Debt vs. debit

[Honnor]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #121 "Real Life: Grocery Stores (1)", question 5

If a shopper doesn't want to pay with cash, he/she can use a credit or ......... card to pay for the groceries.

(a) debit
(b) business
(c) playing
(d) calendar

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #121 "Real Life: Grocery Stores (1)", answer 5

If a shopper doesn't want to pay with cash, he/she can use a credit or debit card to pay for the groceries.

Correct answer: (a) debit
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Debt or debit?

Honnor

[Alan]

Hi,

'Debit' is something that you owe. A debit card will take the amount you are paying straight from your account whereas a credit card will put the amount you pay on an account for you to pay later.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Gray]

'Debt' is something you already owe to someone, for example, it is a debt if you have borrowed money from the bank.

Accounting book has two sides - debit side (your withdrawals) and credit side (your deposits). With 'debit card', you debit your own account, that is, when you swipe the card, a debit entry is made on your account provided your account has that much of money.

Therefore, there is no 'debt card' :)
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First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English

[Cwmccsln]

Howdy,
A debit card uses the money you have and a credit card uses the money you don't have. If I give you credit = you give me debit. It seems backwards but debit is a positive, credit is a negative. You incur a debt with credit, you pay it off with a debit. clear as mud ? CW

[RioMao]

I have a lot of traveling, we have to maintain contracts with different companies ... and it seems to me that the debit card payment method is better. If I'm wrong please explain why ... I just heard a lot about the "war" Credit card vs debit card ...

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Credit card vs debit card