Dear Dave,

I take classes online at a public university that is several hours from my home. I tried to pay for my classes the other day, and my Visa debit card was not accepted. I got a message saying credit cards and cash were the only payment options. How can I take care of this without wasting an entire day driving to campus to pay with cash?

Amy

Dear Amy,

Don’t worry, there’s no need for you to drive all the way to campus and back just to pay for your classes. You can run a debit card like it’s a credit card, and they will accept it. The machines don’t recognize the difference, whether you type in a credit card number or a debit card number.

Just select “credit” when it asks for payment method. It’s just like when you step up to pay for something at the store and they ask the old credit or debit question. You say credit, so you don’t have to enter your PIN (personal identification number), and it all stays in the Visa system.

You’re just using it wrong, and that’s why you’re having trouble. Just remember this in the future, and best of luck with your classes!

—Dave