Sep 2, 2014)

I see what you mean, Davey, but I wouldn't be buying anything even at a convenience store for that little.


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## drifter (Sep 2, 2014)

I suspect what's wrong with these who use a debit or credit card for small purcases is they don't carry cash.


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## Susie (Sep 2, 2014)

Interesting to read about the almost sole use of credit cards for purchases.
Many cashiers here (Melbourne, Australia) are surprised when you use cash for large purchases, but change is still counted carefully!


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## Davey Jones (Sep 2, 2014)

drifter said:


> I suspect what's wrong with these who use a debit or credit card for small purcases is they don't carry cash.



same answer......Dont you feel foolish when viewing your end of the month statement from debit card purchases.

$.96...pack of gum


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## Lon (Sep 2, 2014)

For purchases under 10 dollars I try to find a 36 month easy payment plan


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