1st ever credit card help!? (only to build credit rating not to borrow)

emilyjane212

Hi everyone,
I'm 18 years old so have no credit history, at the minute I'm saving up for a deposit for a mortgage as hoping to move out in a few years time, but obviously in order to get a mortgage they will have to do a credit check and I've learned from Martin that having no credit history is just as bad as having a bad credit history!
So I want to get a credit card and just use it for my usual monthly spending and pay it off in full every month. Only trouble is there are so many different credit cards out there I have no idea which one to apply for?!?
Also I would like to be pretty certain that I will get accepted for the one I apply for because I know applying for lots reflects badly on your credit score too!
Can anybody offer me any advice please?
Thanks in advance Emily

Tixy

Your best chances are likely either your own bank, or one of the subprime card lenders.


You can use the search tool to get an indication as to how likely you will be accepted for various cards. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/bad-credit-credit-cards#how

thebritishbloke

Are you a student?

emilyjane212

No I'm not a student, I was thinking about the Barclaycard initial because I think that one is designed for 1st time credit card users is that right?

thebritishbloke

emilyjane212 wrote: »

No I'm not a student, I was thinking about the Barclaycard initial because I think that one is designed for 1st time credit card users is that right?

It is. BarclayCard offer a soft-check to see if you'd be eligible for it, so that would be your first thing to try.

If you can't get that, I'd try to go through your own bank.

emilyjane212

Just did the soft-check for Barclaycard initial and it said I'm not eligible could this be because I was only put on the electoral roll last week? Or does that not make a difference? Its all very confusing, I bank with Barclays so I thought I'd stand quite a good chance.

thebritishbloke

emilyjane212 wrote: »

Just did the soft-check for Barclaycard initial and it said I'm not eligible could this be because I was only put on the electoral roll last week? Or does that not make a difference? Its all very confusing, I bank with Barclays so I thought I'd stand quite a good chance.

You won't actually be on the electoral roll yet (in regards to credit files anyway). Your next best option is Vanquis or Aqua. The APR's seem scary, but so long as you set up a direct debit to pay it in full every month, you won't pay interest so it won't matter. Vanquis were my first credit card and after just over a year I got accepted for a prime card, and now I easily get prime deals.