Debit spread
A vertical spread bought for a net premium: the option bought costs more than the one sold against it. Maximum loss is the debit paid; maximum profit is the strike width minus the debit.
A debit spread cheapens a directional option position by selling away the far tail of the payoff. Compared with an outright long option it decays less, needs a smaller move to break even, and gives up the open-ended win.
Debit and credit spreads at the same strikes are mirror images — economically the same position from opposite sides. Choosing between them is mostly a question of which strikes offer better prices, not of one being safer.
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