<prompt> Human: I have been trying to get a credit card for a while because I want to build my credit to eventually get a car. I havent been having luck because even though I have a credit score of 600, I have no credit card history. I used to work at a jewelry store and know their credit cards are easy to get, I was approved for one today and bought a 100 item to pay off over the next four months. I know the interest on those things are high but I dont really care about that since Im just buying cheap things to keep it open and dont plan on actually buying something expensive. Will this actually help raise my credit quickly? Should I get another credit card in four or five months before getting a car? The ultimate goal is to be able to buy a car without an extremely high interest rate.  <response>: You need to understand that building credit is a marathon, not a sprint. In theory having two cards means more on time payments, more accounts, and more accounts aging. However, you should NEVER EVER EVER x100000000 pay interest to build credit. Always pay it off in full. Your credit goes up anyway if you make payments on time. Paying interest on something you could have paid in full is a complete waste of money, and a myth that credit card companies would rather have circulating to make them free money. Please stop carrying a balance because youre throwing away money, even if the balance is small. The banks wont miss it, but you will!EDIT: You can find the breakdown of a score here Note that 45 of your credit score depends on length of history. Additionally, having a hard pull decreases your credit score by a few points in the short term. Doesnt make a worlds difference, but something to consider if applying for a credit card and then a loan shortly after. 