March 25, 2026

129: Why You Should Stop Using Your Debit Card

129: Why You Should Stop Using Your Debit Card

Send us Fan Mail If you’re using a debit card for everyday spending, this episode is a must-listen. Jessica and Brandon break down a real-life fraud situation and explain why the outcome would have been very different if a debit card had been used instead of a credit card. In this episode, they'll cover: The key differences in fraud protection Why debit card theft hits harder and lasts longer How to use a credit card safely without going into debt Simple...

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Send us Fan Mail

If you’re using a debit card for everyday spending, this episode is a must-listen.

Jessica and Brandon break down a real-life fraud situation and explain why the outcome would have been very different if a debit card had been used instead of a credit card.

In this episode, they'll cover:

  •  The key differences in fraud protection 
  •  Why debit card theft hits harder and lasts longer 
  •  How to use a credit card safely without going into debt 
  •  Simple ways to reduce your risk of scams and identity theft 

If you’ve been avoiding credit cards or aren’t sure how to use them responsibly, this will give you a clear, practical perspective.

As always, the goal is to help you feel confident and in control of your money.

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Money, relationships, and the mindset to master both. Hosted by financial advisor Brandon and his wife Jessica, The Sugar Daddy Podcast breaks down how to build wealth, unpack old money beliefs, and have real conversations about love and finances. Their mission? To help couples and individuals grow rich in every sense of the word: emotionally, relationally and financially.

...
Chapters

00:00 - Debit Vs Credit Setup

01:01 - The $517 Fraud Text Alert

03:12 - Why Debit Fraud Hurts More

06:17 - Use Credit Like Debit

07:49 - Extra Layers Of Protection

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.719
In today's episode, we are tackling debit cards versus credit cards.

00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:07.519
If you're still using a debit card, listen up.

00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:10.800
You need to stop, and we're going to tell you exactly why.

00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:11.839
Stay tuned.

00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:13.759
Sugar Daddy Podcast, yo.

00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.640
Learn how to make them pockets grow.

00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:19.120
Financial freedoms where we grow.

00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:21.600
Smart investments, money flow.

00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:32.479
Welcome back to the Sugar Daddy Podcast, where we help you build a clear financial plan so you can feel in control and confident with your money.

00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:34.560
If you're an OG, welcome back.

00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:36.560
So glad to have you week over week.

00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:43.600
And if you are new here, we hope you'll stick around because we have a good time every Wednesday nerding out talking about money.

00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:45.280
Hey babe.

00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:48.000
Do you want to tell people what we're talking about today?

00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:53.200
Today we are talking about the protections that exist.

00:00:54.159 --> 00:01:01.359
Or I should say the difference in protections from using a debit card or a versus a credit card.

00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:03.119
Yeah, and what just happened to you?

00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:18.239
So the reason that we're talking about this is because literally this just happened to me where luckily I use my credit cards and I woke up uh because I wake up early in the morning to go to the gym, but I woke up and I And by early, he's not saying six.

00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:20.959
He's up at like 4 15 is when his alarm rings.

00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:21.280
Okay.

00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:22.879
He's one of those crazy people.

00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:30.239
But I um I woke up, you know, going to start to get ready to head to the gym, and I saw on my phone that I had a text message.

00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:33.519
So I went ahead and clicked on the text message, and it was from my Capital One.

00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:35.200
It was my Capital One venture card.

00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:42.719
Shout out to Capital One that they had flagged a um a transaction that it happened, like I got the text.

00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:46.480
I went the text I think came across like at like one one o'clock in the morning.

00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:47.760
So obviously I was asleep.

00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:48.959
Past our bedtime.

00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:55.120
They had flagged a transaction for$517 and some change in Georgia that happened.

00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.760
And they were like, hey, this looks suspicious.

00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.400
We're gonna go ahead and put a pause on this.

00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:02.719
Did you actually make this, you know, purchase?

00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.079
But for now, until you get back to us, we're gonna, you know, freeze it.

00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:06.799
Love that.

00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:09.919
So obviously, I was like, you know, I did not make that purchase.

00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:14.400
They were like, okay, so since you didn't make that purchase, we are gonna obviously submit the report.

00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:20.400
We're gonna also, you know, stop any other transactions on the card, cancel it, and process sending you a new card.

00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:21.360
Yeah, they are on it.

00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:22.800
Shout out to Capital One.

