Interest Rate

• The best credit card companies for those who carry a balance are those with the lowest interest rate. When you spread out your payments over time, part of each payment goes to pay the interest. If your rate is low, more of each payment will go towards the principle, and your balance will go down more quickly. For example, if your interest rate is 12 percent each year, and you pay $200 each month on a $10,000 balance, only $100 will go towards the principle. If your interest rate is 6 percent, that amount is doubled.
  
  

Fees

• Credit card companies with the lowest fees and penalties would be the best ones if you occasionally make a late payment or go over your credit limit. Some companies charge late payment and overlimit fees of $25 to $35 or more per incident. They may also use a late payment as a reason to raise the card's interest rate.
  
  

Rewards

• Reward cards are probably the best bet for those who spend a lot of money on their credit card each month and pay the balance in full. They allow you to earn certain bonuses for every dollar spent. These typically include things like airline miles, hotel points, gift certificates or even cash rebates. The best credit card companies will be the ones who offer rewards you will be more likely to use. If you travel a lot, that might be a hotel or airline card. If you like flexibility, gift certificates or money would be better.
  
  

Other Benefits

• Credit card companies often give a wide array of benefits to their card holders, especially those who get gold or platinum cards. These include things like insurance for items bought with the card, rental car insurance and a free extension of the manufacturer's warranty for your purchases. If you have located several cards that seem to have equal bonuses in other areas, compare these added benefits to figure out which one is the best credit card company for you.
  
  

Bad Credit

• The best credit card companies for those with a bad credit history are the ones who are willing to open an account for people with financial problems. Some of these companies charge high interest rates and fees, so you should compare them to find the ones with the most favorable terms. If you cannot qualify for a credit card because of a low credit score, the best companies for you will be those that offer secured credit cards. They allow you to make a deposit into a bank account and give you a line of credit equal to the deposit. The money acts as security in case you do not pay your bill. Secured cards help you rebuild your credit score so you can eventually qualify for traditional credit cards.
  
  

Identification

• You can easily identify credit card companies with the best offers by doing an online search. There are many websites, such as Findcreditcards.org, Creditcards.com and Bankrate.com (see Resources). These sites let you refine your search by the items that are most important to you, such as rewards or low interest rates.