<p>If you’re responsible, then getting a credit card is the right choice. You’re building a credit reputation. You don’t want to go into a bank asking for a loan when your credit score is 500-600. At that point, if you want the loan it’s too late. You’re a risky applicant and thus you’ll pay extra interest to offset that risk.</p>
<p>There are several bank credit cards that offer automatic monthly payments. You just set up an autopay, and it will pay off your monthly bills directly from your bank account. Chase Freedom (Visa) and Discover One definitely offer this–other credit cards are catching up.</p>
<p>These cards are a little harder to get, so initially you might need a newbie card like First National of Omaha or Capital One. They’ll usually give you a tiny limit (like $500/month), and once you build up your rating after 6 months - 1 year, then you can get the cards I mentioned above. </p>
<p>Another reason to choose Chase/Discover is because these cards typically offer 1-3% cash rewards for all purchases. The cards that accept poor credit scores usually don’t offer great reward programs.</p>