I just got my very first credit card and it’s just a small one with a $200 limit to help build my credit. How much of it should I use and when should I pay that off? I’m not sure how this all works and just want to build my credit as fast as possible. Thank you for any help!
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I always did 20% of my limit. Payed the whole amount that I owed by the due date. I always did about a week before it was due.
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Spend $10 and pay it off immediately. Then spend $20 and pay it off immediately. Then cut it up. Credit cards are the devil.
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I put one of my subscriptions on my credit card and have it set up to be paid off automatically every month. If i use it for anything else ill pay it off right away.
If you arent already using it, Credit Karma really helped me raise my credit score and understand how it works.
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I started with a small one with a 200 limit ended up using it a good bit, got a higher limit 1,500 then 2,000 then 2,500 and about maxed it out!
If you have netfix or some small subscription use it for that only, or a tank of gas a month. Pay it off a week or so before due date. I will say I will never have another one after I get this one paid off!!
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Keep you usage under 30% pay in full every month
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Don’t use more than 30% of the limit. If they see you’re too dependent on using your card that will also affect your credit .
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Don’t think you have $200 to spend. Use it for necessities under a total of $60 or less a month, say some groceries or prescriptions or gas. Then pay in full the minute you get the bill. Use it as carefully as you would cash. My dad built credit in the 1950s by taking out a $1000 bank loan, putting the money in savings and paying the loan back each month until it was paid in full. He didnt actually spend the money, he was just proving to the bank he was a responsible borrower.
If you find you’re tempted to spend, put it in a small zip lock bag, put that in a larger bag that you fill with water & freeze. That way you have to wait for it to thaw out to use it, and in that time you can figure out if something is a want or a need; if it’s something you absolutely will use often or if its just an impulse buy. Always make sure you have plenty of money in your bank account to cover whatever you put on your card/s, no matter what the credit limit is or how many you have.
I did this to build my credit to buy a house. I used mine for gas 2 X a month and paid it off each month. My credit score went up in a few short months and I was able to buy a house.
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Best thing to do with it is to cut it into tiny pieces and toss it in the bin
You will end up paying more in interest every month
On top of how much you have purchased
You can hurt your credit rating
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Use it wisely. Purchase something you know you can afford on the card and pay of your balance by the due date. Always remember the interest rate as it adds up quick
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Fill your gas tank once a month and pay off and full and repeat
What ever the amount pay off every month in full
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Never charge anything you can’t afford to pay in full on the due date.
Only use it for like $10 or $20 a month and make sure you pay it off every month. Keep your usage as low as possible
Pay before the bill is due. Make payments consistently.
Use on gas pay in full as you use
Follow Alisa Glutz and her “color my credit” TikTok page it’s life changing!!! I don’t know her personally but she is incredible and her advice has helped me sooooooooo much
Get the Credit Karma app.
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Use how much ever you need/want to use. Pay it off in full by the due date. When it clears, go buy a pack of gum or something around $2 and don’t pay it off right away. It 1.) shows the credit card company that its being used but not that you’re dependent on it. 2.) shows that you’ll pay on time. 3.) boosts the hell out of your credit because you’re making payments on time and when it gets reported to the credit bureaus, it shows a very small percentage being used. Which is why its boosts is so much.
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May I ask what card you got approved for?! Trying to build credit as well but can’t find no one to approve me 
someones gotta let me start from no where 
Honestly, I’d get a credit builder card through Chime and cut the credit card you got in the mail. The credit builder you add the money to it and when you use it, it’s gone but you don’t have to pay it back - so to speak. It’s basically a debit card. It’s a really good way to build your credit but you don’t rack up debt. It’s really, really, really easy to get into debt quick using a credit card - even though that’s usually NOT people’s intention.
Like they’ve said keep it under 30%, but don’t think you HAVE to spend on it to build your credit. We added our son to a credit card we never use at 16- by 18 he had a credit score in mid 700s because of it.
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I have a $500 limit CC. I use it as needed. Groceries, gas, food. And pay it off fully or if not at least make the minimum payment.
Use it for gas and gas only. Pay as soon as you use the card.
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I would buy gas on mine then pay it off at the end of the month.
Just throwing this out here for whoever…. Sign up for Experian and boost your score. Dispute anything old on your account-mark as account paid in full and closed- debt collection agencies have to prove 4 different things to show you actually owe the debt and most cannot-coming from professional experience.
Use it for gas and small purchases like most have said, thats the easiest way to keep the bill low but also build ur credit, pay a few days before the due date if possible. You should also sign up for chime (if you go through a friend they pay you usually $150 to sign up) you can get a chime credit helping card that you just add money to and spend like a prepaid card but it builds your credit monthly and fast!! It build my moms credit over 200pts in less then 6months
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Never use more then 30% percent and make sure to always pay the full amount before it is due, never make just the minimum payment
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Gas for your car. Then pay it off.
