Which card when?

Which card when?

Your best bet is to "limit your use of debit cards to cash-and-carry types of purchases," says Susan Grant, vice president for public policy at the National Consumers League, such as for groceries, at the gas station or dry cleaners.

But for expensive or sight-unseen purchases (those made over the Internet or by phone), credit cards offer much more protection. For instance, you can contest a credit card charge for a product that arrives broken, or if the product you bought stops working after two weeks.

To get the rules on disputing a charge, check with your credit card issuer or download the Federal Trade Commission brochure, "Facts for Consumers: Fair Credit Billing."

"With a credit card, if you dispute a charge, it is taken off the record," says Ken McEldowney, executive director of Consumer Action, in San Francisco. "With a debit card purchase you are fighting to get your funds back into your account."

This gives you less leverage. You can contact your card issuer to see if they'll handle the dispute, but you'll probably have to take on the merchant yourself. And even if you succeed, you may be stuck with whatever the store policy is for cash or check returns.