What Credit Card Should I Get ? FAQ

All-Purpose/Main Spending Card
2.1%-
https://consumer.bankofamerica.com/USCCapp/Ctl/entry?sc=VABO59&mboxSession=1361299203592-8310490 BOA Privilege Travel Reward Card. There is a $75 annual fee, waived first year or if you are in their Privilege Program ($50,000 in total assets between BOA and Merril Edge).
2% - Fidelity Investment Rewards American Express Card: - Earn 2% on everything. Rewards can be redeemed with minimum redemption of $50.($2500 spend). No annual fee.[link]
2% - Priceline Rewards Visa - 2% CashBack on everything. 5% when you name your own price on Priceline.com. $25/2500 point minimum to redeem points for statement credit. No annual fee. [link] [FW thread]
2% - Escape by Discover Card: - Earn 2 miles per $1 spent. Redeem $1 per 100 miles for travel or $1 per 100 miles for spending on Amazon.com. $60 annual fee but earn 1,000 bonus miles per month with any purchase for first 25 months (equivalent to $250 sign-up bonus). Primary car rental insurance. No foreign transaction fees and now usable on Diners Club merchant network.
1.6% BankAmericard Travel Rewards - 1.6% cash-back, No foreign transaction fees. $100 bonus after spending $500 in first 3 months. Must redeem CashBack on "travel" expenses.
1.5% - Capital One Cash Credit Card: - Flat 1% cash-back, 50% cash-back yearly bonus. No foreign transaction fees. $100 bonus after spending $500 in first 3 months. [link] [FW thread]
1.5% - Northrop Grumman CU Cash Rebates - Flat 1.5%, deposited annually. No foreign transaction fees. Join through Southern California Historical Aviation Foundation. [link]
1.25% - Dollars Bank Valued Customer Visa - Maximum rebate in any calendar year is $500, distributed semi-annually in January and July. See business card for no rebate cap version.
1.4% - Emigrant Direct - requires $10K balance at Emigrant Direct [link] DEAD for new customers Changed to Points on 07/2011

Gas, Groceries, Drugstores, Department Stores
6% AMEX Blue Cash Preferred: 6% on groceries, 3% on gas and department stores, 1% on everything else - $75 annual fee, $150 free sign-up bonus. 6% on groceries are capped @ $6k/yr. [link][FW thread]
5% Sallie Mae Mastercard: 5% on groceries up to $250/month, 5% on gas up to $250/month, 5% on books up to $750/month and 1% on everything else or over the category limit. [FW Thread]
5% PenFed Platinum Rewards: 5% on gas, 3% at supermarkets, 1% on everything else. No annual fee. 1 point = $0.01 [link] [FW Thread]
3% BankAmericard Cash Rewards and different varieties like U of Michigan, Virgina, Cal, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, etc 3% on gas, 2% on groceries, 1% everything else - no fee. 10% bonus when redeem into Bank of America account.
3% AMEX Blue Cash Everyday: 3% on groceries, 2% on gas and department stores, 1% on everything else - no fee, $100 free sign-up bonus [link] - fw thread
2% Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards MC: 2% on gas and groceries, 1% on everything else. No cap on the amount of awards. [link]
2-4% Citi PremierPass Elite Level - 2 TYP for every $1 spent at gas, supermarkets, drugstores, commuter transportation, and parking merchants plus duplicate with 1 TYP/mile flown, 20K bonus TYP ($200) (PremierPass Elite [link] [fw thread 1] [fw thread 2]), $75 annual fee
3% Associated Bank Rewards Visa: 3% on gas, groceries and drugstores, 1% on everything else. Only first $1000 annual spending get 3% [link]

Airline
3% AMEX Premier Rewards Gold Card - 3x on Airfare / 2x on Gas and Groceries / 1x Everything Else (25,000/$250 sign-up bonus, fee waived first year) [link], [FW thread]
5% Penfed Travel Rewards Amex :: 5x points on Airfare, 1x on everything else :: Now no annual fee :: must be a penfed member
1%-2$ (miles) Delta Skymiles Gold; 30,000 Skymiles bonus when you spend $500 in 3 months, first bag checked free, priority boarding, fee waives for first year, 1 mile for every dollar spend, 2 miles for Delta purchases. Another version of the card has the same signup bonus AND $50 statement credit on first delta purchase made in the first three months.
1%-2$ (miles) Delta Skymiles Platinum; 20,000 Skymiles bonus with 1st purchase, 5,000 additional Skymiles for 2 authorized users, 5,000 Medallion Qualification miles free, first bag checked free, priority boarding, $150 annual fee, 1 mile for every dollar spend, 2 miles for Delta purchases
1% (miles) American Airlines Credit Cards; earn miles plus sign up bonuses:: Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage MC (1%; $85 fee; 25k signup miles); Citi AAdvantage Select AMEX (1%; $85 fee; 25k signup miles); Citi Platinum AAdvantage MC (1%; $50 fee; 15k signup miles); Citi AAdvantage AMEX (1%; $50 fee; 15k signup miles);Citi AAdvantage Business MC/Visa (1%; $75 fee; 25k signup miles);
0.5%-2% (points) Airtran Credit Cards; earn points plus earn sign up A Credits (1k pts= 1A credit) :: Barclays A Visa Signature w fee (2% pts Airtran; 1% pts elsewhere; $49 fee) Barclays A Visa Signature w/o fee (1% Airtran; 0.5% elsewhere; no fee)
1-2% (points) JetBlue Credit Cards ; Earn points, signup bonuses :: JetBlue AMEX Card (2% Jetblue; 1% elsewhere; $40 fee)
1%-2% (reward dollars) Southwest Credit Cards; earn reward dollars (600 reward dollars=1 RR credit), signup bonuses:: Chase Rapid Rewards Visa Signature personal or business (2% Southwest; 1% elsewhere; $59 fee); Chase Rapid Rewards Visa Classic personal (2% Southwest; 1% elsewhere; $39 fee)

