What is the difference between a savings account and a checking account, and what are the benefits of either?

Obviously you can write checks using a checking account, but other than that, why would you use a checking account over a savings account? And can you use a debit card with a saving account, or is that also only checking?|||The lines are getting blurred, but make sure your savings account is LINKED to your checking account so that you won't get overdraft fees when you use your debit card one time too often, or write one too many checks. (Banks make money by "fee harvesting.") Checks are used less often to pay bills now, but not everybody is set up to take credit/debit cards, and if you don't have cash, what are you going to do? A checking account lets you pay bills online, as well. A savings account acts as a back-up ... and a way to save money, in theory! ;-)|||when you put money in a checking account you can pay for something out of that account with a check or using a debit card. most people use a savings account for long term uses such as saving up for a vaction or saving up for kid's college or so forth but you can get money out of that by going to the bank or transferring it to another account online