Why Does Everyone Pay With Their Debit Card?

[LaoPo]

. i carry cash like a man. what is this non sense?

Sorry there mates, if you are not carring cash you are not a MAN...

...a real (older*) man has exclusive credit cards; he doesn't need to carry cash and gives his wife a credit card to shop around; cash money is dirty and in 77 to 95% of the cases show traces of coke.....

* http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Lets-Straight-t300089.html still listening to "stir it up" Mr. DonJohn ?

LaoPo

[Heng]

...a real (older*) man has exclusive credit cards; he doesn't need to carry cash and gives his wife a credit card to shop around; cash money is dirty and in 77 to 95% of the cases show traces of coke.....

Young Lao Po, why would you actually need to touch da money? Just make the 'pay dem' gesture and it's taken care of.

[Chunkton]

I prefer to use cash, as that way I know how much I have spent. Use a debit card and at the end of the month I would have no idea what was spent until I got the bill for the card. When I use cash I know what I have spent with a quick look.

Very easy to go through the money when you don't keep track.

Besides when someone gets into your account and goes through $8,000 in one month it tends to put you off having a debit card. Got it back but it was a pain the the arse.

From the home country I use an internet based, no fees whatsoever, account that pays about 4% in interest at the moment. Obviously we are not talking about the US "savers hel_l" here. I also have a debit card account in which I keep little money as it pays no interest and has a small monthly charge. When I want to use the debit card I transfer funds, as much as I like, in via internet banking prior to using.

So what fraud, maybe can be hit for $20, even that is refundable if I complain. In Thailand I use cash. Also seen the idiots in the checkout paying a 200 baht bill with credit cards, extra wais for them wannabe hi-sos.

[dumball]

I guess people just enjoy making banks richer by the hour and then complain how they get ripped off by banks , I have watched people pay for a candy bar with a debit card in a discount store , notwithstanding the $2.00 charge many banks charge for 'The priviledge' each time it is used , 555 .

a "dumball" claim par excellence!

I used to use an international debit card and was charged $2.00 for usage , I opened a Thai bank account and there was no charge , I now have a EMV card which I load via online banking and have no charges .

[LaoPo]

...a real (older*) man has exclusive credit cards; he doesn't need to carry cash and gives his wife a credit card to shop around; cash money is dirty and in 77 to 95% of the cases show traces of coke.....

Young Lao Po, why would you actually need to touch da money? Just make the 'pay dem' gesture and it's taken care of.

....you flatter me, being an old man but I have to confess that I sinned today since I spent some serious money today, having a haircut in my own country and spent the equivalent of Baht 498,48 which is Euro 10.--

However, I'm not going to tell here how I paid. That's confidential.

LaoPo

[hughben]

To the people who don't like cash, do Taxi drivers accept cards now then?

I reverted back to cash years ago.

I take out what I need and never have to worry about losing cards, having them stolen etc.

I would not use a card in some of the establishments I have paid a visit in Thailand over the years either.

[tolsti]

In Belgium you can load up to 120 euro onto the debit card.

Thus you can pay for your loaf of bread at the bakery without looking for change.

You enter your pin code, the amount is deducted from the chip in your card, no online transion, no connection cost for the vendor.

Don't understand why people want to carry cash.

Very sweet to see a woman pack 5 million baht into her handbag and leave the bank, happens all the time, no thieves around banks waiting for victims

I think you mean a stored value card... not a debit card.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stored-value_card

[richard_smith237]

I don’t believe that someone who has concerns regarding the seconds savings between a cash and card transaction lives a life whereby the difference in efficiency could have any impact whatsoever.

-----

I’m not sure it’s quicker to use cash or not.

But I do know that if I used cash all the time I would waste more time returning to the ATM. I have no wish to carry around B20,000 or more in my skinny wallet to cover the expense normally covered by simple card transactions.

IF my card or wallet is lost or stolen the card is easily cancelled, cash however is lost.

Conversely we are also subject to the risk of fraud when using a card, I’ve been subjected to this fraud and lost nothing after signing an affidavit.

Isn’t it easier to keep enough cash for cash necessary transitions such as taxi’s, bars etc? Then in restaurants , supermarkets and other places of ‘transaction reliability’ (i.e. when you are confident your card will not be cloned etc) you can slip out your slim wallet which is not bulked up with an excessive number of notes.

Do you also round up so you don’t have to waste time waiting for change ?

[cyb]

one of the things i hate about America is that its too difficult for people to carry cash so every checkout isle has a long wait for the moron to swipe their debit. same thing in thailand more and more it seems, especially among women. so much easier than carrying cash? i have never used a debit card to buy something in my life. i carry cash like a man. what is this non sense?

I cannot believe in this day and age that someone would so stupid as to carry all cash with them.

The use of debit cards is much faster than cash and more secure.

