Some merchants are causing you to TRASH your rewards!

When using a debit card at the store register or gas pump, you probably don’t give it much thought in deciding between “credit or debit”. But, do you really know the impact of choosing one over the other?

When you swipe your Sharonview Check Card (debit card), one thing is certain, whether you select debit or credit, or tell the cashier that it’s a debit or a credit card, the money for that transaction will always come from your checking account – but that’s where the similarities end.


Credit or debit? There is a difference:

Selecting or telling the cashier, CREDIT	Selecting or telling the cashier, DEBIT
Your signature authorizes the transaction (transactions less than $25 may not require a signature)	Your PIN authorizes the transaction Note: Protect yourself and make sure no one sees the number you enter.
Earns reward points – Earn 1 point for every $2 spent to use towards a reward for yourself! Visit www.ScoreCardRewards.com to browse rewards and merchandise.	Does not earn reward points.
Easier to recognize transactions on your monthly statement – will show merchant name.	Difficult to recognize transactions on your monthly statement – will not show merchant name.
No “cash back” option from the transaction.	Cash back option – Some merchants allow you to add to your purchase amount, which you would receive in cash.
Visa dispute assistance – If you have a problem with an item purchased using your debit card in “credit” mode, you’ll have Visa’s assistance throughout the dispute process.	No dispute assistance from Visa – If you need to dispute a purchase transaction made by entering your PIN, you’ll need to work directly with the merchant until it’s resolved.

Knowing these differences will help you make the decision that best meets your needs!

Don’t let the merchant decide for you – and miss out on valuable rewards!

You may not realize it, but more and more merchants are taking this choice away from you. When you swipe your Sharonview debit card, select credit, and you are asked to enter your PIN, or are not even given a “debit or credit” option – then the merchant is forcing your transaction to be “debit”.

What can you do? If this happens to you, you can most often press “cancel” or “enter” and the transaction will continue as credit. Or, you can let the cashier know that you need your transaction processed as “credit”. It’s that easy, and you receive reward points toward travel and merchandise!



Use a pen instead of your PIN!