DENVER — Concerns over card security may have dampened American enthusiasm for the debit card but it has definitely not reversed it, according to a survey sponsored by the STAR Network, an ATM and EFT network, a subsidiary of card processor First Data Corp.

The survey found that security was consumers' most important reason for choosing one mode of payment over another, but it also found that the use of debit cards had increased at the point of sale. Debit cards where cardholders validated their transactions with a personal identification number rose from 9 transactions per month five years ago to 11 in the most recent survey. Debit cards where the cardholder signed their name to a receipt to validate the transaction rose from 13 to 18 transactions per month over the same period.

"The debit card is clearly establishing itself as U.S. consumers' preferred payment mechanism. We've seen continued growth in transaction volume over the last several years, and the runway for debit growth continues to look good," said Todd Strubbe, president of First Data's debit services.