The difference between using a debit and credit cards

Surprisingly, it does make a difference. The most important thing you need to know is that using a debit card does cannot help improve your credit score. This is because, with a debit card, you are not borrowing money like you would with a credit card. Unlike with a credit card, you don’t get a bill at the end of the month for your debit card, just an itemized statement. As explained in recent article from Money Magazine:

Debit and credit transactions are processed differently: Here’s how MasterCard explained it in an emailed statement to Credit.com: When you use a debit card and your PIN (personal identification number), the transaction is completed in real time, also known as an online transaction — you authorize the purchase with your PIN and the money is immediately transferred from your bank account to the merchant. With a credit card, or using a debit card as credit, it’s an offline transaction.