A debit card might be better thought of as a check card - it can be swiped or used online like a credit card, but instead of drawing on a line of credit, it deductible funds straight from an account, as if you'd paid with a check. If your bank doesn't issue them, you can buy them at many retailers - Visa-branded "gift cards" are, in mechanical terms, just debit cards that draw on a limited, specially created account that contains whatever cash you spent on the card.