7 Debit Card Features Many People Don’t Know About

Your debit card can do more than make purchases and withdraw cash.

Many people carry a debit card every day without ever using all of the features that make it more secure and easier to manage, from locking your card in seconds and setting real-time alerts to controlling where it can be used, paying by digital wallet, and even giving back to local schools.

Key Takeaways: Debit Card Features You Might Be Missing

• Instantly lock or unlock your card to stop fraud in seconds if it’s lost or misplaced.
• Set real-time alerts to monitor transactions and catch suspicious activity early.
• Use card controls to limit spending, restrict merchants, and manage usage.
• Pay quickly and securely with tap to pay, digital wallets, and EMV chip technology.
• Access thousands of ATMs nationwide to withdraw cash more conveniently and avoid fees.

Your First Bank Debit Card includes all of these tools, and most of them are ready to use right now in digital banking. Here are seven of them worth a closer look.

1. Lock Your Card Instantly

With First Bank Online Banking or Mobile App, you can lock and unlock your card using either portal. If you misplace your card, you can turn it off with a few taps of your fingers, so it doesn’t get misused. If you find your card, you can quickly turn it back on again. This can help you stop fraud immediately and eliminate the need to call for support.

2. Set Real-Time Alerts for Every Transaction

One of our debit card security features is the ability to set real-time alerts based on a range of criteria, which can help you catch any fraud or misuse of your card as soon as possible. You can set purchase alerts for every time your debit card is used to make a purchase, or set more specific criteria, such as transaction amount, international purchases, online purchases, declined transactions, and other unusual activity. 

You can also set alerts for cash withdrawals based on the amount, or for any withdrawal at an ATM or Virtual Teller Machine. A low balance alert would let you know when your account falls below a certain amount, which can help you avoid overdraft fees or being rejected for a purchase. Direct deposit alerts, so you’ll know when a deposited check clears your account or an electronic payment, such as a paycheck, arrives in your account.

3. Control Where and How Your Debit Card Is Used

You can restrict how your card is used, such as the type of merchants and online purchases that are allowed, which improves your debit card security and helps protect against fraud. For example, you might allow it to be used at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations, but disallow it for online merchants or travel. You could also limit transactions beyond a certain dollar amount or within the same day. 

These can be useful not only for security but also for budgeting and managing shared accounts. Best of all, you can change these limits at any time through our Online Banking and Mobile App. This gives you both control and security over your card. If you know you’ll be making a major purchase that would exceed your daily limit or using merchants that would fall into one of your restricted categories, you can always change this before you shop. With card controls, you can also lock or unlock your cards in seconds using our digital banking solutions.

4. Your Debit Card Works with Digital Wallets

Digital wallets are increasingly popular for a good reason. They’re secure, allow for faster checkouts, and reduce the need for you to carry a physical card with you at all times. You can add your First Bank Debit Card to your mobile wallet on a smartphone or smart watch and use it to pay in-store, online, or through payment apps. Some of the more popular digital wallets are Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay. When making a purchase, you just open your digital wallet app, choose your payment method, and tap your device to the terminal. 

When shopping online, look for a digital wallet icon that you can click on when you check out. Each time you use your digital wallet, it creates a unique token that a merchant can only use one time to receive payment. This increases security because they never see your actual account number. Some digital wallets use virtual card numbers when shopping online. You can best protect your digital wallet by using the security features of your digital wallet app and your phone itself. This includes face ID, fingerprints, and passcodes or Pins.

5. Support Local Schools with Your Debit Card

We offer School Spirit Debit Cards as a way to support our community. You can earn cash for your local school every time you use your card, so you can have a positive impact on your community just by shopping as you normally do. We’ll take a portion of each purchase amount and donate it to a local school, at no additional cost to you. First Bank donates thousands of dollars each year to local schools as part of this program.

6. Access Thousands of Fee-Free ATMs Nationwide

First Bank is a member of the Money Pass ATM network, which gives you fee-free withdrawals when a First Bank location is not nearby. Money Pass is one of the largest surcharge-free networks and is available at approximately 40,000 ATMs nationwide. This reduces your out-of-network ATM costs and makes accessing your cash more convenient when traveling or away from home. Note, ATM owner fees may still apply in some cases.

Closer to home, First Bank no longer uses traditional ATMs. Our branches feature Virtual Teller Machines, which do more than a standard ATM and let you speak with a live and local First Bank banker by video.

7. Pay Faster with Tap to Pay and Chip Security

First Bank Debit Cards now support tap to pay, so you can complete a purchase by holding your card near the terminal instead of inserting or swiping it. Your card also features a vertical chip-first design, giving you a smoother and faster checkout that is more secure than swiping the magnetic stripe. With tap to pay and other contactless transactions, a unique one-time code is created each time, which helps prevent fraud by making it nearly impossible for someone to skim, clone, or steal your card information.

How to Start Using These Features

To make the most of your First Bank Debit Card, simply log into our Online Banking or Mobile App and navigate to Card Management. There you can set your own alerts and preferences and manage card controls with just the click of a mouse or a tap of your fingers. 

Explore The Features Available with a First Bank Debit Card

If you have any questions about our debit card features, benefits, and security tools, please start a chat with us in your First Bank Online Banking or Mobile App, or connect with your nearest branch.

FAQs: Debit Card Features and Usage

Q. Does using a debit card help build credit?
A. No. Debit card transactions are not reported to credit bureaus, so they don’t help build or impact your credit score.

Q. Can a debit card be used internationally?
A. Yes, most debit cards can be used abroad, but you may need to enable international transactions and be aware of potential foreign transaction fees. To enable this feature, please start a chat with us in your First Bank Online Banking or Mobile App, or connect with your nearest branch.

Q. What should I do if my debit card is used fraudulently?
A. Report the transaction to your bank as soon as possible. Acting quickly can help limit your liability and speed up the resolution process.

Q. What’s the difference between a debit card and a credit card?
A. A debit card pulls funds directly from your checking account, while a credit card allows you to borrow money and pay it back later.

Q. How long does it take for a debit card transaction to process?
A. Some transactions post immediately, while others may appear as pending and take a few days to fully process, depending on the merchant.