OK This one is for all you old school guys.

[bobzilla]

I have never had a debit card. I would much rather put everything on a credit card that has cash back (from 1% to 5%, depending on the card and the purchase) and then pay it off at the end of the month. That cash back adds up to hundreds of dollars a year. I bought my Smith 686 with my cash back one year.

Our yearly check is usually $8-900. That we typically use towards a nice vacation

 

[Flingarrows]

I think people should have their whole paycheck deposited, and have to write checks for the taxes, no automatic deduction

Buy whatever you want on credit or debit - no dog in that fight, my credit cards are paid in full monthly…

 

[BigRed]

I think people should have their whole paycheck deposited, and have to write checks for the taxes, no automatic deduction

AMEN

 

[thompal]

Within a week the gas station will actually transfer the actual amount purchased. Once they remove that amount, the bank releases the balance. Not sure why gas stations take so damn long. They seem to be the only merchant type that waits up to a week (or more) to take the money out.

I think it probably depends on the size of the gas station company, but most of the big ones complete the transaction overnight or within about 3 hours. However, some of the card processors and banks won't release the authorization hold for days. Wells Fargo was notorious for keeping the hold on their cards for 7-10 business days AFTER the merchant had run it through.

It's a real problem for people who have no idea how much credit they have on their card. The gas pump will decline their card because they don't have the $75 or $100 available, so they go inside and ask for $50 in gas. The register will put a hold on their card for however much they have. If the person doesn't have the cash to pay the remainder, the cashier cancels the transaction, but the hold is still on the card, so the person has zero available credit. Just as an aside, that person will ALWAYS blame the cashier for this.

 

[Creedmoor]

I don't give a rat's ass who knows where I buy my ice cream and whether I like chocolate or vanilla.

Oh... I had to read that twice,, Ice cream.

 

[thompal]

Casey’s gas stations charge $1, you get your gas, the refund the $1, then charge you for the gas.

That will prove to them that the account is valid, but it doesn't guarantee that you'll have enough on the card to pay for the gas. It seems like a policy that cries to be abused. Go in with a card that has $1 on it, go out and pump your gas. Go back in, card gets declined, you don't have cash on you. Police get called. Did you know you didn't have enough on your card? Did you intend to steal the gas? Will the gas station go through the expense of following through to take it to court, and pay their employees to testify? Doubtful. They'll probably just trespass the person.

 

[WebSnyper]

There’s no denying that cash is more anonymous than card transactions. Still, my point is that nearly everyone has a digital footprint in some way these days. Credit card companies incentivize their use so they can prey on those who use them irresponsibly and charge them 30% interest.

Credit card company makes money off every transaction, regardless if you ever pay them a dime in interest.

That said, I 100% agree on using them for the cash back, and protections, and paying them off each month.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Credit card company makes money off every transaction, regardless if you ever pay them a dime in interest.

That said, I 100% agree on using them for the cash back, and protections, and paying them off each month.

Yep. Credit cards HATE me. I always pay my balance in full, and take full advantage of cash back or other perks. Like my Hilton Honors card. I dont get an expense account/corp card so I put all my expenses on that card. Thanks to that I havent paid for a hotel room in 15 years. Including the EPIC stay in Franklin KY 8/21/2017; smack dab in the middle of the solar eclipse totality. Talking to the manager the night before, the walk in rack rate was $300/night. But I redeemed my points 18 months earlier as soon as they announced the upcoming eclipse. I literally snuck in my reservation before they realized it was going to be a special event stay.

 

[thompal]

tanstaafl

Ahhh, one of the great pro-2A BBSes in the 80s.

 

[yeahbaby]

Your data is already out there simply by using the Internet. Including when you signed up for this forum.

Yep.

 

[BigRed]

Ahhh, one of the great pro-2A BBSes in the 80s.

No idea on the reference.

 

[indyblue]

No idea on the reference.

In the 80’s not long after the IBM personal computers were introduced, people known as SYSOP’s (system operators) ran software known as Bulletin Board Systems or BBS’s.

They were the precursors to the internet as they connected via telephone lines and modems which created ad hoc networks.

BBS’s were basically the ASCII (text based) forums or chat rooms of their time before mice and graphic interfaces like windows existed.

 

[Cameramonkey]

In the 80’s not long after the IBM personal computers were introduced, people known as SYSOP’s (system operators) ran software known as Bulletin Board Systems or BBS’s.

They were the precursors to the internet as they connected via telephone lines and modems which created ad hoc networks.

BBS’s were basically the ASCII (text based) forums or chat rooms of their time before mice and graphic interfaces existed.

@Haven was one of those.
Those were the good old days. INGO is a close cousin, as BBS's were real time chat.
I have many fond memories of those boards. And lots of meet and eats with those too. One of the BBS's would meet at the 86th st Claude and Annies weekly for dinner and drinks. The fried chicken and seasoned potato wedges were da bomb!

 

[indyblue]

@Haven was one of those.
Those were the good old days. INGO is a close cousin, as BBS's were real time chat.
I have many fond memories of those boards. And lots of meet and eats with those too. One of the BBS's would meet at the 86th st Claude and Annies weekly for dinner and drinks. The fried chicken and seasoned potato wedges were da bomb!

OMG, I remember C&A’s. The one near 86th & Zville road or the one in Greenbriar?

 

[Cameramonkey]

OMG, I remember C&A’s. The one near 86th & Zville road or the one in Greenbriar?

Zville

 

[thompal]

No idea on the reference.

There was a pro-2A Fidonet BBS out west called Tanstaafl

 

[thompal]

@Haven was one of those.
Those were the good old days. INGO is a close cousin, as BBS's were real time chat.
I have many fond memories of those boards. And lots of meet and eats with those too. One of the BBS's would meet at the 86th st Claude and Annies weekly for dinner and drinks. The fried chicken and seasoned potato wedges were da bomb!

There were more than 30 or 40 of them in Central Indiana, regular meetings and get togethers. I miss those days.

 

[Nazgul]

Ditto on using the credit card for everything and paying it off every month. Very secure. The credit union does a superb job of security on it.

Write one check a month. The place has no other way to accept payment.

Don

 

[radar8756]

tanstaafl

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch

 

[Frosty]

That will prove to them that the account is valid, but it doesn't guarantee that you'll have enough on the card to pay for the gas. It seems like a policy that cries to be abused. Go in with a card that has $1 on it, go out and pump your gas. Go back in, card gets declined, you don't have cash on you. Police get called. Did you know you didn't have enough on your card? Did you intend to steal the gas? Will the gas station go through the expense of following through to take it to court, and pay their employees to testify? Doubtful. They'll probably just trespass the person.

Pay at the pump. An acquaintance from work, not me, however, I was told if you have the dollar to start the transaction, you can get gas and it will place a hold on your account. Personally I prefer to just budget the money for gas every week and not pay the $30 overdraft fee, but to each their own.