If you carry a balance on your credit card, focus on finding a card with the lowest interest rate. This is almost never a rewards card.

If you always pay your balance in full and on time, it might make sense to get a rewards card. If you are not a heavy credit card user, aim for a card with no annual fee. If you’re an infrequent user, the annual fee can be greater than the any benefits you would receive.

If you are a heavy user, say you put all your business expenses on your credit card, it might be worth paying a fee if the rewards are generous enough.

Get the most out of your rewards card by reading the fine print; many cards give higher rewards or cash back on certain types of purchases.

Bear in mind that companies change their rules frequently. The best card today might not be the best one tomorrow.

For a good article on rewards cards, see http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/creditcardsmarts/P86145.asp.