Delayed transactions are transactions made with a debit card that take place some time after they have been agreed to. There are a number of reasons for this sort of transaction.

It can be the case that a person will have money in the future but does not have money when he or she wants to buy a good. Traditionally people have used credit cards to make these kinds of payments. However, there are a number of ways in which these cards can be used to actually pay by debit card, but to pay later.

The simplest form of a delayed transaction is to delay the transaction until the person is paid. This can often be requested when making a large discretionary purchase, such as furniture or a car, but it can also be requested with a number of services.

There are three characteristics of places that will allow for this. Firstly the purchase should be relatively large, as the vendor will have had these requests previously and will be more prepared to take on the risk. The second type of place is where the spending is discretionary, meaning that utilities are unlikely to agree to a deferred payment. Finally there are payments that made to are small businesses, where the business owner or a manager with a large amount of autonomy is able to make the decision.

A twist on this is when a person buys a good or service with a money-back guarantee. With debit cards it is now possible to offer a slightly stronger form of guarantee with the proviso that a person only pays in the future if they are satisfied with the product or service. If there has not been a return then the money is deducted at that later date.

Deposits are another area where people can have delayed payments. This is when a person rents something, such as a car, and has a delayed payment on their account as a deposit. This will mean that the person will be charged only if the item is damaged or not returned.

Payment by instalments and regular payments on debit cards are other forms of delayed payments, when a series of payments are agreed either to pay for a good over time or to pay for an ongoing service.

Debit card loans are yet another form of delayed payment. This is when the cash is given up front and the loan repayment is made automatically when the borrower is paid.