It’s certainly no coincidence that debit cards are becoming the more popular financial instrument of the everyday person.

Visa recently advised their branded debit cards had overtaken their credit card line, in terms of overall dollars spent on purchases. This sort of trend is nothing new either. The Nilson Report indicated that the 2006 figures for debit transactions exceeded credit transactions in 2005 – this is a steady gaining market share ever since.

Consumers are becoming more and more responsible for their spending. The recent furore in the financial markets highlight the fact we all need to both watch our pennies as well as better manage money through cost effective, secure and benefit rewarding financial instruments. Debit cards provide this.

Todays’ savvy consumer would almost certainly carry cash, a debit card as well as a credit card. Different circumstances dictate the better use of one of these. Paying with either cash or a debit card will see you less likely to overspend as you’re living and paying for items within your means – a true debit card will only allow you to spend what is within the debit card.

Look out for debit cards that also provide real time and real world consumer rewards such as immediate Merchant discounts.