Debit Cards vs Credit Cards
A debit card uses money you have; a credit card borrows money you repay.
The idea
A debit card spends money that is already in your bank account, so when the account is empty the card stops working. A credit card borrows money from a lender, and a bill for what you borrowed arrives later. If you pay that whole bill on time you usually owe nothing extra, but if you leave part unpaid the lender charges interest and the same stuff ends up costing more. Both cards look almost identical, so the real difference is where the money comes from. 💳
Words to know
- debit card
- A card that spends money already in your own bank account.
- credit card
- A card that borrows money you have to pay back later.
- borrow
- To use someone else's money now and give it back later.
- bill
- A note telling you how much you owe and when to pay it.
- interest
- Extra money a lender charges you for borrowing.
Try it — no account needed
The cards look alike, but they work very differently.
Sort each clue under the card it describes.
0 / 6 sorted
In the full lesson
- 1Sort into groups
- 2Put it in order
- 3Make the call
Vine has 107 lessons like this one, each written three ways so a 7-year-old and a 17-year-old both get a version that fits.
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