Culture shock for Canadians in the US

[Emancipation 2]

I'm still getting used to the whole "check card" thing... like how it's not really like a debit card (but it is) and not really like a credit card... and getting asked if I want cash back each time.

I STILL don't understand this. What the heck IS this card? Is it a debit card or is it a credit card? Is there some sort of writeup about it online so I can figure out what it is? I just don't get it. Please help. LOL

Here's Navy Federal's explaination of it.. I have both a DEBIT card (like we have in Canada) AND a Check Card (used liked visa but linked to my Checking Account). As far as I can tell it's the banks answer to stores refusing to accept personal checks.. I dunno..

http://www.navyfcu.org/credit_cards/debit.html?p=c3&n=c2

Edited April 28, 2007 by Emancipation

[Krikit 1,163]

I'm still getting used to the whole "check card" thing... like how it's not really like a debit card (but it is) and not really like a credit card... and getting asked if I want cash back each time.

I STILL don't understand this. What the heck IS this card? Is it a debit card or is it a credit card? Is there some sort of writeup about it online so I can figure out what it is? I just don't get it. Please help. LOL

Here's Navy Federal's explaination of it.. I have both a DEBIT card (like we have in Canada) AND a Check Card (used liked visa but linked to my Checking Account). As far as I can tell it's the banks answer to stores refusing to accept personal checks.. I dunno..

http://www.navyfcu.org/credit_cards/debit.html?p=c3&n=c2

I still don't get it. How can it be a credit card if the purchase amount is automatically debited from your chequing account? Doesn't that make it a debit card? Am I some sort of moron? (Don't answer that. LOL)

[KarenCee 3]

I'm still getting used to the whole "check card" thing... like how it's not really like a debit card (but it is) and not really like a credit card... and getting asked if I want cash back each time.

I STILL don't understand this. What the heck IS this card? Is it a debit card or is it a credit card? Is there some sort of writeup about it online so I can figure out what it is? I just don't get it. Please help. LOL

Here's Navy Federal's explaination of it.. I have both a DEBIT card (like we have in Canada) AND a Check Card (used liked visa but linked to my Checking Account). As far as I can tell it's the banks answer to stores refusing to accept personal checks.. I dunno..

http://www.navyfcu.org/credit_cards/debit.html?p=c3&n=c2

I still don't get it. How can it be a credit card if the purchase amount is automatically debited from your chequing account? Doesn't that make it a debit card? Am I some sort of moron? (Don't answer that. LOL)

No...you're not a moron. Some places here in the States run a debit card as if it's a credit card. Yeah, weird I know but that's what they do...I've had it happen to me countless times. Yet...the money is automatically taken from your checking account. I don't get it...never have...I have learned not to question it.

[Flames9_RN 358]

My wachovia "debit" card is a debit card and a Credit card. One has the option to go both ways, guess the card is "bi" lol I never use it as a credit card, dont get enough points from it!!

[DeadPoolX 9]

I'm still getting used to the whole "check card" thing... like how it's not really like a debit card (but it is) and not really like a credit card... and getting asked if I want cash back each time.

I STILL don't understand this. What the heck IS this card? Is it a debit card or is it a credit card? Is there some sort of writeup about it online so I can figure out what it is? I just don't get it. Please help. LOL

A check card is like a credit card, except that it's a type of "debit" card that looks similar to a credit card but acts like a check because the purchase amount is deducted from the cardholder's checking account.

And yes, many places take debit cards but use them as credit cards in a way (i.e. no need to enter a PIN) and in fact, some card issuers inform the cardholder to choose "credit card" instead of "debit card" on the electronic pay devices. The money is still deducted from your account like a debit card, however.

One thing that I should note that, at least in my experience, many more places here in the U.S. accept credit cards versus debit or check cards. Using a debit or check card is less common here, than say... in Canada. Most people use credit cards. This throws my fiancee for a loop -- she says you can pay for practically anything in Canada with debit and she hardly ever uses her credit card. I'm the opposite. I have a debit card, but I rarely use it (only for taking money out of ATMs, really) and rely on my credit cards.

[Reba 2]

When James and I were first dating, there was hardly anywhere in the US to use a debit card. It was either cash, credit card or cheque. Its becoming more common to be able to use your debit card in US stores however, but I think they're just a little slower in their acceptance of terminology is all. I hate carrying cash.

It still boggles me that people even bother writing checks/cheques here! Just swipe your dang card already! sheesh! Banking is so far behind the times down here.

As for recycling, it drives me absolutely freakin' batty that not more cities here in the US have curb side pick-up, and offices don't recycle. Here in Morganton the city says it would cost them too much money to have curb-side pick up, and they've just got rid of one of the recycling drop-off depots in town as well. Every time I go to drop off my recycling the bins are full, (even when there were 2 depots) and yet they claim not enough people want to recycle. ugh...eejits...and yet smaller towns on either side of us have managed to offer curbside pick-up and not had to raise property taxes.

