Do Monthly Subscriptions Build Credit?

These days, there seems to be a subscription service for just about everything. Besides trying to figure out which one—or ones—you want, you may also be wondering if you can pay for monthly subscription services and build credit at the same time. Well, the answer is … it depends.

What Are Monthly Subscription Services?

From entertainment to music to clothing to even meal planning, there are monthly subscription services to fill just about any need. And they work exactly as they sound—you pay a monthly fee and, in return, you get the agreed-upon service: whether it’s a seemingly unlimited amount of shows and movies streamed to your TV or a box of meals delivered to your door in time for dinner.

How Subscription Services Can Help Your Credit

There are a variety of benefits to using subscription services. One many people don’t think about? They can also help your credit score if your payment activity is reported to the credit bureaus.

How do you make this happen? By using your credit card to pay your subscription service bills and then paying off your balance on time. The key phrase in that previous sentence is, “paying off your balance on time” since making timely payments is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your credit score. If you pay off your credit card bill early (before your closing date), you can also avoid interest charges on your account.

As with any other charges you make with your credit card, always spend responsibly, making sure you don’t extend yourself too far and keeping your credit utilization ratio in mind.

Other Ways to Build Credit

If you don’t want to pay for your subscription services with a credit card, there are always other ways for you to build credit, including:

Having a positive payment history

This cannot be stated enough: one of the most important things you can do to improve your credit score is to pay your credit card bill on time, every time.

Getting a secured credit card

If you have no credit history, or a poor credit score, a secured credit card could be the right route for you to build or rebuild positive credit history.

Becoming an authorized user

By becoming an authorized user on someone else’s account, you might be able to build a credit history and—assuming that credit history is a positive one that gets reported to the credit bureaus—this can help you build credit.

Paying other recurring bills

Do you have other monthly bills besides subscription services, such as those for utilities or a mobile phone? You may be able to pay for these bills with your credit card. And, assuming you regularly pay off your resulting credit card bill on time, every time (as mentioned repeatedly earlier in this article), your credit score should benefit. However, there are some things to consider before you pay every bill you have with a credit card, such as convenience fees and interest.

Bottom Line

Not only can monthly subscription services be a great way to have access to the latest shows, new music, delicious meals, or many other cool things, but—by using a credit card to pay for said subscriptions—they can also be a useful method to build credit. As with any other purchases you make with a credit card, it’s important to spend responsibly based on your budget, and always have a plan to pay off the debt on time, every time.

If you’d like a credit card designed to help you build your credit score when you make timely payments each month, see if you pre-qualify for an offering from Credit One Bank.