00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:24.639
We love you if you want to sponsor the pod.

00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:32.479
So all yeah, so all this happened while I was sleeping, and I didn't have to monitor myself because they were monitoring monitoring it for me.

00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:41.199
And you know what I absolutely love is like, how did they know that you weren't randomly in Georgia making a$517 purchase at wherever?

00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:52.960
But the fact that it was outside of like your normal spending pattern and they've got these protections, I'm sure it's AI-based, something in place to know like, that doesn't seem like Brandon.

00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:57.840
Like I tell you, when I go to Walmart once a year.

00:02:58.479 --> 00:02:59.360
You get a flag on it.

00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:00.400
I get a flag.

00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.560
Every time it's like, ooh, you don't shop here.

00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:03.759
What is is this you?

00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.840
And I have to go on my app and say, yes, this was my my purchase.

00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:13.439
But it's really incredible that they know what you are and are not spending.

00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:22.800
And the thing is, like, the reason we're talking about this is because one, we always want to preface when we're talking about using credit cards, we're talking about using them responsibly.

00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:33.120
This is not talking about running up a high bill and then not being able to pay it off monthly, and now you're incurring additional interest and getting yourself into just, you know, high levels of debt.

00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:34.159
That's not what we're talking about.

00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:34.479
Right.

00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.159
You obviously have to establish the habit first to responsibly use a credit card.

00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:47.199
But once you but like I've met plenty of people that have good habits, but they just didn't have the financial literacy to use credit cards versus a debit card.

00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.000
So in this same scenario, if I had used a debit card, that money would have been gone.

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Gone.

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And it would take weeks to get it.

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And the thing is, in all honesty, like if they had, like, you know, when you have attached to an account, if you have a significant amount of money, that person normally is doing a test run first.

00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:06.879
I was gonna say the 517 was high because a lot of times it's like$10,$20, right?

00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:08.479
Let's see what we can get away with.

00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:09.680
But they just went full force.

00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:18.000
But in that scenario, like if say like it had been my debit card instead of my credit card, they would have had that amount go through, and then they probably would have done more transactions after that.

00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:19.680
Yeah until it got declined.

00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:23.839
And that money would have been gone because it's in my account and it wouldn't have been flagged.

00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:29.920
They would have just assumed I was spending because there's really no protection like that on your debit cards, to my knowledge that I've ever experienced.

00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:30.319
Right.

00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.160
And it was just would have been money gone.

00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:38.480
And I think there's you know levels to like different banks might handle things differently, even on a debit card.

00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:43.920
But we had another fraud situation, which accidentally was on your debit card.

00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:44.879
Business debit card.

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Business debit card.

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So luckily it was a little bit, it was still my money, but it wasn't um as much money.

00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:52.399
It wasn't like over 2,000.

00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:57.120
No, what I'm saying is they didn't have access to as much money because I don't keep as much in that in that account.

00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:00.480
But that one took way longer to get the money back.

00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.120
And that was just one of those, like, I messed up.

00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:06.240
I sent him a link and I was like, oh, they're running a huge sale.

00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:07.600
It was too good to be true.

00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:08.959
We should have known.

00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.560
He used his business debit instead of business credit.

00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:13.439
It was a whole thing.

00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.920
And it took weeks to get that resolved.

00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:24.319
Because here's the reality when somebody steals your money, the bank doesn't care as much because it's not their money.

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100%.

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Whereas if you are using your credit card, what you're essentially doing is you are borrowing that money.

00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:37.920
So yeah, they're gonna file the report, they're gonna flag it, they're gonna want their money back as quickly as possible.

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Whereas when it's in your debit, you know, your debit bank account, they're like, nah, we can take our time.

00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:48.079
Yeah, I mean, luckily in this scenario where it was, you know, my business checking account, I did end up getting the money back.

00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:50.240
And I want to say that it took a little over a month for it to happen.

00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:51.839
Yeah, it was like a couple weeks.

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So just think about it this way.

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If you're somebody and that is your, you know, it was instead of it being a business account, it was your primary checking account, and you're almost living paycheck to paycheck.

00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:04.720
You are dependent upon that money to pay bills and get groceries and everything else.

00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:07.360
Now you are really at a hardship because you were out of that money.

00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:11.759
Right as compared to with a credit card, you know, it's not your money per se.

