carte de débit
/kaʁ.t(ə) də de.bi/feminine
The English phrase "debit card" is carte de débit in French.
A carte de débit is a card that takes money directly from a bank account. While carte de débit is a correct term, in everyday French, people more commonly use the term carte bancaire to refer to their debit card.
Meaning: card taking money directly from the bank account (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term carte de débit is used specifically to distinguish it from a carte de crédit (credit card).
How do you pronounce it?
/kaʁ.t(ə) də de.bi/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use carte de crédit when they actually mean a standard debit card, as many French cards are technically debit-only.
When do people say it?
When shopping or making payments in France, it's common to use the phrase Je paie avec ma carte (I'm paying with my card).
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking regions, the term carte bleue is used colloquially to refer to any bank card, regardless of whether it is a debit or credit card.
- The word carte shares a common ancestor with the English word 'chart', both stemming from the Greek word for a leaf or a piece of papyrus.
- In France, the default banking experience is often 'immediate debit', where money leaves the account instantly rather than being totaled at the end of the month.
Examples in context
- J'ai oublié ma carte de débit chez moi.I forgot my debit card at home.This sentence is useful for expressing that you have forgotten your carte de débit at home.Tatoeba #7124882 by Aiji, translation #4823870 by orcrist
- Tu peux régler ça avec ta carte bleue .You can pay for this with your debit card.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are at a cafe.
- HugoJe vais payer pour nous deux.I will pay for both of us.
- ChloéMerci Hugo, tu as ta carte de débit ?Thanks Hugo, do you have your debit card?
- HugoOui, elle est dans mon portefeuille.Yes, it is in my wallet.
- ChloéC'est parfait, merci beaucoup.That's perfect, thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “debit card” translations and entries carte de débit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carte, de, débit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
