Debit Card Definition, Usage and Examples

Meaning 1：direct-payment bank card (debit card)

debit card 🔊

/ˈdɛbɪt kɑːrd/

A card that lets you pay for things by taking money directly from your bank account.

Debit card payment at store checkout with smiling customer

direct-payment bank card 🔊

➕

/dɪˈrɛkt ˈpeɪmənt bæŋk kɑːrd/

A plastic card issued by a bank that allows the holder to pay for goods and services by directly deducting money from their checking account, rather than borrowing on credit.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Debit from Latin 'debitum' (owed); card from Latin 'charta' (paper).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'debit' = 'debt' – you are using your own money, not borrowing.

📖 Example

I prefer to use my debit card at the supermarket because it helps me keep track of my spending. 🔊 I prefer to use my debit card at the supermarket because it helps me keep track of my spending.

🔗 Collocations

use a debit card – to employ a debit card for payment

swipe your debit card – to pass the debit card through a card reader

debit card transaction – a payment made using a debit card

🔄 Synonyms

bank card (n.) – a card issued by a bank for use in transactions

check card (n.) – a debit card that can also be used as a check guarantee card

direct-payment card (n.) – a card used to make immediate payments from a bank account

🚫 Antonyms

credit card (n.) – a card that allows the holder to borrow money up to a limit for purchases

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'debit' comes from accounting. Debit cards gained popularity in the 1990s for direct payments from bank accounts.