Buy with Debit Card
 

The price on a Delta flight to CDG is have what it was yesterday. I don't have my credit card with me. Should I use my debit card or hope the price holds till I get home this evening?

Unless the price was really really good (like an error) I would wait until you got home.

When you use your debt card, you have fewer protections than you do with a credit card.

An unknown party once made two charges to my debt card. For over $1,100. It took nearly two months to get the bank to credit the money back and there was no guarantee they ever would. The bank would never even identify the party even after I filed a police report.

My ATM card is no longer a debt card.

Keith

Do you mean <i>half</i>? There's a real possibility that the fare will change by the time you get home. Never leave home without your credit card(s) ;)

Are there other payment options for DL?

On Continental.com, one can pay by direct bank transfer, or hold the reservations for 24 hours to be paid by cash in person or Western Union, or one can even get a credit line to &quot;pay later&quot;.

Don't know about DL or wherever you find that fare.

I meant half. The prices had been steady for months but as of this week it went up $100 with a double on one of the three non-stop options. It seems to shuffle from day to day which will be in the $600 range and which will be over $1200.

I'm afraid if I don't book at the $600 rate it'll only get worse. Clearly, the $500 range is gone for the year.

Isn't your debit card a Visa or Master debit card? It should act the same as any other kind of card with those brands' protections.

I make big purchases all the time with my debit card. I'd be more concerned here about losing out on a great fare!

You're protected, but money's out of your bank account right away, and it's a lot hassle to get money put back into your account from fradulent activity. For credit cards, you dispute the charge and usually that's it.

And I assume many people have miles or rebate earning credit cards for these large purchases, which are a lot more rare with debit cards.

My debt card was a Visa.

Keith

On the difference: http://www.pirg.org/consumer/banks/d...ebitcards1.htm

Keith

I understand the security differences (or thought I did). If the protection is equal, that's news to me. Just wondered if it was really worth worrying about with a major airline.

In any case, I'm home and the fare is still $612.20 non-stop.

Thanks!

Great news! Enjoy your trip.

Keith

It is usually possible to change the form of payment if the draft has not gone through. Before you jump on me - yes, I know that debit cards immediately take the money out of the linked account. But if it is only a matter of hours (not overnight) you can call the airline and ask to change the FOP - may or may not work, but in a case like this I would try it (though I must confess that I have memorized by cc #)

They actually didn't take the funds for a few days. I used the debit anyway. It's not a budget trip if I pay interest for awhile.