debit

Everyday

1. (money) A debit is money taken out of a bank account. tree →
2. (money) A debit card is a plastic card you use to pay, which takes the money straight from your own bank account. tree →
3. (money) To debit an account is to take money out of it. tree →
4. In accounting, debit is the side of a record showing money paid out (the opposite of credit). tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life parents tap a debit card in shops; a "direct debit" pays bills like electricity each month automatically. In maths money problems, debits are minus (subtract) and credits are plus (add). In safety lessons, pupils learn never to share card numbers or PINs. Phrases: debit card, direct debit, debit the account, debit and credit.

Examples

• Mum paid for the shopping with her debit card. tree →
• The gym fee is paid by direct debit. tree →
• The bank debited twenty pounds from Dad's account. tree →
• Each debit makes the balance go down. tree →
• Never tell anyone your debit card PIN. tree →
• On my money sheet, I wrote debits in red and credits in black. tree →

Note

Countable noun. Maths: a debit lowers the balance (subtract). A debit card spends your own money; a credit card borrows money that must be paid back later. Say "DEB-it".