A debit card is a ‘normal’ ATM card that can be used to make purchases directly without using cash. In this way, it can be used just like a credit card. The difference lies in the availability of the money that you use. For a debit card, there has to be money in the bank account associated with it. That is, the money is really yours and is available for use. For a credit card, you are essentially borrowing money from the bank, at a specified interest rate. Following this line of thought, it is much better to use a debit card since you can regulate spending more.