<p>Yes of course you are right about both of your points. The fee charging the credit card POS transaction is about 2% to 3% depending on the company. The fee charging to debit card transaction is about flat 25 cents or lower.</p>
<p>For online transaction, the credit card fee can be as high as 4%, and the debit card fee can be negligible. Banks make more money on credit card.</p>
<p>So, to answer your question:</p>
<ol>
<li>Credit department usually have more money to make promotions.</li>
<li>Average people (in US) have almost zero savings so they cannot use their debit card very often. But everyone has a credit card.</li>
<li>Of course, credit card can default, and the bank can legally charge hefty interests.</li>
</ol>
<p>And as mentioned by Brian, competition is an important reason.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-25T01:50:37.040Z
2020-11-25T01:50:37.040Z
High GPA
<p>Whether a credit or debit card is used to make a payment at a merchant, there will be outflow of money from the bank. What extra benefit do the bank get from promoting credit more than debit card?</p>
<p>Is it just the obvious answer that by promoting credit card, there is a chance that user will default on the payment and allow bank to charge interest?</p>
<p>On the downside, by paying through credit card, the user still has money in her savings account and so from bank has to maintain higher reserve ratio with the central bank.</p>
<p>Finally, does it have something to do with the fee bank charges with merchants? Is the fee higher for use of credit cards as compared to debit cards?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T13:42:56.533Z
Competition. Non-banks can give out credit cards, and it is easy to migrate cards. The all have to give perks to attract customers. Only a bank can offer a debit card, and customers are typically tied to a bank via owing the bank money (mortgage, etc.), or because the branch is close, etc.
Brian Romanchuk
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T14:15:55.330Z
Thanks for pointing this out. I understand that NBFCs can also issue credit cards but in most countries, such as India, the market share of NBFCs in credit cards is rather small. More importantly, it is evident that banks also aggressively compete with each other. Second point, even if the problem is competing with NBFCs banks can still counter the competition using debit cards. Question is why, for a bank, it is preferable to give out credit card over debit card?
Dayne
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T14:23:05.963Z
It’s still easy to add a credit card at a different bank, at least in North America. It’s just another bill to pay. Transferring money to another bank to cover debit card expenses defeats the purpose of a debit card.
Brian Romanchuk
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T15:10:07.230Z
That makes credit card attractive for consumers. For banks, it gives an incentive to make more customers even if they don't have an account with them. But what do they gain from these customers? Merchant charges through transactions?
Dayne
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-10T15:15:52.813Z
They are essentially refunding a portion of the fees they earn on the credit card to the consumer.
Brian Romanchuk
<banking><consumer-credit><payment-system>
Why Banks give more discounts/offers on Credit Card as compared to Debit Cards?
Dayne
# Why Banks give more discounts/offers on Credit Card as compared to Debit Cards?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-10)

Whether a credit or debit card is used to make a payment at a merchant, there will be outflow of money from the bank. What extra benefit do the bank get from promoting credit more than debit card?

Is it just the obvious answer that by promoting credit card, there is a chance that user will default on the payment and allow bank to charge interest?

On the downside, by paying through credit card, the user still has money in her savings account and so from bank has to maintain higher reserve ratio with the central bank.

Finally, does it have something to do with the fee bank charges with merchants? Is the fee higher for use of credit cards as compared to debit cards?

**Tags:** banking, consumer-credit, payment-system

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Competition. Non-banks can give out credit cards, and it is easy to migrate cards. The all have to give perks to attract customers. Only a bank can offer a debit card, and customers are typically tied to a bank via owing the bank money (mortgage, etc.), or because the branch is close, etc.  
> **username_0**: Thanks for pointing this out. I understand that NBFCs can also issue credit cards but in most countries, such as India, the market share of NBFCs in credit cards is rather small. More importantly, it is evident that banks also aggressively compete with each other. Second point, even if the problem is competing with NBFCs banks can still counter the competition using debit cards. Question is why, for a bank, it is preferable to give out credit card over debit card?  
> **username_1**: It’s still easy to add a credit card at a different bank, at least in North America. It’s just another bill to pay. Transferring money to another bank to cover debit card expenses defeats the purpose of a debit card.  
> **username_0**: That makes credit card attractive for consumers. For banks, it gives an incentive to make more customers even if they don't have an account with them. But what do they gain from these customers? Merchant charges through transactions?  
> **username_1**: They are essentially refunding a portion of the fees they earn on the credit card to the consumer.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-11-25. Score: 1

Yes of course you are right about both of your points. The fee charging the credit card POS transaction is about 2% to 3% depending on the company. The fee charging to debit card transaction is about flat 25 cents or lower.

For online transaction, the credit card fee can be as high as 4%, and the debit card fee can be negligible. Banks make more money on credit card.

So, to answer your question:

1. Credit department usually have more money to make promotions.
2. Average people (in US) have almost zero savings so they cannot use their debit card very often. But everyone has a credit card.
3. Of course, credit card can default, and the bank can legally charge hefty interests.

And as mentioned by Brian, competition is an important reason.


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