You get robbed of your cash, thats it gone forever. Lose your debit card get another one and any monies lost via the card is refunded.

By all means carry some Thb or whatever currency you use but in small amounts.

[phutoie2]

I find Bangkok Banks BE 1st card really useful, saves carrying a big wad around all the time

[tartempion]

In Belgium you can load up to 120 euro onto the debit card.

Thus you can pay for your loaf of bread at the bakery without looking for change.

You enter your pin code, the amount is deducted from the chip in your card, no online transion, no connection cost for the vendor.

Don't understand why people want to carry cash.

Very sweet to see a woman pack 5 million baht into her handbag and leave the bank, happens all the time, no thieves around banks waiting for victims

I think you mean a stored value card... not a debit card.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stored-value_card

You think wrong, why comment when you have no clue???

The same DEBIT card can be used at ATM's to withdraw cash, to pay in shops as POS with online real-time checking of availability of funds and limits of usage (daily & weekly) AND you can load up to 120 euro into the chip to use as a stored value card, the shop not needing an online connection.

There is no doubt I use such a card when in Belgium and you have never seen one, but you feel fit to comment

A proton debit card is the system used in Belgium to help eliminate cash transactions. For this reason, it is easier to use a proton debit card while you are traveling there or if you live there. Many of the debit cards in Belgium have this feature built in. Belgians also call this an e-purse.

• Insert your Proton card into the machine. Follow the directions on swiping another card to transfer money to your Proton card. Since Proton cards have virtually replaced cash in Belgium it is important to have and use one if you plan on staying for an extended period of time.
  
• 
  
• Choose the amount you want to load onto your card. The current limit is 125 Euros.
  
• 
  
• Use your Proton card while in the country. Swipe the card at the any of the stores that you go to and hit okay. Proton cards do not require a pin number and are intended for small every day purchases.
  

Edited September 23, 2009 by tartempion

[Valentine]

Years ago I could use my ATM card as debit card in Thai supermarkets & other places but it seemed they stopped accepting debit cards & would only take credit cards which is what I use occasionally but normally pay by cash. Cash is definitely faster at the checkout unless it is one of those ladies who have to go through two or three different wallets & purses to find the extact change for payment.

Where I hail from they have an EFTPOS system which you can use with debit or credit card plus you the teller normally asks if you want any cash to go which then saves a trip to the ATM where you would use the same card. Swipe your card, enter the PIN number, push credit or debit & the result is instantaneous unlike the slower way credit cards are processed here.

[LooseCannon]

I find Bangkok Banks BE 1st card really useful, saves carrying a big wad around all the time

Very easy to blow your wad in Bangkok

[Meridian007]

I'll admit that I've gone back to using cash since I moved here, but at home they make it too easy to use debit.

In our grocery stores they have a checkout area that is all self-serve. There is one staff member there to assist with problems and make sure that no one steals. At the checkout kiosk, you scan your item and put in a bag on the weight-sensitive bag carousel beside the kiosk. The weight of each scanable item is already in their database so they know if you're skimming. With loose items like produce, you put it on a weight sensitive panel at the kiosk, type in the code for that item, then put it in your bag. When you're done, you just swipe your debit card (you can use cash or credit too, but it's more of a pain), take your bags, and go!

Yes, there are ways to cheat this system, but the labour costs are lower with one staff member for 6-8 kiosks, so I'm sure it equals out. Also, Canadians tend to be honest, so it works!

Edited September 23, 2009 by Meridian007

[zebata]

one of the things i hate about America is that its too difficult for people to carry cash so every checkout isle has a long wait for the moron to swipe their debit. same thing in thailand more and more it seems, especially among women. so much easier than carrying cash? i have never used a debit card to buy something in my life. i carry cash like a man. what is this non sense?

In my country, between 80-90% of all shop transactions are done by debit card (NOT by Credit Cards) and I'm talking every shop.

Only on street markets and in the drugs- and (some) car business deals are done with cash.

You just slide your debit card through a small machine and enter your 4-digit pin-code and press OK. At the same time the money is deducted from your bank account (if there's enough money, of course and you're not surpassing the limit if you have one... )

That's all.

In the US (although I haven't been there for quite some time) it takes a lot longer; I don't know why but assume many people also pay with their credit cards.

Don't know about Thailand since I never used debit cards in LOS.

LaoPo

80-90% in your country use debit cards??????

which country is this??????

[Daewoo]

Also, Canadians tend to be honest, so it works!

They have this same system in some of the supermarkets in Australia... and we are all from convict stock

I used a credit card for everything at home (Australia), if it is over =300THB... that adds up to about 200,000THB/month... Interest free for 55 days... pay off the entire balance monthly, so I pay no interest... means I have 200,000THB of the banks money in my savings account, offset against my mortgage, reducing my loan repayments... seems a pretty good reason to use CREDIT cards...