The only thing that gets recycled in our office where I work is aluminum pop/soda cans. But I just can't bear to just throw away the reams of paper that get wasted every day, so I bring it home with me and take it to the depot myself. I'm going there anyway right? I can't tell you how long it took to train my husband to recycle, but he's getting the hang of it. I just wish he'd take it there sometime himself. He's just sitting around doing nothing these days anyway! Now...if I could just convince him to set up a compost in the garden, and turn off lights and the TV when he's not actually using them

[Flames9_RN 358]

We use our credit cards for everything. Flying home to Saskatoon for free because of the points!!

[misa 2]

It still boggles me that people even bother writing checks/cheques here! Just swipe your dang card already! sheesh! Banking is so far behind the times down here.

Seriously! It's unheard of to write a cheque in a Canadian retail store and has been for a long time.

[kimmbo 0]

It still boggles me that people even bother writing checks/cheques here! Just swipe your dang card already! sheesh! Banking is so far behind the times down here.

Seriously! It's unheard of to write a cheque in a Canadian retail store and has been for a long time.

...its so funny for me to hear all of this...LOL..when I moved to Canada I couldnt believe no one would accept checks, and a group I was in of other American women that had moved to Canada the subject came up alot...we were so sad that we could no longer use our designer checks in any store (mine had the cast of Happy Days on them)..LOL..my husband would say "thats why we have debit cards"...I told my mom and sister just last week that it will be nice to be home again so I can order a pretty box of checks and starting writing them again in stores....my husband says he will continue to use a debit card..LOL

[Marilyn. 340]

speaking of writing checks... at the grocery store yesterday the two people in front of me in the checkout line both wrote out checks ....

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Ditto here with the check debit card - I was confused about why they were running it as a credit card rather than the debit card until one of the cashiers explained that their system was only set up to accept credit. So, ok - it comes directly out of the account either way - one way I type in my PIN and the other way requires my signature. I do appreciate it though when stores ask to see some proof of identification when I use the card - it may be a nuisance, but a reassuring one.

I hear you about the recycling. When I arrived nearly 3 years ago I picked up a small plastic bucket with a lid from Lowes to use for food waste (keep it on the counter) and then we made our own composter out of chicken wire. Well, we have filled 2 chicken wire bins - and emptied out the compost - and last year finally found a large compost bin at CostCo of all places! So, now we are waiting to take our first compost from that. When we asked about composters at Lowes we just got blank looks.

Not having any paper recycling has bothered me for a while as well, although there is a depot at a local fire hall about 5 miles away that does take magazines! What we have done is purchased a cross cut shredder and weshred just about every thing now - and then wet it down and use it as mulch on the gardens. I sure hope it starts to degrade faster than it is - we may have to mix it in with other commercial mulch - because we will soon have more paper shredded than we have garden:-).

Edited April 28, 2007 by Kathryn41

[Emancipation 2]

Hubby's weighing in here, and he says it's simply that the VISA symbol opens up your Debit card to the VISA network....

(similar to Interac and Plus symbols in Canada). Visa has opened it's network up to the banks for the purpose of the check card and it's just a very common and accepted network and that's why they issue them that way. Does that help the discussion any??

[piosenka 0]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating what someone else said, but basically if you have a check card with a VISA or Mastercard logo, but it's tied to your bank account, you have the option to run it as credit. The reason you do this is because a lot of cards that are run as debit charge you a fee. If you run it as a credit card, the store pays the "transaction fee". There really is no difference, its just better for you to always run it as a credit. It will still take it out of your account. Another plus of having a check card thats supported by VISA or Mastercard is that your debit card will now be accepted anywhere those cards are accepted. I don't really understand why some people have debit/check cards that are not tied with those logos, unless you are getting amazing rewards.

If you go to a store and they say they don't take debit cards, but you give them your debit card with a VISA logo, they will have to accept it (provided they accept visa credit cards). They do this for convenience purposes and you prob can use that sponsored debit card anywhere in the world that accepts visa or mastercard.

[KarenCee 3]

Right now, all of our bills are paid online and I don't write checks anymore it seems...well, I take that back. I have to write a check for our daughter's lunch at school. I could send cash but we seldom have cash anymore. Other than that, no check writing here. I have run into some doctor's offices that will not take a debit card. They require cash or check. That's when I take cash with me.

[Marilyn. 340]

the only things I pay by check or rent and car insurance....

I could phone in the payment for the car insurance but they charge an extra 5 bucks if you do that and there is no option to pay it online....