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"What is a debit card and how to get it?" is a common question that many ask. Debit cards are also known as Prepaid Card, Check Cards, Cheque Guarantee Cards, Travel Money card and normally takes money out of your bank accounts, savings or current / checking. It is using YOUR OWN MONEY and not something you owed. Do not confuse with Lines of Credit tagged accounts.

Rolled out by VISA and MASTERCARD decades ago to replace the need to write checks, debit cards are typically branded either by Visa or Mastercard system with card numbers starting with 4xxx or 5xxx for visa and mastercard respectively. Sometimes it's also just the ordinary labeled ATM Card with card numbers 5641.It is also a replacement for the need to buy travelers check and to minimise fraud.

Visa issues out many sorts of debit cards, namely VISA, Visa Check Cards,Visa Interlink, Visa Electron and Travel Money where it's based on Signature verification except for Visa Interlink which the card PIN is required to authenticate. Only VISA CREDIT CARDS and some check cards are embossed for Offline Sales (Mail Order Terminal) whereas mostly are Chip and Pin based where it needs authentication.

Mastercard issues out numerous flavors of Mastercard, with Debit Mastercard, Mastercard Electronic and Maestro. Maestro , like Visa InterLink needs PIN VERIFICATION but not may be bypassed if it's an ONLINE MACHINE. In East Asia and some places like Australia, it is used for money transfer cards too. Diners Club uses Mastercard numbering for cards issued in the US. But it's not a debit card, but charge! In Japan, JCB cards are credit/charge but there is a DEBIT card used for students (blue green).

Costs: Most card issuers issue them for FREE if you are their account holder. However, in the US, you can buy a pack embossed with your name for about US$25 and with monthly charges of about $5. Transaction charges differ from places like $1 for in the US to $2+1.5% overseas for US issued cards. European cards charges about 1.5Euro+2.5% for each transaction and 2.5Euro for ATM transactions.

While it is all good and dandy, to deter fraud and money laundering, transactional limits are imposed. It's 250Euro per week in mainland Europe under the Carte Bleu branding, 250GBP per day for UK and Ireland and 400Euro for other brands in EU Zone, or USD1000 a week on many countries including US Based Issuers! Majority are not letting Internet based transactions where Card Not Present Authorisations due to number of fraud. Of course,

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