{"id":236,"date":"2024-03-29T19:48:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T19:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/?page_id=236"},"modified":"2024-04-05T21:25:46","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T21:25:46","slug":"first-credit-card","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/first-credit-card","title":{"rendered":"9 Things To Know Before Getting Your First Credit Card"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"\" id=\"top\">Getting your first credit card is a huge milestone \u2014 and a big adjustment. You might already have a sense of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-do-credit-cards-work\">how credit cards work<\/a> and how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-to-use-a-credit-card\">handle a credit card responsibly<\/a>, but the devil is in the details. Understanding those ins and outs before diving in will save you money and help you build up your credit more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-table-of-contents nw-table-of-contents wp-block-table-of-contents \">\n\t\t<div class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__table-wrapper c-block-table-of-contents--scrollable\">\n\t\t\t<h2 id=\"jump-to\"  class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__title\">Jump to<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__links\">\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#The-best-credit-cards-aren\u2019t-for-beginners\">1. The best credit cards aren\u2019t for beginners<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#Your-first-credit-card-can-build-your-credit\">2. Your first credit card can build your credit \u2014 or ruin it<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#You-can-see-the-rates-and-fees-before-applying\">3. You can see the rates and fees before applying<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#4-credit-card-fees-are-easy-to-avoid\">4. Credit card fees are easy to avoid<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#Interest-is-completely-avoidable\">5. Interest is completely avoidable, too<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#pay-more-than-the-minimum\">6. You can \u2014 and should! \u2014 pay more than the minimum<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#Paying-late-comes-at-a-high-cost\">7. Paying late comes at a high cost<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#Dealing-with-credit-card-fraud-isn\u2019t-as-difficult-as-it-sounds\">8. Dealing with credit card fraud isn\u2019t as difficult as it sounds<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__link\"><a href=\"#rejected-for-a-credit-card\">9. If you\u2019re rejected, the issuer will tell you why<\/a><\/li>\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__show-more--wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-block-table-of-contents__show-more\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<label class=\"show-more-label\" for=\"c-block-table-of-contents__show-more\">Show more<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<label class=\"hide-more-label\" for=\"c-block-table-of-contents__show-more\">Show less<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"The-best-credit-cards-aren\u2019t-for-beginners\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">1. The best credit cards aren\u2019t for beginners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">As a newcomer to credit, you probably won\u2019t be able to qualify for the absolute best credit cards \u2014 the ones with rich rewards and perks, big sign-up bonuses or long 0% interest periods. Those cream-of-the-crop products are available only to applicants with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/personal-finance\/what-is-a-good-credit-score\">good or excellent credit<\/a> (scores of 661+) and longer credit histories who meet certain income requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You&#8217;ll likely have to start smaller with your first credit card, with a product geared toward people with limited or no credit history. It&#8217;s not all bad news, though \u2014 many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/types-of-credit-cards\">types of credit cards<\/a> offer decent rewards and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-a-no-annual-fee-credit-card\">don&#8217;t charge annual fees<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Some options to consider include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-a-student-credit-card\">student-friendly credit card<\/a><\/strong> designed with university students in mind.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Credit cards marketed to those with average credit<\/strong> (which is generally defined as a credit score of 460 to 660).&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/can-you-get-a-credit-card-with-low-income\">Can you get a credit card with a low income? <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Your-first-credit-card-can-build-your-credit\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">2. Your first credit card can build your credit \u2014 or ruin it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">One of the main reasons to get your first credit card is to begin building or continuing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/personal-finance\/how-to-improve-credit-score\">boost your credit<\/a>. It can have the opposite effect if you&#8217;re not careful, though. It all depends on what you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Every month, your issuer will report your credit card activity to credit bureaus \u2014 the companies that compile the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/personal-finance\/credit-report-australia\">credit reports<\/a> that form the basis of your credit scores. In Australia, the three credit reporting bodies are Equifax, Experian and Illion (formerly Dun &amp; Bradstreet).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The reported information includes whether your payments have been on time and how much of your available credit you&#8217;ve used. Late payments are bad. Maxing out the card is bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">To make sure your credit card activity helps as much as possible, pay in full and on time every month and stay well below your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-limit\">credit limit<\/a>. A good rule of thumb: Keep your balance under 30% of your available credit at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You can also track your credit scores to see where you stand. You can get your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/personal-finance\/how-to-check-credit-score\">free credit score<\/a> through one of those credit reporting agencies or via a provider listed on CreditSmart.org.