I need some help with credit cards

[haianhjumi]

Hey, so I (20m) am currently at uni, working a part time job and looking in around 3-4 months to be going on holiday.

I’m currently saving up for it and I’m probably going to go somewhere hot like Spain or Greece or Italy for a few days, trying not to spend more than £600-700 on the flight + hotel. I currently use a debit card for everything but I’m thinking of getting a credit card for all my basic spending (paid off on time every month) to increase my credit score, would some kind of card with travel points be worth getting, rather than a basic cash back card? Or should I just bother with all of that when I’m making more money. I probably spend about £600 a month (but I could also use it for some of my parents purchases to reach the beginner milestones or whatever they are)

The whole points system and air miles and book on website x y z seems quite confusing, so if anyone more well versed with any specific card could help me out with this I’d be very grateful.

 

[moonmonkey]

@haianhjumi Assuming you pay off every month and there are no monthly fees, then any card that offers "free" points/rewards is good.

That is assuming that you are eligible.

One thing to remember is some cards have foreign currency transaction fees, so check before you use abroad.

 

[traveller2wisdom]

@haianhjumi For a uni student it’s probably not worth it. The amount you spend will be fairly low in the grand scheme of things, meaning you won’t rack up that many points.

Some of the new customer card offers where they boost your points or give you a load can be worth it, but they usually come with minimum spend requirements to get the bonuses, which as a student you may not meet.

Then there’s the question of whether or not you qualify for the card. For any Amex card, including the BA card, you need a 20k salary minimum which I’m guessing you don’t have.

I would personally forget about air miles/points cards and look at cash back cards. Do an eligibility checker before applying for any so you don’t waste an application with a hard credit check, or speak to the bank who provide your student account about their credit cards.

You can improve your credit file by making sure you’re registered to vote at your current address and up to date with other credit payments like mobile phone contracts etc.

If I were you, I would look at skyscanner for cheap flights, trivago/last minute/expedia/trip advisor for hotel best prices (once you find a deal always check on the hotel’s own website whether they can do better) and get a chase debit card with 1% cash back.

 

[haianhjumi]

@traveller2wisdom Would a chase debit card with 1% cashback increase my credit score, or would I need a separate credit card. Thanks!