A debit card is a plastic card that provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. Functionally, it can be called an electronic check, as the funds are withdrawn directly from either the bank account or from the remaining balance on the card. In some cases, the debit cards are designed exclusively for use on the Internet, and so there is no physical card. In many countries the use of debit cards has become so widespread that their volume of use has overtaken or entirely replaced the check and, in some instances cash transactions. Like credit cards, debit cards are used widely for telephone and Internet purchases and unlike the credit cards, the funds are transferred immediately from the bearer’s bank account instead of having the bearer pay back the money at a later date. Debit cards may also allow for instant withdrawal of cash, acting as the Continue reading