Everywhere you look these days, you see different credit card offers. Whether by snail mail, email, or tv commercials, it is obvious the options are endless. There are certain questions to consider when choosing a credit card that is best for you and that fits your needs. Here’s an overview of items to contemplate when making that choice.

What type do you need?

The answer to the question of “what is the best credit card” is not clear cut. There are many reasons that someone would need a credit card and want to apply for one so the first thing you need to consider is what you’ll use a credit card for.

There are credit cards that help improve your credit. If you have limited or damaged credit, it is recommended to open a credit card to build it back up and repair your credit. There are certain ones that are better for this and exist for that particular purpose.

Some people have plans to accrue debt or know they will carry high balances on their card, so interest rates are their main concern. There are cards that exist to save money on interest or offer low interest.

The other type of card that people may be interested in are cards that earn rewards. Some people are in the credit card market purely to rack up rewards points, so they look for ones that earn the most rewards. Some rewards are centered on travel, cash back, retail, or even gas.

Regardless of your needs, it is best to shop around for the cards with those specific characteristics. The best way to do this is to use online tools such as smarter loans to compare what is available.

How is your credit?

Regardless of what type of credit card you want, you can only get credit cards that you apply for and are offered. You need to be eligible for the credit card offers. The first step is to check your credit score to see what you might quality for. If the number isn’t what you expected, check your credit reports to see what’s causing the problem. You can then start figuring out ways to improve it, from changing your spending habits to disputing an error on your reports, if necessary.

Best Value

Depending on what you are eligible for and what you need, it is best to find what one offers the best value to you. You need to ask the right questions. If you have bad credit, certain cards let you increase your limit after a few consecutive on-time payments or some secured cards place your security deposit in an interest-earning CD.

Some issuers let you create your own debt payoff plan on an online portal, a valuable tool if you’re overwhelmed with debt. Certain cards waive these charges if you fall behind on payments. This could come in handy if you are worried about making payments. When it comes to reward driven cards, find ones where the less you need to spend to qualify for a sign-up bonus, the better. You can also be sure to get one where you can use your rewards as long as you keep the card open and don’t have an expiration to the rewards sign up bonuses.