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You're buying gas, checking in at a hotel, or renting a car

When you use debit for those transactions, the merchant -- to avoid being caught short -- figures out the maximum you could spend, then puts a hold on your bank account for that amount.

For example, when buying gas, you prepay your purchase. And since the gas station doesn't know how many gallons you'll use, it picks a big number.

"They'll block $75 whether you're filling up a moped or an SUV," says Greg McBride of Bankrate.com. You can't access the excess that's frozen until the transaction is finalized, which can take up to 48 hours.

The stakes are higher when checking in at hotels and car-rental counters, which give themselves leeway for incidentals and damage. You could have hundreds or thousands frozen for days, which could trigger overdrafts or bounces on other payments. So secure a hotel or car with a credit card. (Bonus: Some cards also offer decent secondary auto insurance.) You can always make the final payment with debit.

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