Or small purchases you won’t be in a bind paying for.
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Use it on small bills and pay off each month when you get the bill. I’m also going to be doing this and it’s important to pay off each bill you get from the secure credit line. Also building credit takes time
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I use mine for gas usually and wait for it to say I have a due date then I just pay it off. Don’t use more than 100 if you can, I used it once for a bigger purchase that I needed and paid half off right away but still dinged me 12 points
Small bills pay off as soon as you have a due date.
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I have one I used specifically for credit. If the card has any cash back options I’d go with that first, (gas, groceries, utilities) and only use it for those things and pay on it 2 weeks before the statement dude date and then pay the rest off the day before the due date
Pay your Netflix or Spotify with it each month. Nothing else. Pay it on time each month. I had my older boys do this and my now 22 year old has a pegging high credit score.
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When I had one I used it for like gas and made sure it was paid by or before the due date. I never used it for anything more then little purchases because if you use over a certain percent it can actually impact your credit score
What bothers me is the amount of people laughing at this… My parents NEVER taught me anything related to money, because they SUCKED at it. I spent 30 years not knowing anything about credit, or how it works. Just because you know how to ‘adult’ doesn’t mean everyone does.
Use if for things you need/want, but could pay for in other ways if needed, like gas or a couple snacks from a convenience store. Then, make two payments each month. For example, say your bill is $60 and it’s due on the 30th each month. Pay half of it around the 12th or so, and the other half on the 28th. It lowers your utilization, and shows that you can make payments when needed. I had a prepaid credit card and did it this way. I built my credit up within a year, versus the (at least) 18 months the bank told me with making only making one lump sum payment.
Always pay on time. Avoid opening store specific cards. Maintain a low Credit ration, rule of thumb is about 30% of your available credit, you can do this by increasing your credit limit, but some people don’t have the financial control to maintain a low balance, so if you fall into that category then just keep your limits low and only use 30% of it. The credit bureau companies don’t look at the amount. Doesn’t matter if it’s $20.00 or $200,000.00.
Sign up with credit karma.they will give you tips on to raise your credit score and it will tell you not to go over 30% of your limit. Then you can watch your credit grow!
Pay it off completely each month. Do not charge more than you can afford to pay.
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a little at a time, pay that off or maybe half & continue doing this, But please be careful…they can continue add more amounts that you can spend & that is when it can get really bad & out of hand
Fastest way to do it and buy gas and pay towards it but leave a small amount on there. If you pay it all off it doesn’t help your credit. So put on 100 and pay 80-90 on it
Credit karma talk tells me to use only 30% of any available credit to get the best score, now granted I haven’t listened cause I had some fun stuff to do this year but it’s worth a shot for you 
Pay your utilities with it and pay it off every month. Build credit while not overspending.
U can use it all every month just pay off the total every month then they will raise ur limit.
Try to stay under 30% and pay it all off every time.
Use no more than $100 and always pay it off each month.
You use it for emergencies only and pay it off as soon as you can
Use it for gas in you car
Never put more than 1/3 on it
Max IT out then you find out
This is counter intuitive, but it’s actually better for your credit to keep a SMALL balance on your card and not pay the entire thing off every month. They want you to pay a little interest, otherwise it’s not worth lending to you.
Buy something smallish. Pay it off. Repeat. Groceries, gas, etc. Never more than $100. Pay it off. Repeat.
Only utilize 20% of it and pay it off every month.
I’ve fixed credit for years.
Told clients if they have to get a credit card then only put something small on it like streaming service. Put it in the freezer and freeze it. Pay it off every month.
Also you could get a secure credit card and that will help it even faster. It’s your own money. Go to a local credit union and talk to them about it. They may require you to open up an account of some sort ( saving or checking). Put the money it is required to have on that card and do the same thing as you would with you new credit card. It’s your own money and it still reports to the credit bureau. That’s a fast way as well.
Now an even faster way is to get with someone that has reallly good credit say a parent or someone you know and trusts that pays their bills on time and have them add you as an authorized user on their oldest credit card and that’s been up to date with payments. They add you and bam you have credit without even using a credit card. The credit card company may send you a card but just don’t use it. You are piggy backing off the original holder. Helps a lot!
I’ve helped people with no credit and very low and they get added and bam within 2 months they have an 800 credit score.
Buy gas for your car, immediately pay it off.
What helped me was use the card like a debit and always pay back what I used - its easier then - paying just 40 percent or 80 percent - ratios - better then just minimum balance - on it but that also looks good on you too good luck
I am in the mortgage business & typically advise never charging more than you can pay off in a month and keep a small running balance. If you charge $150 this month, when it’s time to pay; pay all but $25. This will help boost your scores & show that you can use credit responsibly.
Financial Education Center is really helpful
I have one also I am now at 600 credit limit I started at 200 my bank told me to never go below 30%