Difference between debit or credit card?

Debit and credit are bookkeeping terms. Credit means money is added to your account and debit means money is deducted from your account. Credit also means a loan. So a debit card allows a merchant to deduct money from your checking account to pay for a purchase, and a credit card means the bank loans you money as fast as you spend it.

A debit card is often mistaken for a credit card. If you do not enter a PIN code, the transaction might not appear in your account for several days. That can cause you some inconvenience if you are close to empty. If you enter a PIN, the deduction happens instantly.