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/guide-for-credit-card-payments\">Guide to credit card payments<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"You-can-see-the-rates-and-fees-before-applying\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">3. You can see the rates and fees before applying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-companies\">Credit card issuers<\/a> are required by federal law to publicly disclose certain terms \u2014 such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-do-credit-card-interest-rates-work\">interest rates <\/a>and fees \u2014&nbsp;before you apply. These are displayed in a table within your issuer\u2019s credit card member agreement or terms and conditions document. It can usually be found on a credit card application page online or on a slip enclosed in paper applications.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The table of card information includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>annual fee,<\/strong> or what it charges cardholders on a yearly basis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>purchase rate per annum<\/strong>. This is the interest rate you&#8217;ll pay on balances you carry monthly. Some cards charge different rates on different types of balances, including purchases, balance transfers (debts moved to the card from other accounts) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-cash-advance\">cash advances<\/a> (cash withdrawn with the card, usually at an ATM). Some cards, though not many, also have penalty purchase rates, which they impose after a late payment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>foreign transaction fees<\/strong>, charged when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/international-transaction-fee\">making purchases outside Australia<\/a> \u2014 typically, 2% to 4% of the amount charged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>late fees,<\/strong> charged when you pay late by even a day or if you don&#8217;t pay at least the minimum amount due.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Of course, there&#8217;s some information you won\u2019t get until after you apply. For example, in most cases, you won&#8217;t know what your credit card limit is until your application is approved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/activate-new-card\">How to activate your new credit card<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"4-credit-card-fees-are-easy-to-avoid\"  class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">4. Credit card fees are easy to avoid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It&#8217;s possible to skip credit card fees altogether, even if you&#8217;re new to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-credit\">credit<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li class=\"\">Plenty of excellent starter cards don\u2019t charge annual fees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Late fees aren&#8217;t an issue if you pay on time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Foreign transaction fees are irrelevant if you don\u2019t plan on using the card to make charges outside Australia \u2014 and several issuers don&#8217;t charge foreign transaction fees anyway.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">The charges associated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-a-balance-transfer-credit-card\">balance transfers<\/a> and cash advances are a moot point if you never make these types of transactions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-fees-to-know-and-avoid\">Credit card fees and charges to know (and avoid)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Interest-is-completely-avoidable\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">5. Interest is completely avoidable, too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Speaking of avoidable expenses \u2014 regardless of how high your purchase rate is, you don\u2019t have to pay a dime of interest as long as you pay your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-to-read-your-credit-card-statement\">statement<\/a> bill in full every month. That&#8217;s because of your card\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/blog\/credit-cards\/credit-card-grace-period\/\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/understanding-how-credit-card-interest-free-periods-work\">interest-free period<\/a> (which will be a minimum of 25 days). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Simply put, if you pay your bill in full, interest doesn&#8217;t start accruing on new purchases until the next due date. Pay the <em>next<\/em> month&#8217;s bill in full, and once again, interest still won&#8217;t accrue \u2014 assuming you&#8217;re only using your card for purchases. Keep it up, and you&#8217;ll never have an interest charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">However, if you don&#8217;t pay your bill in full \u2014 that is, if you carry a portion of your balance over to the next month \u2014 then not only will you pay interest on that carried balance, but interest will also begin accruing on new purchases immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-are-zero-interest-and-interest-free-credit-cards\">Are there any zero-interest and interest-free credit cards?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pay-more-than-the-minimum\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">6. You can \u2014 <em>and should!<\/em> \u2014 pay more than the minimum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Credit card statements prominently display your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-a-credit-card-minimum-payment\">minimum payment<\/a> due. This is the smallest amount you need to pay to keep your account in good standing. This can be confusing, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">While it might read like a friendly suggestion \u2014&nbsp;<em>&#8216;You can pay the full amount, but you could also get away with paying this much smaller amount!&#8217;<\/em> \u2014&nbsp;in reality, paying less now generally means paying much more later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The minimum typically covers the past month&#8217;s interest and fees (if any) and only a small amount of the underlying balance. So when you pay only the minimum, you aren&#8217;t making much of a dent in your actual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-debt\">credit card debt<\/a>. You&#8217;re mostly treading water. If you continue to make purchases on the card, that can lead to an out-of-control balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-to-calculate-credit-card-interest\">How to calculate credit card interest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Paying-late-comes-at-a-high-cost\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">7. Paying late comes at a high cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Missing your due date can get expensive quickly. Depending on how late your payment is, you could face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Late fees.<\/strong> The penalty for late payment is usually $15 to $20, costs which can add up if you continue to miss payments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Damage to your credit.