Capital One Card Shopping

Shopping for credit cards is, quite frankly, overwhelming. There's just no way around the need for smart researching in order to choose the card that's the best deal for your wallet, whether you are looking for a rewards card and don't carry a balance, need to transfer a balance, or expect to carry a small balance on your credit card. Capital One is one of the big names in credit cards today, offering a variety of cards to suit different needs and credit ratings.

If you're looking for rewards cards, Capital One offers excellent "no-hassle" rewards programs. The cards offering airline miles rewards can be used with any airline and have no blackout dates or restrictions. Cash rewards are easily and conveniently redeemed online. The rewards cards are primarily designed for those with excellent credit; however, both airline mile and cash reward cards are available with good credit as well. While your interest rate and terms will vary depending upon your credit, expect a rewards card at Capital One to come with a higher interest rate as a trade off for the benefits offered. Choose one of these cards if the rewards work for you and you don't expect to carry much of a balance.

The Capital One Platinum, Standard Platinum, or Classic Platinum all skip the rewards. A quick assessment of the terms would suggest that many people should skip these cards as well. Depending upon your credit, interest rates on the Platinum cards range from a variable 14.9% to a variable 22.9%. If you only have fair credit, you can expect to pay a $39.00 annual fee for the privilege of a 16.9% APR.

Services and benefits with the Capital One cards are fairly typical. Good online account management tools make it easy to monitor your spending and online bill payment is convenient. Theft protection is standard. While it is certainly a fluff feature, you can have your Capital One credit card imprinted with any image you choose. Current cardholders can log in to create a custom card and new applicants can create theirs from the start.