Unfortunately, that’s not the case so much anymore, since for the most part the banks now manage retailers’ charge cards. So the best option is what’s called a secured card. You deposit money into a special savings account, and draw off of that amount with the credit card. Assuming your payments are adequate and on time, you’ll eventually establish a credit history. From there you can move on to get a regular credit card.

Make sure to look for a low-fee card that reports to all three major credit reporting bureaus. It is also important to shop around for a secured card that is competitive and offers low rates and fees. You'll find other helpful tips on shopping for a secured card here.

And elsehwere on that Cardratings.com website, you'll find a list of secured cards.  It includes an Editor's Pick for this category and lists highlights of terms and conditions for the various cards mentioned.

It may take a while to establish your credit history, however, so you may have to postpone your purchase plans. "Generally, if you use a secured credit card responsibly —pay on time—for a year and a half or so, you will typically have built up enough credit to 'graduate to' an unsecured credit card with halfway decent terms—often referred to in the industry as a near-prime card," says Curtis Arnold, founder of Cardratings.
 
After that year and a half, you also can generally qualify for other loans—auto, personal, etc., Arnold says. "But don't expect to get a loan with a great rate," he adds.  "Getting approved for a loan with low rates generally happens only when your credit rating is in the good to excellent range. A good credit rating/score using the FICO scale is generally in the 730-750+ range. Achieving this type of score can happen in just a few years if you proactively manage your credit and really seek to educate yourself about the credit scoring process."

Bottom line: You may have to put off your purchasing plans for a while. In the meantime, build up your savings as much as possible toward downpayments.

Once you've got some history behind you, see our advice from Consumer Reports Money Adviser on keeping your credit report clean.—Andrea Rock and Tobie Stanger