After managing for nearly a decade without a credit card, living in North Germany, I've had to resort to getting a new credit card, because there are no suppliers of Apple kit in the area - well, there are a couple of electrical shops which have small presences, but things like MobileMe aren't available and can't be ordered.

Apple allowed me to use Click&Buy for the iTunes Store, but the Apple on-line Shop only accepts credit cards now - they used to accept pre-pay bank transfers, but that doesn't seem to be an option now either.

So I ended up having to get a credit card.

Interestingly, credit cards here must be paid off in full at the end of each month - you can also only get a credit card from your bank, you generally can't get a credit card from a different bank.

Edit: missed the word "can't" out of the last paragraph...

Welcome to the 21st century, Dave!

I always pay my card off each month. Only on a couple of occasions have I let it go over two months, and then it was planned to aid cash flow.

You'll find it much easier now you have a credit card, honestly.

Yup that's the best plan always do that with ours get a 1 months free credit

I don't have a choice, I have to pay it off every month, no choice. If I spend too much, it is taken in the form of an overdraught on my bank account...

That's really weird. How is that different to a debit card? I mean... there's no credit beyond 30 days

I always use a credit card. They're free and they're so much safer than the alternatives. It always annoyed me in Holland that I could only use them in a few big stores or hotels, and most annoyingly not for train tickets. I can't remember the last time I paid in cash in this country. I think it was when I was 17

Oh, I always pay in full at the end of the month. However, it's nice to know I have the option of an instant if rather extortionate loan on a whim.

My credit card is only really used occasionally. I always prefer to use my debit card, but if it doesn't work for some reason I'll use the credit card.

I use it online too, especially for larger purchases or for traders I've not used before.

For things under €100, I generally pay cash, large expenditure I put on the debit card.

The credit card here is generally for travelling abroad or buying on the Internet. Not many places accept it - larger petrol stations, some larger chain hotels and some restaurants, that's about it. You can't, generally, use the credit card in normal shops - supermarkets, book shops, electrical etc. although some of the designer stores in bigger cities accept them.

A lot of on-line sites here allow you to pay on invoice, which is really great, but the international stores, like Apple, Amazon etc. generally require a credit card, as does flying these days...

My Debit and Credit cards are both Visa. Anyone that takes Visa takes either.

Are your debit cards different to credit cards in some fundamental way, because over here most retailers wouldn't be able to tell the difference?

Are they stupid? The easiest way to tell if it's a debit card or not is see if the machine offers cashback.

The non-numpty way is to see if the card says "Visa" or "Visa Debit".

OK OK maybe they could tell the difference... but I've never ever found a store that takes Visa credit but not Visa debit, and I'm sure most tellers wouldn't actually care either way unless you actually asked for cash-back.

Although, now I come to think of it the Visa Debit does have a smaller handling charge on Easyjet.

Visa is Visa....

All retailers prefer debit cards - they're cheaper to process.

Which begs the question, why can't bigD use his debit card to buy flights or from the Apple store? I'm damned sure they'd take mine.

Apple take my Visa card online. It's a debit, and more specifically an Electron (for low earners).

I can get cashback on it too, as you can with all debit cards, can't you?

Yes you can get cashback on all debit cards. Why is Electron for low-earners? What can't it do that my Visa Debit can?

I know that many places won't accept Solo/Electron, never really been sure why though.

EDIT: I now know the difference. My Visa Debit can eat into my authorised overdraft facility, an Electron couldn't.

Why do stores offer cashback in the first place, what's the benefit to them? Something to do with the cost of operating a card service that I don't understand?