quote:Originally posted by Dat: Do you have a bank account? If so, you probably have a debit card which can be used just as easily as a credit card.
Not if you're in Canada.
I refuse to believe that Canada doesn't have a Switch, Delta, Maestro or equivalent card.
No offence, but I'm curious...your dad works for a credit card fraud company, and so he refuses to use it over the internet? Why not refuse to use it in a shop too? I can understand being paranoid about giving the details out to anyone, but I think that, after all this time, Amazon can probably be trusted.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Really, credit card usage over the internet is safer than giving it over to someone at a physical store or restaurant or whatever. Of course, you must make sure you are providing your card number and expiration date over a secure server.
And yes, Amazon can be trusted, even when you're buying used copies of whatever from third party sellers. And you can also trust Paypal and Half.com You can used paypal to pay for purchases off ebay provided the seller accepts paypal payments.
-------------------- Is it Friday yet?
Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by AndrewR: Maybe it's the fact his father mightn't want to give his fifteen-year-old access to his credit card on the internet!
Bingo! However, my parents might allow me to do money orders.
-------------------- I will put this as succinctly as possible -- get me the hell out of here!
Registered: Jun 2004
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They really dont need to 'allow' such a thing do they? I mean you walk into your local Walmart, bank, or gas station and slap down X amount of dollars, say "I want a money order, bitch" and 'Bingo!' you're in business...mail it off and really? 'Allow'?
-------------------- Hey, it only took 13 years for me to figure out my password...
Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: I refuse to believe that Canada doesn't have a Switch, Delta, Maestro or equivalent card.
As I understand it, in the US and the EU there's something called a check (sic) card which is tied into a chequing account and can also be used as a credit card. We don't have that in Canada. At least, that's what my bank told me when I inquired about one. Also, when a travelling yank was into my work, they paid with a check card but the debit machine didn't recognize it as a debit card and put it through as a credit card.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Topher: As I understand it, in the US and the EU there's something called a check (sic) card which is tied into a chequing account and can also be used as a credit card. We don't have that in Canada. At least, that's what my bank told me when I inquired about one. Also, when a travelling yank was into my work, they paid with a check card but the debit machine didn't recognize it as a debit card and put it through as a credit card.
That is basically it. I have a check card (not sure the technical term) which acts as either a credit card (Mastercard), which requires a signature, or debit card (Pulse, Cirrus), which requires a pin number.
Whatever the case may be, it only works as a credit card with what money you have in your checking account at that time, or however long it takes to process the purchase (roughly 24hrs), and is not the 'free-money-plus-interest' card like a true credit card buys you (up until you get the bill at the end of the month).
All I know is that it is damn convenient (especially at gas stations), most of the time.
-------------------- Hey, it only took 13 years for me to figure out my password...
Registered: Jan 2003
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I use one like that for purchases over the Internet. Earlier this year they started charging $1.00/month for maintenance costs, but beofre that it was cost-free. And since you only have access to the amount you have in the account at the moment, there's not much of a problem if you lose it or it's stolen.
Registered: Feb 2004
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"Checking account" would seem to be an Americanism which I'm going to assume is the equivalent of "current account". Ie, your main one.
I think FG explained it best, although I will attempt to do better:
Basically, it's like an instant cheque. You pay for something using it like you would a credit card, and the money just gets taken out of your account instantly (or rather, within a day). They're accepted everywhere credit cards are (so all shops, essentially). You can use them on the internet, and everything. A Delta is the Visa version. Anywhere that accepts Visa accepts Delta. I assume that if I tried to use it in Canada, it would be put through the machine as a Visa, but the money would still come directly out of my account.
All our cards still use signitures, but they're changing over to pin numbers now.
Topher: What do you mean, "it didn't recognise it as a debit card"? Don't you just swipe the card, and get them to type in their pin/sign the receipt? How was it any different?
Pretty much all my friends (and most people my age) use them instead of cash for all their purchases, since it's much more convenient that hunting for a cashpoint everytime you want to buy something. In fact, the only time I always use money is at the pub. Apart from that, it's cards.
It's like the future, or something.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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For a debit card, I swipe the card and they enter their pin. For a credit card, I swipe the card, the transaction goes through, and they sign the receipt. No pin needed. And a chequing account is the one that's tied to cheques, but hardly anyone uses those anymore...
Registered: Mar 1999
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"'Checking account' would seem to be an Americanism which I'm going to assume is the equivalent of 'current account'. Ie, your main one."
A checking account is the account from which the money comes when you write a check (or "cheque", if you insist). It typically doesn't gain any interest (or, perhaps, less than other types of accounts; I know mine has none). Essentially, it's the account you put money into that you intend to use, as opposed to a savings account where you put money in and leave it there to accrue interest.
Registered: Mar 1999
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