Let’s play a game. Can you spot the problem below?

Like a smart consumer, college student Beth uses her debit card as a credit card at the store. She was then dismayed last Thursday to find National City Bank charged her an overdraft fees for pending charges. The pending charges would run her into the red, but she had a check in pocket for deposit later Thursday to cover it.

When she called to complain, National City Bank told Beth that, “depending on the company that you were buying from, when you swipe your card, the funds are taken out instantly.”

Unless someone changed bank law, credit cards place a “hold” on the funds for later processing. Debit cards process instantly, but only when actually used as debit cards,

National City Bank owes Beth a refund, an apology and we would say, her next overdraft waived, to compensate for the troubles. And a lollipop.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.