As noted above, there really is no single best credit card offer. However, some credit card companies are significantly better than others. Discover®, for example, consistently ranks second on J. D. Power's annual Credit Card Satisfaction survey. During the credit crunch, Discover® generated significantly less complaints than any other credit card company. Why? Because unlike the major banks, Discover® can't afford to damage its brand name. Consequently, I consider Discover® to be the best overall credit card company and, while you may run into a few situations where you cannot use a Discover® credit card, they are generally accepted at many more places than people believe.
If you're looking for the best MasterCard or Visa credit card offer the key factors to consider are interest rates and rewards. Many of the best Visa and MasterCard offers provide 0% rates for 12 months, long term rates in the low teens, and generous airline or cash back rewards. For people who carry a balance from month to month or currently have credit card balances, the key factor to look for is a 0% APR on balance transfers, followed by a low introductory rate.
If you pay your credit card in full every month, you can ignore introductory and long term interest rates and focus on rewards. While airline miles are extremely popular, cash back credit cards are often the best deal.
More on Choosing the Best Credit Card Offers
Finding the Best Credit Card Application: In my opinion, the best credit card offer is more about how you use your credit cards than anything else. Yes, choosing a good credit card company is important, but selecting a card that offers the right mix of benefits is the key to choosing a credit card wisely.