There are literally hundreds of banks and other financial institutions that issue credit cards, and there are cards designed to attract customers who want everything from cash back, to travel points, to low interest rates.

Not all cards are created equal, however. The saying goes that the best time to get a loan from a bank is when you don’t really need one, and the credit card version of that is that the best offers are made to customers who need credit the least. The customers credit card issuers want most have credit scores in the mid- to upper-700s, although it is possible to get a no-fee card even with a credit score as low as 350.

Before going through a dozen offers we found on credit card comparison sites that look good for consumers with different requirements, we want to note that virtually every comparison website accepts advertising from many of the companies that issue credit cards. Some websites offer card reviews that are independently written and not approved by the card issuers, others do not. As always, caveat emptor.

There are also some specific caveats. Consumer Reports magazine warns of several “gotchas” that may surprise credit card consumers who didn’t pay enough attention to the fine print:

• Some cash back cards rotate categories on which savings are given and this rotation tends to be seasonal. There may also be cap on how much a consumer can earn in each category
• Some cards require a minimum spending amount within a limited time period in order for the savings are awarded.
• Some cash back cards put a cap on the total dollar amount for which customers will get the full payback rate and cut the rate after that cap is reached. The cap may be quarterly or annually.
• Check for expiration dates, especially on travel cards which typically require a long time for accumulating points before you collect enough to get that free ticket.
• Some cards carry a missed payment penalty that includes the loss of accumulated points until you pay a fee to reinstate them.

Finally, a new survey by LendingTree Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE), shows that more than half of Americans (52%) have absolutely no idea  whether or not they are earning rewards of any kind from their credit cards. When asked the average rewards rate of their credit cards, about 20% said it was between 0 and 0.5%. In fact, rewards can return as much as 5% or more.

In the list that follows we picked two credit card offers from each of six categories based on consumers’ credit scores. There are several online sources offering free credit scores and credit reports. The websites we reviewed to make our list of credit card deals were lowcards.com and creditcards.com. Both sites have additional details on these and dozens of other cards plus links that allow you to apply for the cards.

Now to the list.

If you have are seeking a cash back card and have a credit score above 750 consider these:

Chase Freedom card (creditcards.com)

• 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
• No annual fee
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases
• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in rotating bonus category purchases per quarter
• $100 bonus after you spend $500 in first 3 months

Rewards never expire

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card (lowcards.com)

• 0% interest on purchases or balance transfers until June 2016
• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases; no rotating categories
• $100 bonus after you spend $500 in first 3 months
• Rewards never expire

If you are looking for good deal on a balance transfer and have an excellent credit score (above 750), look at these:

BankAmericard card (from creditcards.com)

• 0% on balance transfers for 18 billing cycles
• No annual fee
• Variable interest rate, currently 10.99% to 20.99%
• $0 liability for unauthorized purchases

Citi Diamond Preferred card (lowcards.com)

• 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers from 21 months
• No annual fee
• Variable interest rate, currently 11.99% to 21.99%
• $0 liability for unauthorized purchases

Looking for the best deal on cards that will build those airline miles and have excellent credit, look at these:

CapitalOne VentureOne Rewards card (lowcards.com and creditcards.com)

• One-time bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases in first 3 months
• Unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar spent on every purchase
• No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees
• Low (unspecified) interest rate until September 2016, then variable after that in a range of 11.9% to 21.9%
• Miles do not expire and there is no limit on how many you can accumulate

Chase Sapphire Preferred card (lowcards.com and creditcards.com)

• 40,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in first 3 months
• Double points on dollars spent on travel and dining out; 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
• 5,000 bonus points when you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in first 3 months
• No annual fee for first year, then $95 annually; no foreign transaction fees
• 1-to-1 point transfer to leading airline frequent flier programs

For customers with good (700 to 750) or excellent credit who are looking for a card with a low interest rate, we noted these:

CapitalOne VentureOne Rewards card (lowcards.com)

• 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) on purchases until September 2016
• Variable interest rate of 11.9% to 21.9%
• 20,000 bonus airline miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• Earn unlimited miles at a rate of 1.25 miles per dollar spent
• No annual fee
• Miles earned cannot be combined with airline frequent flyer programs

Chase Slate card (creditcards.com)

• 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
• No penalty APR—late payment does not raise your interest rate
• No annual fee

For consumers with fair credit scores (640 to 699), we noted these cards:

CapitalOne QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards card (lowcards.com)

• 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers until June 2016
• APR of 22.9% (variable) after introductory period
• Unlimited cash back at 1.5% on all purchases
• No rotating categories
• Higher credit line available after first 5 monthly payments made on time
• Annual fee of $39

CapitalOne Platinum card (creditcards.com)

• No annual fee
• APR of 24.9% (variable)
• Higher credit line available after first 5 monthly payments made on time

And if you have bad credit (credit score of 350 to 640), here are a couple of alternatives:

CapitalOne Secured MasterCard (lowcards.com and creditcards.com)

• No annual fee
• Minimum security deposit required to get $200 credit limit
• APR of 24.9% (variable)
• No rewards

OpenSky Secured Visa card (lowcards.com)

• Annual fee of $35
• Minimum security deposit required to get $200 credit limit
• APR on purchases and cash advances of 17.39% (variable)
• No rewards

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