It's a plastic world

I was at the store buying a few things and while the clerk was still bagging my items I laid my money on the counter. Well she must not have seen because she turned around and said "debit or credit?" I just chuckled, pointed to my money and said cash. So many people pay with plastic now I guess it's just automatic to ask debit or credit. I like cash because it's simpler.

Most people really do pay with credit cards or debit cards. I am one of them. I don't even have a normal wallet anymore, just a card holder and thats it.

I guess I am the opposite, I find debit way easier than cash. It is so much easier to swipe the card and put in my pin number than to count out a bunch of cash.

If I have cash I really have to make the effort NOT to spend it.

So I use debit card...I do agree though cards are more predominate than cash is nowadays.

One of the best consumer finance guys I know used to say never, never, never, never, never, ever use a debit card. I don't know if he still says that, because I haven't heard him in a couple of years, but he points out that unless your bank has agreed to treat a debit card with the same protection as a credit card, every time you pull it out you put your entire account balance at risk.

If someone steals your credit card, the most it will cost you is $50, and probably not that much if you report it immediately.

At our bank, we could lose $1,000 per day on the debit card, and keep on losing it even after the account was empty. Needless to say, when we found that out, we took them into the bank and cut them up in front of them.

Also, many stores, gas stations, hotels, etc., put a hold on your debit card that may take as much as 5 days to come off.

I know some banks have agreed to treat debit cards the same as credit cards, so the above may not apply to yours.

Originally Posted by luvmycat1

I was at the store buying a few things and while the clerk was still bagging my items I laid my money on the counter. Well she must not have seen because she turned around and said "debit or credit?" I just chuckled, pointed to my money and said cash. So many people pay with plastic now I guess it's just automatic to ask debit or credit. I like cash because it's simpler.

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I once couldn't purchase fuel at the Chevron in Norco, Calif. because it was after 8pm and they don't accept cash after that. Can you believe it - Chevron told me "no"!

What is cash?

I lose track if i go shoping with a card but with the money on me i can limit my self.

I am terrible when it comes to shopping! I have a nasty habit of using my debit card instead of cash, thus I lose track of what I have spent so easily. Using cash in my opinion sounds dull it means you are on a limit!

Originally Posted by catsknowme

I once couldn't purchase fuel at the Chevron in Norco, Calif. because it was after 8pm and they don't accept cash after that.

Can you believe it - Chevron told me "no"!

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I think that's for security. That way there is no cash on the premises, so they're not a target for robbery. At least that's my guess.

Here a lot of the gas stations want you to prepay or pay at the pump, otherwise they won't even turn the pump on so may be the reason why they wouldn't take cash for gas.

Since not everyone stops just for gas, it would be silly for a store not to take cash - especially if a person is just spending $1.50 for a drink.