Originally Posted by tmiw

As long as you report it within 48 hours, debit cards have the same $50 maximum liability that credit cards do, plus the bank/CU has to give you a provisional credit within 10 business days while they investigate. (More info.) Now you may have to threaten to file a complaint with the CFPB or another agency to get a bank to comply but that's a different subject.

Anyway, the "use credit cards instead of debit cards" advice stems from the fact that your own money's gone for the (up to) 10 business days it takes to get the provisional credit. For people who live paycheck to paycheck, that can be a serious problem if bills are coming due.