Conflicting advice

cntang

So improve my credit score as it is rather thin I was advised to get a credit card. Which I have done and set strict limits and I am also able to watch my outgoings really well so don't think I should encounter any issues but...
I am hearing different advice on the best way to use it. 1 person said to make a purchase and then instantly pay it and another person said to wait until the payment date and pay it off then? Also reading that setting up a direct debit to repay the minimum each month and then making the rest of the payment manually is the best way....

Anyone have a more definitive solution?
Thanks in advance

[Deleted User]

You use the card, then clear in full when you get the statement, paying before the due date.  A DD will ensure you don't miss a payment.

Disregard changes in your cedit score and just manage the account responsibly.  Check your three files from time to time to ensure everything is correct.

[Deleted User]

If you pay off the balance before your statement is produced then the statement may get produced showing a £0 balance thus nothing will be reported to your credit report. Always pay after the statement gets produced.

Nebulous2

It doesn’t need to be that complicated. Pay in full after the statement. Whether you do so by a manual payment, a minimum DD with a manual payment or a full balance DD is mainly a matter of personal preference and partly as to whether you trust yourself to remember every month. 

Personally I have DDs for minimum payment where I’m on a 0% promotional rate and pay the rest with a full manual payment each month. One of them has a minimum DD setup, but it is so long since it was used that it might not work. Remember a DD might not work in the first month it is setup / amended. You need to check your statement to make sure it says what will be taken by DD. 

jimbo26

Just to echo what others have said. Pay off after statement is produced otherwise the credit card company will be reporting zero usage to the CRAs, you want to be having a history of managing credit.
Make sure you set up a DD so there is no chance of missing a payment. You see stories of people on here that only do manual payments and then something happens, like a relative gets ill or they go into hospital, and they end up missing a payment etc.

cntang

Thanks everyone, all cleared up now!