I always run my debit card as a credit card at gas station pumps. Would that make a difference?
No, When your card gets skimmed they'll just see it as a credit card and try to use it as such.
I thought there was a lower threshold for making use of a debit card when you could snag the pin vs using a cc. I may be wrong.
nope. Only difference at the POS is weather you capture a PIN to send with the transaction or not. And at gas pumps anymore if you run a card as credit you have to capture a zip code to go with it.
There are different rules for different industries as far as what needs to go with a transaction, but the only difference between credit and debit at the POS is the PIN.
I'm not entirely sure about that. When it's run as a credit it actually has to go thru visa/mastercard. I've had fraudulent gas purchases that were bought as credit flagged and fixed before I ever even knew they happened. Debit gets compromised and the cash is already gone, you may or may not get it back. (at least in my experience, ymmv)
But to the OP's point, I was just speaking this morning with another EAVer (who I don't think is on the Buzz, but I guess I could be wrong?) who was complaining her card got hacked this week too.
Credit and debit cards are all authorized the same way thru the same processor. Whatever processor is being used (Nabanco, Equifax, Global Payments
, etc). Debit cards are issued as Visa or MC depending on who the issuing bank has a relationship with and are treated the same way. Only difference being if at settlement money is taken from your account or the banks.
When I used to do development for a hotel software company I rewrote all their credit card processing stuff and dealt with all of the various authorization clearinghouses - and mostly they seriously SUCK!!!! CC or debit doesn't matter, you wouldn't believe how much gets fucked up and fixed before you ever know about it. You have the same protection with debit or credit, fraudulent charges will be refunded, but there's a big difference to you whether it's the money from your bank account that is missing or the issuing banks money missing until refunded.
I worked at Global Payments last year and walked out of the job the place was so fucked up. Worst job I've ever had in my life, poorly run beyond my wildest imagination, constant firefighting due to the completely fucked up infrastructure and PISS POOR code!!! Truly frightening that they are in any way involved in financial transactions.
