Working on repairing my credit. Just obtained a new credit card I plan to use to pay monthly billsWhat’s the best way to use a credit card..?

You only need to use the credit card often enough to keep it open.  That means buy gas once per month or something - then pay it off immediately.  There is no reason to ever carry a balance, that won't help you.

If you plan to use it to pay for other things, follow 2 rules.  First, don't use it for anything that you don't already have the money for in your bank account - you're using it as a credit score building tool, not as a means for purchase.  And second, pay it off frequently, once per week rather than once per month.  This gives a more realistic picture of how much money is in your bank account.  With most credit cards, you can't pay off a charge until it has posted, so it works out better to pick a particular day of the week, and pay the posted balance every week on that day.  I use Tuesday, to give any weekend charges time to post.

The lower your usage rate (the percentage of available credit you're using), the better it is for your score.  Having an available amount of credit (such as an open credit card), with a zero balance, provides the highest score from that component.

The only reason to use a credit card for everything would be having a credit card that has good rewards attached to it.  And that's fine, but doing so makes it extra important that you follow the 2 rules posted above.  You don't want to end up with a high balance on a card and less than enough money to cover it in the bank - that will of course be the day that you get sick or your car breaks down.

The main component of improving your credit score is the toughest one - time.  Make all of your payments for everything on time, every month, without exception, and just wait it out.

If you are interested in the long term, come close to maxing the card out once, then pay it. (Buy & return works well for this but have to know your cycle dates so it shows, then you return it and it shows a payment)

After that, Id just use it and pay it in full every month no matter how much you spend.  Don't worry about short term dings, they will go away.  I never pay before the due date. Just because I keep my money earning interest until the last possible moment. I use the credit card auto pay to ensure I can pay the last day.

My score is above 825.  But I have a $602 balance this month so it will probably ding down 3-5 points until the following month when that goes back to zero again. Or a few hundred or whatever.

If you are concerned about your score in the very short term, keep it below 10%. But in the long run, the short term fluctuations wont matter. Credit cant be gamed. If you are responsible, your score will show it. If you have visions of large cash loans very soon, you will be disappointed.   Credit was a problem for you in the past so you can't do what you did before and expect different results.

Use it for purchases you would normally pay with cash or check.  Do not charge more than 30% of the total limit- for example if your limit is $ 1000.00 then do not charge more than 333.00 in any billing period.  Next make sure you pay the bill in full before the due date. It will take some months of this process to raise your credit score.  Never carry a balance as you will pay finance charges.

The best way to build credit is to have a credit instrument (credit card, car loan, etc.), use that credit, and most importantly make timely payments on that credit.  So use your credit card to pay recurring bills.  Then make sure you make a timely payment to the credit card.  There is no value to your credit in maintaining a balance on a credit card and because the interest rate is (usually) very high,  you should pay it off each month. 

Keep your balance at less than 30% of the total available credit, and pay off the full balance every month.

If you're ever unable to pay off the balance in full, always pay at least the minimum payment. You will pay interest, but your credit report will still show an on-time payment.

Always make the payment several days before the due date so that you have time to fix any issues and make another payment if there are any problems with processing your payment.