 TITLE: Are Credit Cards Safer Than Debit Cards? CONTENT: The Difference Between Credit Cards and Debit Cards\n---------------------------------------------------\nAlthough credit cards and debit cards look and function alike, they're two very different products. Credit cards are equipped with a credit line, which is a fixed amount of money you can borrow from the issuer. After each charge, the issuer pays the merchant, and the amount you can borrow is reduced by that sum. So if the credit line is $2,000 and you charged $500, you'd have $1,500 left to borrow. Pay the $500 before the interest-free grace period ends, and the limit pops back up to $2,000; but pay less, and the amount you owe is rolled over to the next month and interest is added.\nThere is no borrowing involved with debit cards. Rather, they are connected to your checking account, so when you use a debit card, you're tapping into your own pool of funds. After you make a purchase with it, the money is transferred from your bank account to the merchant to pay for what you bought. Every time you use your debit card, the amount in your account declines by the purchase amount. You can add to your checking account at any time. END