5 Purchases You Should Never Put on a Debit Card

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#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-194770{display:none}.cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-194770,#postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-194770{width:570px;display:block} When at the checkout line and a clerk asks, "debit or credit?" I have only one answer: credit. There are a number of reasons I never make debit card purchases -- security, peace of mind, rewards -- but perhaps the biggest reason is that I've learned how to use my credit card like a debit card. I pay credit card balances in full every month and never spend more than I can afford, thereby eliminating interest from the equation and ultimately eliminating the need to use a debit card at all. While being debit card-free has great advantages, particularly because I earn between 2 and 6 percent in credit card rewards on everything I purchase, it wasn't easy learning how to use credit cards like debit cards, and because of the temptation to overspend, ditching debit cards altogether might not work for everyone. For those who alternate between credit and debit cards, here are five situations when you should always choose credit. 1. Online Purchases. Debit cards offer similar protections as credit cards. Under the Federal Reserve's Regulation E, the maximum liability for debit card fraud is $50, just as it is with credit cards.