Does everyone in the USA have a credit card? Just about: the consumer education group Your Credit Card Companies says that 74 percent of Americans have them – that’s three out of four.

Anyone who doesn’t have a credit card and wants one is in a good position. There are so many credit card offers available today that you’re bound to find something that meets your needs exactly. You can compare credit card offers to find the best deals, with the lowest rates, no annual fee, and other perks.

To accomplish that, you should come up with a solid plan of action in which you can look at all the kinds of credit card offers and compare them with each other. This will aid you in comprehending what options are available, and therefore in determining what kind of credit card you want – a balance transfer credit card, cash-back card, or some other type. Then, you’ll be able to see where the good credit card offers are coming from, and select the best one for you.

Before anything else, you need to understand that there are quite a few different types of credit cards available. They all work as credit cards – you buy things with them and get a bill later – but they have different subtleties that make some accounts better than others, depending on your spending habits.

• Balance transfer credit cards. These usually offer a very low interest rate, even 0%, for the introductory period. The best ones then go up to a reasonable rate, like 9.9%, after the introductory period. These cards are good for moving existing debts at higher-rate cards. If your current card has you at 12.9%, you stand to save quite a bit in interest charges by switching to the 0% - 9.9% card.
• Low-interest cards. Similar to the last category, these cards give you a good interest rate right off the bat, or start very low and then move to a still-low rate.
• Cash-back credit cards. These cards offer rewards for spending money. Generally, the deal is that you get 1 percent of what you spend – spend $5,000 over the course of the year, and you’ll get $50 cash back. Interest rates may not always be the best, but if you typically pay off your balance each month, it won’t hurt you.
• Rewards cards. Just like the cash-back system, except these give travel-related perks instead of straight cash. Plane tickets, airmiles, and discounts at hotels and car-rental agencies are among the perks that rewards cards give.
• Airline credit cards. In this situation, the card is affiliated with a particular airline, and any purchases you make with it count for points that you can use for tickets on that airline. It’s the same as the rewards and cash-back cards, in other words, except that your points can only be redeemed with the specific airline. Very handy if you fly a lot, or if you intend to take a vacation and want to book all your travel on this card.
• Pre-paid cards. For people with no credit or some poor credit history, these can be very useful. They basically work like debit cards: You pay money into the account beforehand, and then you can spend it at your convenience. No actual “credit” is involved; it’s your own money you’re spending. These cards often have rewards programs and can help you rebuild your credit.
• Secured credit cards. Regular credit cards, with the only difference being that you must “secure” the card by paying a cash deposit or putting up some other kind of collateral. Like pre-paid cards, these are excellent for people with no credit or bad credit.

So that’s a basic rundown of the different kinds of credit cards available. Now you can start to compare credit card offers based on the criteria you’ve set. If you want a cash-back card, you can skip all the offers for other cards. This narrows it down considerably and makes it much easier to reach a decision.

Simply write a list of the features, plans, rates and other specifics typically found in credit card offers. Some of the items should be: interest rate, introductory rate, late fee, overlimit fee, grace period for payments, online presence (can you make payments online?) cash advance fees, balance transfer fees, and other fees.

By comparing and contrasting the credit card offers on those terms, you can see what’s best for your situation. The “ideal” card offer may be different for everyone. Everyone has different spending and buying habits. The important thing is to ask yourself this question: How will I be using this card? Will it be for everyday things like groceries and gasoline? Or will it be mostly for special purchases, like clothes and travel? Do you travel enough to make a travel-based card worthwhile? Will you be carrying a balance from month to month? If so, a card with a low APR might be best.

Look at the data you’ve collected. Does one credit card offer stand out as being better than the others, given the criteria you’ve set for yourself? Once you’ve selected one that best suits your lifestyle, go for it. In most cases, you can apply online, and sometimes even get instant approval. Soon you’ll be happily spending your newfound credit, and hopefully finding some benefit in your new credit card’s perks.