I honestly don't understand why they're so popular here either. A debt card is basically the same as paying with cash, because you have the money. With credit, you're still doing the same thing, but you pay later- either way you're still paying the same amount, but with credit, you can fuck yourself pretty easily.

Also, it's because credit cards are so prolific here that it's harder to take out a mortgage, if everyone has a good credit score but you, then you're not going to be at the top of their list.