debit card

IPA/ˈdebɪt kɑːd/
IPA/ˈdebɪt kɑːrd/

debit card — noun

1. a plastic card linked to your bank account that automatically deducts the paymen

1.nounB1
Definition

a plastic card linked to your bank account that automatically deducts the payment when you use it to buy things

Example

Rania used her debit card to pay for the groceries at the supermarket checkout.

verb + debit card + infinitive purpose

The cashier handed the debit card back to Felix after the transaction went through.

passive: debit card handed back after transaction

Common collocations
  • use a debit card
  • pay with a debit card
  • tap your debit card
  • debit card payment
  • debit card purchase
Synonyms
  • bank card

    a broader term that can also refer to ATM-only cards

  • cash card

    chiefly British English; sometimes refers to an ATM card rather than a payment card

Antonyms
  • credit card

    allows you to borrow money and pay it back later, usually with interest

Grammar Patterns

use/pay with/have a debit card

Usage Note

Commonly paired with verbs such as 'use', 'pay with', 'swipe', 'tap', and 'insert'. Unlike a credit card, a debit card does not let you borrow money — the payment comes directly from your bank balance.

Common Mistakes

I paid with my credit card and the money came straight out of my account.
I paid with my debit card and the money came straight out of my account.
With a credit card you receive a bill later; a debit card takes the money immediately.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A debit card takes payment directly from your bank account, so you can only spend money you already have. A credit card lets you borrow money up to a certain limit and pay it back later, usually with interest. Bank card is a wider term that covers any card issued by a bank, including ATM-only cards. Cash card is mainly used in British English and often refers to a card for withdrawing cash from ATMs. For example: 'I use my debit card for everyday shopping, but I book flights with my credit card to get travel insurance.'

debit card ↗credit cardbank card ↗cash card ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • debit card payment
  • debit card transaction
  • debit card number
  • debit card purchases

Phrases

  • by debit card
  • on your debit card

Prepositions

  • pay with a debit card
  • withdraw money using a debit card

Etymology

LatinGreekFrenchEnglish

The word 'debit' comes from Latin 'debitum', meaning 'something owed'. 'Card' comes from Latin 'charta' (paper) through Greek 'khartēs'. The term 'debit card' came into use in the 1970s when banks began issuing plastic cards that could be used to pay for items directly from a customer's bank account.

First known use

1975

1975, in the meaning defined above