1.   As these debit cards become increasingly popular, strains are appearing among customers, merchants and banks.

2.   But recently, the card became available at grocery stores, and special vans were dispatched across the city to sell the cards to elderly riders.

3.   By the end of the tryout, it was clear the cards had become a novelty, rather than a convenience.

4.   For those who conduct most of their business and much of their personal correspondence via e-mail, electronic cards are becoming acceptable alternatives to the traditional paper kind.

5.   His hockey card became the ultimate symbol of his year from hell.

6.   People from neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh, however, will not be eligible, because officials say they worry that the card could become a vehicle for illegal immigration.

7.   Still, Carbone said companies have gradually become better about disclosing fees to consumers as consumers became more savvy and the cards became more common.

8.   The cards themselves became symbols.

9.   The cards have become a passion for collectors who hunger to snare the equivalent of the first Ty Cobb baseball card.

10.   The new debit cards have become more popular because they are easier to use and more widely accepted than those that require personal identification numbers.