The numbers vary on how many credit cards each person carries. I've seen it stated anywhere from five to fifteen counting bank cards, gas cards, and department store charge cards. But there are still those hold outs, people who don't have any credit cards at all.

If you're one of these lucky people and reading this on the internet, chances are you've seen something online that you wanted to buy, but the problem was you needed at least an online credit card to pay for it. That's where the prepaid debit card can come in handy for those wanting to avoid credit card debt.

With a regular credit card, the issuer lends the money to the consumer who in turn pays for the charge at a later date. There are those who pay the entire bill due upon receipt of their monthly statement. However, many of us run a balance each month and pay an affordable portion of the bill and are charged an agreed upon interest for the outstanding balance. Believe me when I say, it's easy for that balance to creep up before you finally realize it's in the thousands of dollars of an unsecured debt you then owe.

For those of you who don't want to take a chance on getting yourself in that situation, you avoid credit cards completely. But that can be a problem if you want to take advantage of so many outstanding offers available on the internet. Without an online credit card you may want to look into a prepaid debit card.

With a prepaid debit card you deposit the funds with the financial institution in advance. You receive a card that looks the same as any other credit card and you can use it just like a regular card wherever their logo is displayed. The difference is the amount charged is then taken from the credit balance you maintain with the issuer.

Many of you don't like to carry that much cash around. I know with me, I can go thru cash like water. But if I have to charge it, even with a prepaid debit card, I think twice. Plus I can keep better track of where that money goes. Another advantage with a prepaid debit card is it's accepted at all ATM machines so that you have continuous access to your funds just like cash.

So if you are one of those who has managed to escape this long without a credit card and would like to take advantage of the new freedom of shopping from comfort of your own home on the internet, you might take a moment of your time to shop online for a credit card or at the least, a prepaid debit card. With a prepaid debit card, rather than you paying interest, you receive interest on your credit balance.