13th February 2005, 4:54 PM
A debit card is encoded EXACTLY the same as a credit card made by the same company. The only way they could get them to be in popular use was to do that. The instant they invented them, all stores with credit card swipe.. whatever they are, instantly were able to take them. It's just the computer where the specifics of that card's account data where there's a difference. So, even if they tell you they don't take them, don't listen to them (people in such positions aren't exactly tech savvy). Just make them scan them and it'll work. The same goes for online transactions. Most of the time the site won't even bother asking if it's a debit or credit card, because the information you type in is in the exact same format.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)