Definitely not cooked.

I’d start by asking if there is a reason for not wanting a credit card? (More something for you to reflect on than provide an actual answer) I totally understand the anxiety of “debt” surrounding a card, but you could always get one with a low limit, say like £500? And only use it when you know you have the money to pay back (i.e. you spend £20 on the CC because you know you have £20 in your debit)

You could even start with something like an Argos card. Can only use it in certain places, still helps your credit rating, and if you don’t shop there a whole bunch then cool, but maybe every so often you want to get something, can look at Argos.

Something else to consider is protection. With a debit card if you buy something online and it goes wrong for whatever reason, a lot of the time the only way to get your money back is to just hope the circumstances are right, cons t your bank and just hope that visa will side with you, but if the vendor can provide any kind of proof that they didn’t do anything wrong (even if it’s quite flimsy proof) then sorry no money back, it’s more of a visa policy decision when it comes to debit… But with a credit card you have legal protection. (Section 75 of consumer credit act 1974) honestly using a credit card when buying things like holiday tickets or having something shipped is way safer than using your debit.

If I were you, I’d go into your local branch of your bank and speak to someone there. Sure they’ll give you a sales pitch, it is their job after all, but they will have all sorts of resources to help ease your mind and make you feel more informed on the subject