Comment Re:Ignorance, not indifference. (Score 1, Informative) 220
With a traditional Visa/Mastercard 'debit' card that pulls money from your checking, there are two ways to use that card and pay for your purchase:
- Use it like a credit card (you don't type your PIN)
- Use it like a debit/atm card (you enter your PIN)
If you use you card as a credit card, you are protected in the same manner as you would with a credit card, you aren't responsible for fraudulent charges above $X.xx and you can dispute charges, etc. If you use it as a debit card, if your PIN is exposed by some 3rd party (i.e. the store you are purchasing from, the company they contract with for their POS system, etc) you are fully on-the-hook when it comes to losses - if they steal $2000 from your account, you have lost $2000 - there is no disputing charges or limited liability like with a credit card.
tl;dr;
Use your card as a credit card, you have many protections, use your card as a debit card (you enter your PIN), you are liable for every transaction associated with your PIN.