00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:17.519
So it's like, you know, if it if your fraud happens, it's not as if they took cash out of your pocket.

00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:18.000
Yeah.

00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:23.439
And I will say, because I know that there's going to be people listening who are like, I just don't trust myself with a credit card.

00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:24.959
I'm just not there yet.

00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:29.120
You can literally use a credit card just like a debit card.

00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:35.360
So you can swipe at the grocery store, and tomorrow you can pay that credit card off.

00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:36.560
You don't need to wait.

00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:38.000
You could pay it off the same day as well.

00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.079
I mean, you could, you know, as soon as it's yeah.

00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:43.120
I mean, but sometimes it'll stay pending for a little bit, you know.

00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:48.480
So I'm just saying give it 24 hours and then pay it off with the money from your checking account, right?

00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:52.959
So you're essentially using it like a debit card, but you're getting protections.

00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:54.879
Hopefully, you're getting perks, right?

00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:57.120
Like with our Capital One venture card.

00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.480
Um, you get two times the points on anything that you spend.

00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:04.399
So if you spend$100 at the grocery store, you're getting 200 points.

00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:09.279
Those points, you know, are things that we use to help us travel, book flights, et cetera.

00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:13.920
And the thing is, like, I have no idea how I have no idea how the person got the information.

00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:14.240
Right.

00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:14.720
I don't know.

00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:16.319
You are not missing your physical card.

00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:18.399
I have my physically have my card.

00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:19.519
Right.

00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:43.279
So like one of the biggest things too is that like now with the prevalence of online shopping, you've now opened up yourself to a whole, you know, broader um possibility of someone obtaining your information because they don't even necessarily like if they hack a company and the company has your you know information from purchases made, then they're gonna that's whether they're potentially obtained your credit card information, your debit card information.

00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:54.079
So the idea here is that you have to really focus on not just the oh, trusting myself habit-wise, which obviously is a big part of it, but ultimately you have to look at the protection aspect as well.

00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:57.439
Because that's even almost in my mind, it's almost an even bigger part.

00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:07.360
Well, and we're constantly getting, I mean, once a month we get a letter saying this system had a breach, this you know, company that you purchased something from had a breach.

00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:11.120
There's so many breaches that have nothing to do with us that we don't control.

00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:19.680
So limiting what people have access to, which is like your cold hard cash in your bank account, is gonna be the way to go.

00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:26.639
Because I would even say, like, for example, if you're listening to this episode and you're like, I don't really care, I'm still gonna use my debit card, I'm not gonna use my credit card.

00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:32.240
I belie there are ways to limit your exposure even with a debit card.

00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:34.480
Yeah, don't keep a lot of money in your account.

00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:35.360
It's not even that.

00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:42.399
Really, what you with the debit card, you should never just be putting your information into the like, say if you're shopping online, put it in there.

00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.159
At least use like a wallet.

00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:52.320
Like, for example, you know, like Apple Pay or something like that, where you have some layer of separation of your actual information.

00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:52.879
Okay.

00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:59.919
And I mean in all honesty, like whenever most of the time that I'm doing stuff online, I'm actually using a virtual version of my card.

00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:04.639
Because with a lot of the credit cards, they also allow you to have a virtual card, which isn't the exact same number.

00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:05.279
Okay.

00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.759
So that can add some level of protection there.

00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:18.240
But the biggest thing we want to stress here is that like if I had been using my debit card, I would not have known that money was gone until I checked my bank account.

00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:34.399
Because a lot of people, so one thing that we do have, we have set up also where we have alerts that above a certain amount, the um, whether it's our debit, you know, whether it's our bank account, credit cards, once uh above a certain threshold has been taken out, we get alerts.

00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:40.639
So if you don't even have the, if you have a debit card and you're using it all the time, you don't even have alerts set up, you're not gonna know until you go to check your bank account.

00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:43.039
And most people don't check their bank account on a daily basis.

00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:47.919
So who knows how long before you actually figure out, hey, there was fraudulent activity.

00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:48.480
Exactly.

00:09:48.639 --> 00:10:03.200
Well, and on the credit cards that we have that we don't actively use, like ones that we open to get whatever kind of you know bonus or a points offer, then it's like, oh, anything, you know, above$25, and I'm getting a text alert because I'm not using that card.

00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.840
So there should be no charge on there.

