There are many reasons people use debit cards, convenience being a major reason. For some people, it makes them feel important to have a plastic card that they can wave around and “charge” to their checking account. However, there are a lot of valid reasons not to use a debit card and some great benefits from not using them as well.
Overdraft Fees
Overdraft fees vary from banking facility to banking facility. Using a debit card can easily overdraft any one’s account if they don’t jot down the amount available and deduct the amount spent each and every time they use their debit card. Overdraft fees can add up quickly and in some cases extended overdraft fees can also be applied by banking facilities.
Debit Fees
Many banking institutions have been kicking around the idea of a debit card fee. These fees when applied can charge the consumer a monthly fee to use their debit card. Avoiding these fees can help the consumer to save money and use their money more wisely. Consider using a credit union or asking banks to waive this fee if at all possible.
Identity Theft
Debit cards aren’t much different than credit cards. Each and every time they are used there is a risk of identity theft. Identity thieves have a variety of ways that they can steal someone’s identity. They can scan the cards and reuse them at a later date. They can also make an imprint and create a dummy card that can be utilized. With identity theft on the rise more and more people are logging into their banking accounts only to find out that they’ve been wiped clean and the person is now broke. Using cash in lieu of debit cards and credit cards is a great way to help avoid this type of theft. This is one of the major reasons that many prefer not to use a debit card.
Budget
Using cash in lieu of debit cards is a great way for anyone to stay within their budget. On each pay period withdrawing a preset spending amount of cash can help anyone to stay within their budget. When the cash is gone, so is the spending.
Learning to stay within a budget and avoid identity theft is a great start to a healthy financial profile. These are just a few reasons that someone might consider not using a debit card. Anyone that is recovering from a bankruptcy or trying to get back on a budget should consider going the cash route for a few months and seeing if that doesn’t help them to stay on track.