I do - after getting screwed by Comet with a debit card, I learned that if I'd have bought on a Credit Card then I'd have been much better protected.

So if there's something wrong with the goods - ie, not what you ordered, there's a fault, or you feel you were missold something - then with a Credit Card you are so much more empowered to do something about it (here in the UK at least).

So for that reason whenever I buy non-grocery items - gifts, things for the home, clothing, etc - I always pay by credit card.

The important point is that I use it not for the credit, but for the payment protection, so I ensure I pay it off at the end of every month.

Because of that as well I didn't need to make an issue of shopping aorund - I just approached my bank and arranged one with a monthly direct debit to pay it off each time.

Payment protection is nice, as are rewards on standard purchases. I am going to be buying groceries and necessities anyway; getting even a small percentage back is a wise decision as long as you avoid fees.

I totally agree about the necessity of avoiding fees. The more you use your card, the more fees accumulate. One teller told me it was cheaper to use a credit card.

I also heard that the banks were making HUGE errors...where people were getting hundreds of dollars worth of mistakes done on their transactions and the banks weren’t doing anything about it so someone went to the media to complain!

The credit card does grant you more protection against fraud or poor quality goods. It makes life much more easier. The most important thing is to remember to pay off the balance each month.