My first credit card

sammy1848

Hi all

This has probably been answered a million times but need some quick advice. I'm 23 years old and never had a credit card. I've always used my Nat West debit card and I have been advised it might be wise to get a credit card to help improve cash flow.

I'm usually very good with money and have never gone over £1,000 with my overdraft. I know Nat West do a Graduate Student Card and I'm tempted to get that purely because I have online banking with Nat West so it will be easy to pay the bill online.

Any advice/thoughts on the Nat West card?

Kavanne

Do you have a graduate account with natwest? You must have this to get the graduate credit card.

But even so, if you have a regular income and no charges, may be worth going for your own bank's standard credit card

panpipe

I was in more or less the same situation as you last year. I've had a NatWest current account since my first part-time job at 16, and it has since become a student account then a graduate one. Last year would have been the second year of the graduate account terms.

I decided to apply for a credit card, more than anything to help build up my credit rating. Having had a shop around, I decided just to go straight to my NatWest branch and apply with them. I was accepted immediately for their standard Mastercard and given a £2,100 credit limit.

I still don't quite know what the difference is between the graduate and standard Mastercards! My card started at 13.9% APR but I think has since gone up to 15.9%, which is pretty standard really. It doesn't have any frills e.g. cashback, but is a straighforward one as it's your first, and easily managed online as you can pay it that way as well as see an overview of all your accounts with them.

CLAPTON

what ever card you get, set up a DD for the full amount so you never get into debt or pay interest