00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:12.240
So again, there's protections that you can put into place to help monitor, you know, what's happening on that card.

00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:19.919
And then they are just so proactive about making sure that the transactions are yours, they look like yours, etc.

00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:26.000
So, you know, we are huge advocates of using credit cards for that reason alone.

00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.559
But I mean, there's so many other benefits as well.

00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:37.679
So if you are still using a debit card, maybe look into switching for some protections.

00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:39.759
Uh, we'll link some of our favorites.

00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:47.039
Yeah, I mean, shout out to Capital One for like protecting that and stopping it because obviously I wasn't at 1 a.m.

00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:48.639
in Georgia buying whatever.

00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.200
Yeah, they went they went hard in the paint.

00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:55.759
Um had to be something very specific.

00:10:56.320 --> 00:10:57.039
We're trying to get it.

00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:01.840
I also, if we're talking about just general kind of protections, not just debit versus credit.

00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:20.080
One thing that um we do when we travel and actually all the time is when I do have a wallet with me, it's an RFID protected wallet because people, especially in crowded places, if you're hopping in an on and off of public transit, people will have these little scanners that you don't even know exist.

00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:21.600
And they're just chips now we have.

00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:25.600
Yeah, and they're just scanning whatever they can to grab your card details.

00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:30.399
So if you have an RFID blocking wallet that will prevent that from happening.

00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:35.519
And then most importantly, our credit bureaus are always, always, always locked.

00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.200
They stay locked unless we are opening up a new line of credit.

00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:43.519
So transuning in the wording is either locked or freeze, depending on the credit bureau.

00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.399
And then you can draw it or unfreeze it.

00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:47.519
It's completely free.

00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:50.960
It's literally the best thing that you can do to protect and safeguard your credit.

00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:55.200
TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian are the three credit bureaus.

00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:57.679
This is where your credit score comes from.

00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:01.279
But this is what's pulled when people open up lines of credit.

00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:09.679
So if people are applying for a credit card, a mortgage, a personal loan, a car loan, et cetera, that that's what they're gonna be pulling from.

00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:14.720
So if you keep those locked, that is going to prevent identity theft and fraud.

00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:15.679
So transunion.

00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:19.039
Well prevent identity theft because they can still steal your information.

00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:19.840
They just can't open something.

00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:21.200
They can't open new.

00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:21.919
Yes, they can't do that.

00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:25.759
Right, right.

00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:26.399
Okay.

00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:30.879
Um, so always, always, always keep them locked or frozen.

00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:31.679
It's free.

00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:49.120
Just go to those three websites or Google, you know, transunion credit freeze, Equifax Credit Freeze, and Experienced Credit Credit Freeze, create your online profile and then you can easily thaw it or unfreeze it whenever you do need to open a line of credit.

00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:56.000
I love it too, because you know, anytime you go to a department store and they're like, oh, do you want to save 10% on your purchase?

00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:05.279
Nope, I literally can't because I do need to go through a process to open or unlock or unfreeze or thaw whatever verbiage we want to use.

00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:06.639
The credit.

00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:17.679
So if you are more of an impulsive person and you're like, Yes, I want to save$4.62 on my purchase by opening this 32% APR credit card, please don't do that.

00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:19.679
Um, it'll block you from doing that.

00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:23.519
So it actually helps you from making maybe some poor decisions, you know?

00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:25.200
So definitely do that.

00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:31.279
But we are big advocates of credit over debit to help you stay safe.

00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.679
So if you have any questions, definitely let us know.

00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:42.720
If you have any experiences of your debit card getting hacked and it taking forever to get your money back, obviously we're sorry that happened, but we'd love to hear from you.

00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:52.480
Um, and if you want any of our favorite recommendations for the credit cards that we love, then we will drop that link in the show notes as well.

00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.399
We'll talk to you next week.

00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:00.000
Don't forget, Benjamin Franklin said an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:01.519
You just got paid.

00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:02.559
Until next time.

00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:04.480
Sugar Daddy Podcast go.

00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:07.279
Learn how to make the pockets grow.

00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:09.759
Finance and freedoms where we grow.

00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:12.000
Smart investments, money flow.

00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:14.559
Thanks for listening to today's episode.

00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:17.600
We are so glad to have you as part of our Sugar Daddy community.

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If you learned something today, please remember to subscribe, rate, review, and share this episode with your friends, family, and extended network.

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