{"id":16440,"date":"2026-01-05T11:36:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T17:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/?p=16440"},"modified":"2026-02-05T12:10:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:10:33","slug":"are-debit-cards-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/are-debit-cards-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Are debit cards safe? Here\u2019s what to know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re leaving home, chances are good you\u2019re bringing your debit card along with you. Tucked into your pocket or uploaded to your digital wallet, a debit card is a must-have if you need to withdraw cash or pay for anything with the money in your checking account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, a debit card allows instant access to your money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has the convenience of a credit card, but it doesn\u2019t charge you interest,\u201d says Kevin Smith, director of a financial services company. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t allow you to overspend what you have.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most debit cards are the standard cards that banks issue to consumers. But there are a few other types of debit cards <\/strong>as well, including Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, which are issued by government agencies to provide financial assistance to individuals. Another type of debit card is a prepaid debit card, which must be loaded with money before use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But are debit cards safe? <\/strong>Smith walks you through what you need to know about debit card safety below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the security features of debit cards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Smith points out that debit cards have a variety of security features, including a personal identification number (PIN). Only you should know your PIN; it\u2019s the most fundamental way to access the money in your checking account. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first debit card had a magnetic stripe on the back,\u201d Smith says. \u201cI would swipe it, I would enter a PIN number, and then it would process my transaction.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, in addition to those magnetic stripes, debit cards are usually outfitted with a microchip, or \u201cchip\u201d for short. Smith explains that the magnetic stripe, while reliable, was vulnerable to being cloned by fraudsters who possessed lost or stolen debit cards. \u201cChips prevent cloning of cards much more effectively,\u201d Smith says. To pay with a debit card with a chip, you \u201cdip\u201d the chip in the card reader. Or, if the reader and card are both enabled with contactless technology, you can securely \u201ctap to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn how to prevent debit card theft and fraud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The owner of the debit card has more control over debit card security than any new technology can provide, Smith says. It all comes down to being aware of how debit card fraud can occur and staying vigilant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you go to a restaurant and you go to pay, sometimes they bring a terminal out to you at the table, but sometimes they bring the debit card to the back,\u201d Smith says. Smith suggests being wary of letting your debit card leave your sight: \u201cYou don\u2019t know if they\u2019re going to the back room to write down your name, your debit card number, your CCV code, and expiration code.\u201d (The CCV code is the card verification value code, a 3- or 4-digit number usually found on the back of your card.) That\u2019s all the information a fraudster needs to go on an online shopping spree with your card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

“If you really want to be secure with your PIN, you should change it once in a while.”<\/p>\n