A credit card allows you to conveniently make cashless payments online or instore. As more commerce moves online or goes high tech, credit cards are becoming a necessity rather than a convenience. Whether it’s booking an airline ticket, paying for parking, or shopping on your favourite website, credit cards are often the only way to complete a transaction. Credit cards are also a secure means of payment, as each of your transactions is recorded and secured by the card’s payment network. Most importantly, using a credit card helps you build your credit history. Credit unions like Equifax and TransUnion use your credit card behaviour to assign you a credit score from 300-900. Your credit score matters when you are looking to apply for loans such as a mortgage. A low credit score indicates poor credit behaviour to the lender and may disqualify you from getting a loan. That means most working adults should have at least one credit card — provided they can use it responsibly. But if you have trouble controlling your spending or tracking your bills, a credit card might be a bad idea.