A card issued by a financial institution allowing the cardholder to  purchases goods or services, or withdraw money from their account.  When the cardholder makes a purchase or a withdrawal the funds are immediately deducted from their available bank account balance.  Debit card issuers partner with major credit card companies, such as Visa and Mastercard, to allow cardholders to use their debit cards at all locations where credit cards of that brand are accepted.