Peter is a writer and editor for the CNET How-To team. He has been covering technology, software, finance, sports and video games since working for @Home Network and Excite in the 1990s. Peter managed ...

It was decades ago when you could first pay for items online using a credit card; debit card payments followed. The security of such payments was often iffy in the commercial internet’s early years.

A debit card is a payment card that lets you pay for purchases or withdraw money directly from your checking account in your bank, credit union or other financial institution. It is often also ...