debit card

American  

noun

1. a plastic card that resembles a credit card but functions like a check and through which payments for purchases or services are made electronically to the bank accounts of participating retailing establishments directly from those of card holders.

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debit card British  

noun

1. an embossed plastic card issued by a bank or building society to enable its customers to pay for goods or services by inserting it into a computer-controlled device at the place of sale, which is connected through the telephone network to the bank or building society. It may also function as a cash card, a cheque card, or both

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Etymology

Origin of debit card

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

He did use a fake name for the sender's details - to avoid spam, he claims - but stresses that he paid with his own debit card.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

On NFL game days, total credit and debit card spending rises by around 77% in the zip codes where stadiums are located, wrote the analyst, and the biggest increases are in food and drinks.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Temu has seen seven straight months of double-digit U.S. sales declines, according to Consumer Edge, a firm that tracks credit and debit card transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

For some extra protection, make your online purchases with a credit card instead of a debit card.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 10, 2025

Friends would teach him how to brush his teeth, use a debit card, and fool around with a smartphone.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden