Reply #26: Cash is only best option if you can't count on yourself to only spend what you can afford & pay off [View All]

[lindisfarne]

in full when bill comes due. Debit cards don't have the consumer protections that credit cards come with; many do not realize that (some banks add some promises to their debit card, but they can take those away whenever they want). Debit cards also mean you have to keep close track of your bank balance - and watch for those "authorization hold" which can exceed what you spent but take up to 30 days to be removed.

See for example
http://www.consumer-action.org/english/articles/understanding_debit_cards/