<\/strong> Paying a day late won\u2019t hurt your credit. But if the payment due is more than $150 and you pay 60 or more days late, your payment will also be recorded as late on your credit reports, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/personal-finance\/what-affects-your-credit-score\">negatively affecting your credit scores<\/a>. Your credit card issuer must send you two notices before reporting the default. Don\u2019t ignore those \u2014 if you\u2019re genuinely struggling to pay, speak to your issuer about your options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Consider setting up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/automatic-credit-card-payments\">automatic payments<\/a> from your bank account. Or, if you\u2019re worried about overdrawing your account, note your due dates on a calendar as a reminder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/pay-credit-card-from-another-bank\">How to pay your credit card from another bank<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Dealing-with-credit-card-fraud-isn\u2019t-as-difficult-as-it-sounds\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">8. Dealing with credit card fraud isn\u2019t as difficult as it sounds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If fear of fraud has made you reluctant to pull the trigger on your first credit card, understand that credit cards actually offer you more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-fraud-detection\">protection against fraud<\/a> than debit cards do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If crooks gain access to your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/credit-card-vs-debit-card\">debit card<\/a> information, they could empty your bank account in an instant. You can report the fraud to your bank and recover your money, but that will take time to straighten out \u2014 and, in the interim, you could be strapped for cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">When your credit card information is used fraudulently:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>It&#8217;s the credit card company&#8217;s money at stake, not yours.<\/strong> You\u2019ll have plenty of time to dispute any fraudulent charges and remove them from your outstanding balance, typically right away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>You don\u2019t have to pay.<\/strong> Federal law minimises your liability for unauthorised credit card purchases, and credit card networks like Visa and Mastercard generally reduce liability to $0 through zero-liability policies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Getting a replacement card is relatively easy.<\/strong> After you call your issuer to alert them about fraud on your account, they\u2019ll cancel your card and send you a new one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/stolen-credit-cards\">How do thieves use stolen credit cards?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"rejected-for-a-credit-card\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:300\">9. If you\u2019re rejected, the issuer will tell you why<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Getting rejected for a credit card is a bummer, but you can learn from it. Card issuers are required to send you a rejection letter explaining their decision. For example, an issuer might say you were declined because your income was too low, or you lack a credit history. This feedback could help you decide how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-to-apply-for-a-credit-card\">improve your chances for approval next time you apply<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>\u00bb MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-long-to-get-a-credit-card\">How long does it take to get a credit card?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background-yellow-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>If you\u2019re in the United States, read <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/credit-cards\/things-to-know-first-credit-card\"><em>this article<\/em><\/a><em> on the NerdWallet US site.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"nwb-authors nwb-authors__footer wp-block-nerdwallet-blocks-authors-card\">\n\t<div class=\"nwb-authors__wrapper\">\n\t\t<h4 id=\"about-the-author\"  class=\"nwb-authors__title\">\n\t\t\tAbout the Author\t\t<\/h4>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nwb-authors__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/katia-iervasi\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"nwb-authors__image\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/katia-100x100.jpeg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"120\" height=\"120\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Katia Iervasi photo\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/katia-iervasi\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Katia Iervasi<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nwb-authors__bio\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Katia Iervasi is an assistant assigning editor and spokesperson at NerdWallet US. An insurance authority, she previously spent over six years covering insurance topics as a writer, where she loved&hellip;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/katia-iervasi\" title=\"Read more about Katia Iervasi\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more about Katia Iervasi and explore their articles<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t<section class=\"c-block-card-grid container\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 id=\"dive-even-deeper\"  class=\"c-block-card-grid__title\">\n\t\t\t\tDIVE EVEN DEEPER\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"c-block-card-grid-scroll column-four\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-block-card-grid-scroll__column\">\n<div id=\"post-229\" class=\"c-block-card post-229 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry content-classification-credit-cards topic-guide-to-credit-cards cluster-credit-card-payments\">\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__inner c-block-card__inner--large\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"c-block-card__image-wrapper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-this-charge-on-my-credit-card\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"460\" height=\"192\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/what-is-this-charge-on-my-credit-card-e1666131415881-460x192.jpg\" class=\"c-block-card__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"What Is This Random Charge On My Credit Card?\" \/>\t<\/a><!-- .c-entry__thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n<h4 id=\"what-is-this-random-charge-on-my-credit-card\"  class=\"c-block-card__title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/what-is-this-charge-on-my-credit-card\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"c-block-card__title-link\">\n\t\tWhat Is This Random Charge On My Credit Card?\t<\/a>\n<\/h4>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content\">\n\t\t<p>It can mean credit card theft, but there are legitimate reasons for them to appear on your statement, too.