A person answered a question I had an in it they stated "credit cards are a necessity in today's society". Wrong! I purchase everything, including big purchases and rental cars on a Visa debit card tied to my checking account. Your position on this issue?

They aren't a necessity. The reason why you are able to use your Visa debit card, is because when you run it through Visa's system, by using it "as credit" when you make purchases, it acts the same as a credit card, except instead of adding the balance to a credit account, it deducts it from the attached checking account, but it still processes through Visa's system the same way.

The only time a Visa debit card won't work is if you're trying to rent a car. Rental car agencies won't accept debit cards. Other than that, debit cards work very well.

A Visa check card (debit card) doubles as a credit card. You can not rent a car without a credit card so they must have used you debit card as a credit card. (It stil comes directly out of your account.)

I have a credit card for emergencies.

You need to be careful if you rely on a debit card because it is tied to your checking account. If you make any purchases online it is usually not advised to use a debit card because if someone makes a fraudulent purchase, you will be out money and if you have checks clearing, etc. you could be at risk for all kinds of fees that you weren't planning on. This is why it is a good idea to have at least 1 credit card. You are more protected that way.

Just having a credit card doesn't mean you have to pay anything. You don't have to use it except to guarantee a hotel room or a reservation if required or to make an online purchase. It's just nice to have. I think of it as an insurance policy. You don't want to use it but it's nice to have just in case something happens. My mom taught me to use it instead of cash and pay it off every month. That was when you could earn interest on checking accounts.