[__david__]

I haven't seen an annual fee on a credit card in the US for years. Also, every debit card I've had for the past 20 years acts as if it were a credit card. So any place that takes a credit card can get paid directly from my bank account without dealing with real "credit" at all.

[greenyoda]

"Also, every debit card I've had for the past 20 years acts as if it were a credit card."

Except that debit cards in the U.S. are not covered by the same consumer protection laws as credit cards[1], so it's harder to do stuff like disputing charges. It's also possible for an erroneous charge on a debit card to wipe out your bank account. For that reason, I specifically ask my bank to give me a card that does not work as a debit card, only as an ATM card.

[1] E.g., the 'Fair Credit Billing Act', a federal law that protects credit card transactions, doesn't apply.

[__david__]

I meant that it acts as if it were a credit card from the payment processing point of view.

I address the same problem by having multiple bank accounts that have small balances and auto-depositing my monthly budget for different things into them. If any one gets compromised (and the bank is unwilling to fix it), it doesn't take out my whole bank account. Plus it provides a nice "money into envelopes" style of budgeting that's very easy to understand.

If your card only works at the ATM, then how do you buy expensive things (something that costs more than the daily ATM withdrawal limit)?

[kuschku]

> (something that costs more than the daily ATM withdrawal limit)

How often do you go over 4000€ and pay for it at point of sale?

Usually, you sign a contract, and wire the money to VW or wherever you bought your car, or you wire it to the bank where you bought the shares.

[greenyoda]

"If your card only works at the ATM, then how do you buy expensive things?"

I have credit cards for buying things.

[the_mitsuhiko]

> Except that debit cards in the U.S. are not covered by the same consumer protection laws as credit cards

Neither is bitcoin, so pretty sure that's irrelevant for this discussion.

[dlp211]

There are a ton of cards that have fees, mostly American Express, but Chase and others too. The fees usually unlock certain benefits, eg: Amex Blue Everday will pay 3% cash back at grocery stores, or for $75/yr, they will pay 6% cash back. The Amex Gold Premier is $190/yr but offer $100/yr back in baggage fees and constantly run $25-100 off deals at Enterprise, Newegg, general travel expenses.

So whether these cards are worth it depends a lot on how you use your card, but, they can pay for themselves very easily.