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__authors\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline--wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/katia-iervasi\" class=\"author url fn\" rel=\"author\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/katia-40x40.jpeg\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>Katia Iervasi<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .c-card__content-wrapper -->\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><!-- #post-229 -->\n<\/div><div class=\"c-block-card-grid-scroll__column\">\n<div id=\"post-4587\" class=\"c-block-card post-4587 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry content-classification-credit-cards topic-guide-to-credit-cards cluster-choosing-credit-cards\">\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__inner c-block-card__inner--large\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"c-block-card__image-wrapper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/pros-and-cons-of-credit-cards\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"460\" height=\"244\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/09\/pros-and-cons-of-credit-cards-e1721670706617-460x244.jpg\" class=\"c-block-card__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Pros and cons of using credit cards\" \/>\t<\/a><!-- .c-entry__thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n<h4 id=\"pros-and-cons-of-using-credit-cards\"  class=\"c-block-card__title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/pros-and-cons-of-credit-cards\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"c-block-card__title-link\">\n\t\tPros and cons of using credit cards\t<\/a>\n<\/h4>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content\">\n\t\t<p>Whether shopping in-store or online, know the pros and cons of using credit cards to benefit from fraud protection and other perks.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__authors\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline--wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/alan-hartstein\" class=\"author url fn\" rel=\"author\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/Alan-Hartstein-portrait-40x40.jpeg\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>Alan Hartstein<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .c-card__content-wrapper -->\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><!-- #post-4587 -->\n<\/div><div class=\"c-block-card-grid-scroll__column\">\n<div id=\"post-3477\" class=\"c-block-card post-3477 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry content-classification-credit-cards topic-guide-to-credit-cards cluster-applying-for-credit-cards\">\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__inner c-block-card__inner--large\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"c-block-card__image-wrapper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-to-get-a-credit-card\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"435\" height=\"290\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/how-to-get-a-credit-card-435x290.jpg\" class=\"c-block-card__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"How To Get A Credit Card In Australia\" \/>\t<\/a><!-- .c-entry__thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n<h4 id=\"how-to-get-a-credit-card-in-australia\"  class=\"c-block-card__title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/how-to-get-a-credit-card\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"c-block-card__title-link\">\n\t\tHow To Get A Credit Card In Australia\t<\/a>\n<\/h4>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content\">\n\t\t<p>To get a credit card, make sure you\u2019re ready and eligible, then choose the right card for you and apply. Once activated, use the card responsibly.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__authors\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline--wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/amanda-smith\" class=\"author url fn\" rel=\"author\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/AmandaSmith1-edited-scaled-e1725395436514-40x40.jpg\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>Amanda Smith<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .c-card__content-wrapper -->\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><!-- #post-3477 -->\n<\/div><div class=\"c-block-card-grid-scroll__column\">\n<div id=\"post-3415\" class=\"c-block-card post-3415 page type-page status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry content-classification-credit-cards topic-guide-to-credit-cards cluster-credit-card-basics\">\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__inner c-block-card__inner--large\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"c-block-card__image-wrapper\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/lock-or-block-card\" rel=\"bookmark\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"460\" height=\"243\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/block-card-460x243.jpg\" class=\"c-block-card__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"How To Lock, Block Or Freeze Your Credit Card\" \/>\t<\/a><!-- .c-entry__thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n<h4 id=\"how-to-lock-block-or-freeze-your-credit-card\"  class=\"c-block-card__title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/credit-cards\/lock-or-block-card\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"c-block-card__title-link\">\n\t\tHow To Lock, Block Or Freeze Your Credit Card\t<\/a>\n<\/h4>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__content\">\n\t\t<p>A card lock is essentially an on-off switch that allows you to temporarily freeze or block your credit card and most debit cards.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"c-block-card__authors\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"nw-written-by-layout-inline--wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/author\/amanda-smith\" class=\"author url fn\" rel=\"author\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/AmandaSmith1-edited-scaled-e1725395436514-40x40.jpg\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>Amanda Smith<\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .c-card__content-wrapper -->\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><!-- #post-3415 -->\n<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the basics can save you time, money and frustration and get you on your way to building good credit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":237,"parent":159,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/article-sidebar.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"[]","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","_nw_pros_cons_block_schema":""},"content-classification":[4],"topic":[117],"cluster":[154],"pp_author":[88],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>9 things to know about your first credit card - NerdWallet Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your first credit card can be a useful financial tool if used responsibly. 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