International Baccalaureate (IB) Practice Exam

Which of the following actions cannot be performed with a debit card?

1. Purchase an airline ticket.

2. Buy something online.

3. Go into debt.

4. Rent a car.

The correct answer is: Go into debt.

A debit card is linked directly to a checking account or a similar account and allows users to spend money that they have deposited. The key characteristic of a debit card is that it does not allow for borrowing money; it only permits spending the available balance in the linked account. Purchasing an airline ticket, buying something online, and renting a car can all be done with a debit card, as these activities involve transactions that withdraw from the account's balance. However, going into debt implies accessing funds beyond what is available in the bank account, which is not possible with a debit card. In contrast, credit cards enable users to borrow money up to a certain limit, facilitating debt. Thus, the limitation on incurring debt with a debit card establishes why this choice is the correct answer.