debit card

American  

noun

debit cards plural

1. a plastic card that resembles a credit card but functions like a check and through which payments for purchases or services are made electronically to the bank accounts of participating retailing establishments directly from those of card holders.

---

debit card British  

noun

1. an embossed plastic card issued by a bank or building society to enable its customers to pay for goods or services by inserting it into a computer-controlled device at the place of sale, which is connected through the telephone network to the bank or building society. It may also function as a cash card, a cheque card, or both

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• debit cards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of debit card

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

debit card

The startup, an eco-friendly digital banking company boasting fossil fuel-free investments, carbon offsets for gas purchases, and a debit card with cash-back benefits for shopping at clean companies, was founded by Sanberg and Andrei Cherny.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

Similarly, spending was up 4.8% year over year, according to Bank of America’s credit and debit card data.

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

But if you treat it like a debit card and pay it off monthly, you’re just getting rewarded for the spending you were already doing.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

"It's very easy to just give them your debit card and pay it and worry about the cost later, if I've got a gift card I know I can't go over that amount," she says.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

In a smooth move—he’d had plenty of practice—Benji whipped out his debit card and slapped it into her hand.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty