Credit card debt is no friend to your credit score. One of the best ways to avoid credit card debt is to pay the debt right away, through the use of a debit card. Debit is different from of credit. With a debit card, you deposit money into an account and then use the card to charge against the money. There is no credit bill to rack up, and you can only spend what you actually have. It is important to note that credit reports don't typically factor debit card payments into the credit score equation. But by disciplining yourself and using a debit card to settle debts on the spot, (rather than racking up huge credit card balances) you will, by extension, have a better credit score.