Aim to use less than 30% of your total available credit.

Financial experts at The Balance Money note that while it is technically legal, it is often viewed as misleading to lenders because you are presenting someone else's financial habits as your own.

You provide a cash deposit that serves as your credit limit. Using it responsibly builds a real history. Summary Checklist for a Healthy Score

Ask a trusted family member to add you to their account for free. This is the legitimate version of piggybacking.

Services like Experian Boost or RentTrack can add your on-time utility and rent payments to your credit report.

The company finds a cardholder with perfect credit. You are added as an authorized user to one of their accounts. You do not get a physical card or access to the money; you are simply "borrowing" their history.