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Comment by smnrchrds | Hacker News Reader

Canada's credit cards work on Visa, MasterCard, or Amex networks. However, debit cards work on a domestic network called Interac. About half of card transactions in Canada are debit card transactions.

https://payments.ca/sites/default/files/PaymentsCanada_Canad... page 7

EDIT: In the past few years, many Canadian banks have started issuing dual-network debit cards that bear both Visa and Interac logos (sometimes MasterCard and Interac). These cards use the Interac network in Canada, but can also be used online and abroad using the second network. I just wanted to mention it for people who may be curious about the apparent shift in debit card networks.

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Sounds like a mirror of the Girocard here in Germany. My bank card now has both girocard and visa on it, and works online.

Allegedly, Wero, coming from the banks of the EU, should in the next year or two, unite all the similar national systems across Europe in to one, I guess kind of like UnionPay.

Same in Norway, we've always had BankAxxept and Visa on debit cards and most credit cards have been Mastercard. BankAxxpet handles the vast majority of transactions.

"BankAxept is the first client to license Interac payment solutions internationally." (2016)

https://www.interac.ca/en/content/news/interac-collaborates-...

The dual-network cards are Visa/Mastercard "debit" cards, which look like a credit card but sometimes don't work like one. I never had a problem with my dual-network card when physically visiting the States, but for whatever reason, some online payment systems (especially ones in Canada) have trouble with it. And vendors are clueless as to what the problem is when the debit CC number fails to go through.

Just recently I tried to pay at a parking kiosk with my dual-network card, and it repeatedly failed with a generic error. So I had to use my credit card (which I only got for this kind of situation) instead.

So often when trying to pay with a CC number, only a credit card will work. It's pretty dumb.

>some online payment systems (especially ones in Canada) have trouble with it.

it's not really anything technical that they "have trouble with", most gateways launched visa debit as an "opt-in" payment method for existing merchants, so if the merchant did not specifically enable it it never got enabled. newer merchant accounts have it enabled by default, so this should sort of work itself out over time. but yes, i don't understand why they made merchants opt in, it's pretty dumb.

EU/Finland has used debit+credit combination cards over 21 years.

20 years ago the card type caused confusion going abroad, especially US, but also some European countries that had not yet introduced the same card type. Some merchants were confused about the extra prompt about which card to use before the customer enters the pin.

But it has worked fine 99% of exotic places. I think the 3D secure caused much more trouble when shopping online when it was introduced compared to the choice of using either the debit vs credit variant online.

Not here in Germany unfortunately. I miss this from NZ, just one card with savings, credit, cheque all in one.

Why do you prefer debit over credit? Aren't the consumer protection benefits greater with credit cards?

Fees are lower for the merchant. As a result it is less likely to see a 50c surcharge to use a card with debit. Places like convenience stores often only have debit.

Personally I use credit for anything major, for the protections.

People who have poor credit can use debit if they can’t get a credit card, or want to make a purchase above their limit.

I am not Canadian but I am irresponsible and a debit card lets me just spend in a relatively stateless fashion. Check online account, if money can spend, otherwise not. I change the card numbers pretty often so not too worried about fraud. I use PayPal for recurring payments/subscriptions.

I just want to pay for things. I'm not interested in spending money I don't have. And credit cards are obviously waiting to pounce on me if I forget to pay the balance, and charge an insane amount of interest. I don't need the added complication.

Sure, that's one way to look at it. But I set my credit card to pay off the entire balance every month so I don't worry about any of those concerns. But, I also get the benefits that most cards offer (automatic extended warranties, purchase protection, price protection, etc).

> Aren't the consumer protection benefits greater with credit card?

Yes, consumer protection regulations (and benefits) are better on credit cards (at least in the US, I don't know about other countries).

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