<prompt> Human: Ive only ever had a debit card, connected to a basic account with a minimal overdraft. Ive never been amazing with money, but Ive never strayed into the red.Having never even applied for a credit card, I know nothing about them. Im hoping this is the right subreddit to use to get an explanation.  <response>: Theyre nice if you treat them as cash. In the sense that you pay the on time and have the cash in hand. Dont buy something unless you have the money right there and then to pay it cause youll never may know what happen if you buy it and go on a whim of having the cash at the end of the month. And now youre in debt. Never treat your credit card like monopoly money. Treat it like a cash card. Want those new sneaker or video game but dont actually have the cash? Dont buy them till you do.If you pay bills like a cell phone or cable, then even better.Theyre beneficial in the sense as well that they reward you in points, cash back, or miles towards redemption. Some cards offer 1 back of your total purchase, maybe even 1.5. Some also do a 3-2-1 where you get 3 on groceries, 2 at gas stations and dept stores, and 1 everything else. Ex: You buy 100 worth of groceries with your 1.5 cash back card. you made a 1.50And the benefits are great. AMEX i.e. American Express, are well known to be fulfilling in benefits.Purchase protection Damage Dropped your new phone in the toilet Theft. Sometimes Lost items as well, Extended Warranty Typically 1 extra year. AMEX offers up to 2 years, Return Protection where you can return an item after the standard 30 day window of a retailer and a few others you can look up. There are other benefits as well for traveling, car rental insurance, etc. AMEX Cash Magnet 1.5 cash back, Blue cash every day3-2-1 cash back system, and Blue Sky Focused toward people who travel 7,500 points 100 towards travelAlso see what kind of promotions are available. When you first open an account with credit card company, you can sometimes get a nice bonus. Like spend 500 in X amount of time and get 150 back or whatever they offer nowadays.And make sure its No Annual Fee card. No reason for you to be paying for a card yearly when youre just starting. These usually cater to those who have the income and gain additional benefits.if you get more than 1 card. Make sure you use them even if its a minor purchase or they can shut your card down. The longer you keep a card online, the better typically. I lost 2 cards myself stupidly cause i forgot about them and just life stuff being overwhelming so it slipped my mind.I personally recommend a 100 to get an AMEX card if you can. Great Benefits and customer Service only had bad instances where i rarely got a outsourced customer service agent Id stay away from Discover cause I believe they got rid of all their benefits but they do have good cash benefit but really only good during their 5 promotions. Chase cards are the 2nd go to. If you shop on amazon a lot then the Amazon Visa card might be good.Cards like AMEX Blue Cash, Chase Freedom Unlimited Card , Capital One QuicksilverOne I know are fairly easy to get with no credit history but im no expert on what the best card is or really gives the most out of rewards and benefits.Also dont feel discouraged if you apply and get denied. Some cards are people with fair credit where they established a history of sorts to open a line of credit. But also dont apply to just whatever card or over and over again. This hurts you every time a company checks your history.Find a starter card you think will suit your needs and you can gain the most from, stick with it for a year then branch out. You can use one to balance out your bigger purchases depending on credit limit and the other for small purchases like a cup of coffee. And if you buy stuff for work or business, some cards cater to that and can make it easier to keep track of business expenses. you buy a 1,000 TV. Card A will extend your warranty 2 years more or has return protection in case you dont like it after the return policy but Card B only extends a year warranty and thats it. You would use Card A You buy 300 groceries. Card B gives you 3 back which is 9 in your pocket but card A only gives you 1. Youd want to use Card B.Im absolutely no expert so Im sure theres people here who can be a lot more knowledgeable and give better guidance. Be Smart Be Safe and youll grow a good credit history. 