US Debit
When the US Debit option is selected, the customer may be prompted to enter their Personal Identification Number (PIN) for cardholder verification (rather than signing a receipt or terminal), if the card has been programmed to do so by the issuing bank. This transaction type draws directly from the customer’s bank account in real time. The transaction is routed through debit networks straight to the issuing bank. To support PIN-based transactions, the payment device must have online PIN keys injected so the PIN can be encrypted and validated.
VISA Debit
When the Visa Debit option is chosen, the transaction typically goes through the Visa or Mastercard credit network. Most of the time, the cardholder will either sign or may not need any verification at all, though is still possible for PIN verification to be requested by the card if the issuing bank has programmed it to do so. Even though it routes over a credit network, the funds still come from the customer’s checking account. The authorization and settlement follow the credit network’s processes, which can affect interchange fees and transaction timelines compared to PIN debit.