Debit was found to be the preferred method of payment at the point of sale in a recent consumer study by co-produced by TSYS. But Main St. in a recent article asserted that there are some instances when paying by debit is “lousy proposition.”

“For example, using a debit card online can work against you,” writes Main St.’s Brian O'Connell. “If you have a problem with the purchase or your debit card number is stolen, it's a huge hassle to get the money restored to your account and making your card number safe and secure again. In the online world, credit cards are usually a better bet.”

Based on this logic, O'Connell lists five scenarios in which he feels paying debit should be avoided at all costs:

1) Rental or security deposits: The business will remove money from your account for the security deposit and give cash back when the rental is returned, states O'Connell. “With a credit card, the money is just 'frozen' but not actually charged and you won't ever notice it's gone,” he notes.

2) Restaurants and bars: Opportunities for theft lurk around every corner (or plate), especially since your card is taken out of your sight in order for the payment to be processed. O’Connell advises paying by cash.

3) Regular Payments: “Businesses love to get their sticky little fingers on your debit card number so they can extract dues straight from your bank account on a regular basis,” O’Connell asserts. If a credit card is used instead, should disputes arise, O’Connell states the business won’t be able to take the money straight out of your checking account.

4) Wi-Fi hot spots: Unsecured wireless connections. (Need we say more?)

5) Any retail outlet where you choose the "credit" option: “The real problem is the delay when choosing credit — you may forget the purchase and not account for the money,” explains O’Connell. “That can lead to an overdraft situation and the onerous fees that go with them.”

Click here to read more as to why O’Connell advocates for these scenarios to be classified as “no debit zones.”