Good first credit card?

Now that I'm finally on the electoral roll (or I will be in August, according to the letter I received), I'd like to apply for a credit card. Something basic will do, the credit limit doesn't need to be really high. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I got my first credit card yesterday through Nationwide Building Society and im not on the electoral roll.

Here's some advice about credit cards to help you consider what's best for you:
https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/credit-cards

I got mine from my bank (HSBC).  It was easiest since I haven't been here for 3 years and didn't have 3 years of UK addresses to enter when applying for another credit card I tried.  It was easy.  The options were linked to my account.

I got my first credit card yesterday through Nationwide Building Society and im not on the electoral roll.

Can you please provide more details?  Do you have a Nationwide current account?  How did you go about getting it? 

Tykeman, I got a Lloyds TSB credit card (before they spilt) before I was on the electoral role.

I had a current account and a savings account. After about a year with the accounts I was in branch and the lady asked me why I didn't have a Credit card with them, I said I didn't think I was eligible, but they assured me I'd be okay so I applied and got one.

Good luck.

I'm not on the electoral roll.  NatWest and M&S gave me credit cards very easily.  I think they wanted to see that I had a job paying over ~£10k.

I was able to get a Capital One "credit builder" credit card.  Every six months I get an increase in my credit limit.

I am an authorized user on DH's credit card, in about 6 months I am going to apply for a "store" card in my own name and keep building up my credit here 

Tykeman, I got a Lloyds TSB credit card (before they spilt) before I was on the electoral role.

I had a current account and a savings account. After about a year with the accounts I was in branch and the lady asked me why I didn't have a Credit card with them, I said I didn't think I was eligible, but they assured me I'd be okay so I applied and got one.

Good lck.

Thanks.  It was DW asking.  She's taking a trip to the States in June and will be wanting to rent a car. Normally I do it on my card. She tried to get a credit card last year but was turned down.

Try Barclays or Aqua.  Comparethemarket.com  can give you an idea of what is out there.  Lloyd's still have trouble giving us one eventhough we have been great customers for over 2 years.  Good luck!

Thanks.  It was DW asking.  She's taking a trip to the States in June and will be wanting to rent a car. Normally I do it on my card. She tried to get a credit card last year but was turned down.

Tykeman, has D gotten a catalogue line of credit at all? That's usually the easiest thing to come by - as a starting point. I just placed an order or two with Simply Be, for example, and voilà, I had a line of credit in two shakes.

We changed to banking with Nationwide & DH got a credit card (his first ever!) pretty easily there. I am an authorised user on it - however, credit card accounts in the UK are sole name only, in terms of who is responsible for paying it. So being an authorised user isn't something that is going to go on the authorised user's credit file - it only goes on the person's who is solely responsible for paying the bill.

Also, getting a mobile contract plan is another way to build credit, if you've not explored that.

There are also the 'high rate' 'high risk lenders' out there, such as Vanquis - worth a try as a last resort perhaps.

We have rented a car (in the US) in the past using our visa debit card though.

Tykeman, has D gotten a catalogue line of credit at all? That's usually the easiest thing to come by - as a starting point. I just placed an order or two with Simply Be, for example, and voilà, I had a line of credit in two shakes.

Hi Mrs R. Just seen this. She has got some catalogue credit such as Simply Be and some others, and she also has mobile phone contract.
We signed up for the free Experian check at the weekend, waiting for the PIN to come though but did seem reasonably promising from what we saw.

We have rented a car (in the US) in the past using our visa debit card though.

Thanks for that, because looking through a number say it must be a credit card. Some do say they'll accept a debit card (but seems to be a US one). The reson given is that if you don't have a credit card they often assume you have a bad credit rating and therefore a risk for them to loan you an expensive car.

While that reasoning is probably true, it's not aalways good idea to use a debit card for rentals/hotels/etc anyway...sometimes those kinds of placing put a holding deposit in case of damage which means a large chunk of your cash could be tied up and effectively unusable...not a great way to be on a vacation! Of course in some cases you don't have a choice