Using Debit cards just means you don't have to go to the ATM... and Debit card transactions are fee free, while ATM visits attract a fee...

The speed of the transaction in Thailand is slower than in farrangland because the transmission medium (typically wireless in Th, typically wired in Aus) is slower, and I am assuming the Bank Infrastructure to deal with the transaction has a higher load ratio..

Daewoo

[henryalleman]

In Belgium you can load up to 120 euro onto the debit card.

Thus you can pay for your loaf of bread at the bakery without looking for change.

You enter your pin code, the amount is deducted from the chip in your card, no online transion, no connection cost for the vendor.

Don't understand why people want to carry cash.

Very sweet to see a woman pack 5 million baht into her handbag and leave the bank, happens all the time, no thieves around banks waiting for victims

The vendor have to pay a fee for the machine and an % on the sales, and its not cheap at all for him about 10 000 baht a month depend on wich company. That's why many vendors hate it , but are forced to keep it for commercial reasons.

The fee for a normal debit card machine is somewhat in the same order, depending how much volume you use every month.

In fact the vendors are scammed by the banks.

For a credit card the vendor have to pay op to 2% of the sale,depending on the kind of bussiness he have, the highest rates are for restaurants.

[soundman]

Very sweet to see a woman pack 5 million baht into her handbag and leave the bank, happens all the time, no thieves around banks waiting for victims

That is probably because the woman more than likely has a 0.38 Smith & Wesson in that handbag & the thieves know she will use it without hesitation on anybody stupid enough to try and relieve her of the 5 million Baht.

[hhgz]

"Why Does Everyone Pay With Their Debit Card?"

Your premise is false. Not everyone pays with a debit crd.

[vagabond48]

Back in the USA, I only used CC to pay because I got back between 1% to 5% credit rebate depending what I bought (supermarket or gas for example). As someone mentioned you get a free loan for up to 50+ days.

Using a USA CC, you are also protected from theft while using a debit card you are less protected and someone can clean your account out.

For me, cash is still king.

Edited September 23, 2009 by vagabond48

[JetsetBkk]

"Why Does Everyone Pay With Their Debit Card?"

Your premise is false. Not everyone pays with a debit crd.

Correct. I always pay cash. Don't have or want debit or credit cards.

[geriatrickid]

trust me, when u use debit it takes longer. this is fact.

Only if you are uncoordinated.

Debit cards are easier for everyone as it reduces workload for merchant to administer the cash on hand & reduces the loss exposure for holdup. Easier for the consumer that doesn't have to carry around tens of thousands of baht on shopping day. For small purchases under 200 baht, use exact or close to exact money. Debit cards were not intended for sma;; purchases of 200 baht or less.

Silly thread anyway.

[doggie888888]

Many many many years ago when ATMs first made the scene, there were people complaining about it and saying they preferred to do their banking the "old fashion" way ie face to face with teller over the counter.

This complaint about debit cards is similar in nature...as more societies go cashless, there will be people who prefer "old fashoin" cash in the wallet and will resist cards. Go to Australia, HK, Singapore, some European countries and to some extent Shanghai....many people use stored value cards, debit cards, credit cards. It's just simply more convenient and safe....and like it or not, that's the way we are headed: towards a cashless system, just like the ATMs arrival many decades ago. Just go with the flow, to resist is almost futile. Many banks charge a fee for over the counter service in an effort to sway people towards ATMs...similarly, I imagine there will be a charge for cash transactions in the future (eg some banks charge a fee if you convert forex cash over the counter, they mush prefer you just do a transfer ie the cashless way).

[personchester]

For starters, swiping a debit card takes less time than paying cash and waiting for a cashier to make change and count it 4-5 times back to you.

You know how old you sound starting a thread like this... LoL

Agreed .... particularly in regard to re-counting the change, this appears to be the number "uno" in their training session.

[t.s]

Two valid complaints in this thread.

1) Debit card use for purchases takes longer. Yes. Go to Tops supermarket. It always adds time when people are paying with cards, debit or credit. Their refusal to simply hit the ATM before doing their shopping makes the wait lines longer in high customer retail shopping outlets.

2) People who take ages to count out correct change to make their purchases are annoying. A little counting and sorting at home would make this process go more smoothly. Taking ages to fish the billfold out of the purse and count out the correct bills also takes some folks an inordinate amount of time. They could easily have removed billfold while the checker was tallying the items. Again, these behaviors cause excess wait time in limes.

3) I'll add one, checkers who are incompetent. Take forever to ring up sales and make change if change is due.

so let me summarize:

People who pay with debit cards annoy you.

People who pay cash annoy you

Cashiers annoy you.

Just how busy are you? why not just stay home?

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

I haven't found anyone in LOS that objects to cash. If that makes me old fashion, so be it, a lot of old fashion things were and are better.

[shriah]

The only reason I have see in using Cash is for security reasons. No one else will know what you do with your cash.