Using debit card only VS credit cards

kris....using your debit card will have no affect on your credit score at all. I believe your score in part is based on how much credit you have available that you do not use. That will make your score go up. So if you have a couple of credit cards never use more than a third of what your limit is. This way you always have available creit and that will improve your score. Also when negative info drops off it does improve your score too....

Debit cards are very good for managing your finances,but do nothing for your credit. I would use the credit cards you have for everyday bills and pay in full monthly to show some usage and payment history on your credit reports.

Debit cards also don't give you the purchase protection that a credit purchase does. For a big purchase or anything you may want to bring back I'd recommend using a credit card when possible for that reason alone.

I agree with everyone here...debit cards are very smart choice when you want to make every day purchases, say for groceries, gas, buying something for yourself etc. it's essentially cash in your wallet and you're not using credit. on that part debit cards are GREAT! however, debit doesn't help your credit whereas your credit cards will. sounds like you're pretty well on track getting those paid off and the good thing is your credit limits are small enough to manage. Not sure what your plans are with the credit cards, but I know when i first got my orchard bank card with a $300 credit limit with an annual fee of course, I used it for small purchases then paid the balance off in full. Orchard bank was the first card that gave me a chance after i paid off my consolidation debts. I noticed that my score went up gradually, i was happy it went up. I think you're very smart to use your debit whenever possible. when you're able to pay the ccs off, then maybe make small purchases that are manageable and like Morningstar said, be cautious about approaching your 1/3 credit limit, and you should see a difference over time. looks like you're not only preserving your current score, but well on your way to improving it

Actually, there are some errrors in the reponses here. When you use a debit card, you have the option to use it as a debit card(which means you pay the $1.00 fee or so) or a credit card(the place of purchase pays the fee). Now, it is not an actual credit card as a credit limit is not extended to you. But, it does positively affect your credit score because the payment is made immediately for the purchase, hence, making an automatic on time purchase. This will over time improve your score. If you use it as a debit card, you pay the processing fees and it acts same as cash. The next time you use your debit card, select credit instead. You won't need to put in your PIN and it will show up on a credit report as a on time payment. The more on time payments, the better your score. Just make sure you have enough in the bank account to cover the cost of the purchase. It's that simple and you won't be overdrawn, which may happen with credit cards.