The price of deferred debit bank cards, which used to be significantly higher, is now very close to, or even lower in some banks, that of immediate debit. In this context, should we opt for diffr flow? Review of the respective advantages of the two types of bank cards.
10 euro cents: currently, this is the difference in the average annual price of a Visa Premier immediate debit card, compared to the same card in deferred debit (1). In other words, not much, if anything, in the many brands that have aligned the two prices. The remark also applies to the Gold MasterCard (1.46 euro difference) and to Visa Classic (0.09 euro) and Mastercard Standard (0.17 euro) bank cards.
This price proximity has not always been the norm. At the beginning of 2014, for example, the average annual price differences between immediate debit and deferred debit were higher, from 3.40 euros for the Visa Premier to 8 euros for the Mastercard Standard. It can also surprise. Indeed, the delayed rate is an additional service – a cash shift, a kind of very short-term free credit – which represents a cost for the banks. Why then did the brands massively decide to align the prices of the two debits? Quite simply because deferred debit cards, since 2015, earn them more per use than immediate debit cards. Each time you pay by card, your bank earns a so-called interchange fee, which is higher if the card is deferred debit (0.30%) rather than immediate debit (0.20%).
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In this context, a question logically arises: since with the deferred flow, we have more for the same price (or almost), opting for immediate debit still worth it? It all depends on your behavior, your needs and your goals.
The diffr flow, for flexibility
Reminder: the whole point of the deferred flow is to benefit from a deadline between the time the card purchase is made and the time this transaction is debited from the account. All card expenses for the last 30 days are in fact deducted at once, on a fixed date, generally the last day of the calendar month, but sometimes on a date negotiated with your bank, for example so that it coincides with the payment of your salary. .
The diffr debit card is therefore particularly interesting for people looking for flexibility in managing their money. THE professionals, for example who have to advance certain expenses (meals, hotels, gasoline) related to their activity: the deferred debit allows them to be reimbursed by their company even before the purchases are actually debited. THE travelers, also, who must pay deposits for car rental or the reservation of a hotel room. Abroad, moreover, some rental companies only accept deferred debit cards.
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THE multi-bank individuals, finally, who use several accounts at the same time. Deferred debit allows them to continue using their secondary account without immediate risk of overdraft, even if they are late or forget to fund it.
Deferred flow can also be useful in more specific cases: for face a blow entailing a large expense (a car accident, a boiler that makes the soul…); For Lend money a common expense; or for to please yourself with expensive goods: a computer, a trip, etc.
Deferral causes higher expenses
However, the use of the differed flow imposes benefit from regular and substantial cash inflows, to cover the expenses of the previous month, and to manage one’s finances soundly. You have to be aware of one thing: a deferral leads to higher expenses, because it facilitates impulse buying, explains a banking professional. We thus note that even good managers tend to spend more when they switch to deferred debit, and that their savings capacity is generally reduced.
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Immediate flow, for control
Despite its advantages, the deferred debit card therefore presents a risk: that of having more and more difficulty, over the months, balancing expenses and cash inflows. Your income is limited or irregular? You don’t have precautionary savings? You do not need to advance the amount of certain expenses for your work? Are you prone to impulse buying? Ms similar price, it is better to opt for an immediate debit cardwhich affects your account balance over time and therefore facilitates budget monitoring.
Monitoring is all the easier as, more and more often, immediate debit cards work in real time, with immediate transfer of the purchase amount to the balance. This is the case for cards from nobanks (Nickel, N26, Revolut) or Eko, the low-cost offer from Crdit Agricole, but also cards with a higher profile, such as Ultim from Boursorama Banque or Fosfo from Fortuneo. Instantaneousness increasingly sought by some customers, at a time when mobile applications allow you to check your balance anywhere and anytime.
Can everyone access deferred debit?
There remains another limit: there is not always possible to get a diffr debit card. Some 100% online banks simply do not offer this service on their traditional cards. Why no diffr debit with standard cards? To limit the risk of draping. Deferred debit does not seem to be compatible with these free entry-level offers, without income conditions and, most often, without authorized overdraft, clearly designed for customers wishing to control their expenses.
Online banking: comparison of offers
The offer of classic diffr debit cards is much wider in traditional banks. But there, not everyone has the right to do so: the choice to grant a deferred debit generally depends, as is the case for a credit, on the customer score. That is to say, his history within the bank and the assessment of the adviser who monitors the account. Low or irregular income? A tendency to spend more than you earn? There is then a good chance that your bank will close the door to deferred debit.
(1) According to the MoneyVox bank rate comparator. Tariff situation as of December 10, 2022, subject to subsequent modifications.