<prompt> Human: I recently got my debit card around 2 or three months ago. Ive been using it a good amount since. However, I often times get asked by the cashier, credit or debit. I always say credit, just because I have never noticed anything bad from doing that. However, I was wondering, what exactly is does Debit mean? Why would anyone choose Debit as apposed to credit?Assistant: Credit is a loan, for which you have to pay promptly plus interest.Debit is taken directly from an associated bank account.So lets say you wanted to buy something, but didnt have enough money in the bank to afford it. Then you have no choice but to either:A. Wait till you can afford it.B. Put it on credit card and hope you can pay it back in a timely fashion.Credit cards can be useful, for getting insurance on big ticket items, however, they can be an easy doorway to getting into massive debt.Human: So I pay interest, even though its a Debit Card?  <response>: No, he is misunderstanding your question. Your debit card probably has a visa or mastercard logo, and because of that it will be accepted anywhere visa or mastercard are. When you say credit the transaction is processed by visamastercard. When you say debit it is processed by your bank. In both cases the money is withdrawn from your bank account directly so there is no real difference for you.Just run everything as credit unless you are at a very rare place which either only accepts debit, or gives you a discount for a debit transaction.It is generally considered best to use an actual credit card for purchases, and to only use your debit card at an ATM. This means if your card information is compromised money is not ever removed from your bank account. 