patricej

i confess i don't understand, either, why a merchant wouldn't prefer debit card transactions.
the buyer either has the money or doesn't.
the merchant will know that before shipping.

however, i have often read that a credit card is safer to use than a debit card.
i know from personal experience that it's much easier to get a fraudulent charge reversed from a credit card than it is from a debit card.
with a debit card, if they get your money it's really gone.
by the time the bank puts it back - if they ever do - you are drowning in all sorts of disaster.

have you considered getting a credit card to use exclusively for online purchases?
send payments immediately from your bank account to correspond to purchases made.
the interest fees would stay low or 0.