Gas
5% PenFed Cash Rewards Visa, 0.25% on everything else, auto monthly statement credit [fw thread] [link]
5% Fort Knox Visa, also 1.25% on everything else. [link], [join CU for free but $10 initial membership fee]
5% Sallie Mae Mastercard: 5% on groceries up to $250/month, 5% on gas up to $250/month, 5% on books up to $750/month and 1% on everything else or over the category limit. [FW Thread]
3% AMEX Blue Cash Preferred:: 6% on groceries, 3% on gas and department stores, 1% on everything else - $75 annual fee, $150 free sign-up bonus [link] - fw thread]
2% AMEX Blue Cash Everyday: 3% on groceries, 2% on gas and department stores, 1% on everything else - no fee, $100 free sign-up bonus [link - fw thread]

Gas - Specific
5% Barclay's Sinclair Oil Mastercard: 5% at Sinclair stations, 1% general
5% Shell Platinum MasterCard 5% rebates @ Shell and Jiffy Lube, 0.5% elsewhere
5 - temp 10% Hess Gas Visa- 10% @ Hess for 90 days, then 3%. 1% elsewhere.
4 - temp 8% LUKOIL and Getty gas stations http://www.lukoilmastercard.com/ (8%/2% for 60 days)

Hotel Cards
2-10cpp AMEX Starwoods Preferred Guest: 10,000 SPG points with sign-up, first year fee waived [link],
2-10cpp AMEX Starwoods Preferred Guest Business: 10,000 SPG points with sign-up + 15,000 SPG points after spending $5k in 6 months, first year fee waived [link],
2-9% (points) HHonors; earn points not $ plus various sign up bonuses:: AMEX HHonors (6% hilton Hotels, Drugstore, Gas, Grocery, Phone, TV, CATV & ISP; 3% elsewhere); AMEX HHonors Surpass (9% hilton Hotels; rest same as AMEX HHONORS; $75 fee); Citi HHonors (6% hilton Hotels, 3% Grocery, Drugstore, Gas; 2% elsewhere)
1-5% (points) Marriott Rewards; earn points not $ plus various sign up bonuses:: Chase Marriott Rewards (3% Marriott Hotels; 1% elsewhere; $45 fee) Chase Marriott Rewards Premier (5% Marriott Hotels; 2% Dining, Rental Car; 1% elsewhere; $65 fee) Chase Marriott Rewards Business (3% Marriott Hotels; 1% elsewhere; $30 fee)
1-3% (points) IHG Priority Club Rewards; earn points not $ plus various sign up bonuses:: Chase PCR Rewards (3% IHG Hotels; 1% elsewhere; $29 fee) Chase PCR Rewards Business (3% Marriott Hotels; 1% elsewhere; $29 fee); Unadvertised no fee cards also available but only earns 1% everywhere.
2-10% (points) Choice Hotels; earn points not $ plus sign up bonus points:: BOA Choice Privileges Visa (5% or 10% Choice Hotels; 2% elsewhere)
2-3.4% (points) BestWestern earn points not $ plus sign up bonus points:: Barclay Best Western Platinum Mastercard (3.4% Best Western Hotels; 2% elsewhere)

Restaurants
5 ThankYou points Citi Forward Visa, 5 TY points for Amazon.com purchase. Also 5 TY points for restaurant (not bar)
(Note: It has been confirmed here Citi Forward and Citi mtvU ThankYou point program is much worse than other ThankYou program which all manage by ThankYou.com. Don't have any good 1 TY point to 1 cent reward. To get better rewards, make sure you have a no annual fee ThankYou MasterCard)
5 ThankYou points Citi mtvU Visa, student version of Citi Forward Visa, plus, earn TYP for maintaining good GPA
3% Chase Ink Cash (3% Cash Back on gas, restaurants, home improvement stores, and office supply stores)
2% Am.Ex Costco card [link]

Chase UR points
5X office supplies, cellular/landline/cable, 2X gas and hotels - Chase Ink Bold - 25,000 points after 1st purchase and another 25,000 points after spending $10,000 within the 1st 3 months: 1X UR points for non-category spending. Two free lounge passes/year. $95 annual fee waived for 1st year; NO foreign transaction fee
2X Dining/Travel - Chase Sapphire Preferred - 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $3,000 within the 1st 3 months: 2X for categories, 1X otherwise. 7% annual dividend. $95 annual fee waived for 1st year; NO foreign transaction fee
2X Dining/Travel- Chase Sapphire - 25,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $3,000 within the 1st 3 months: 2X for categories, 1X otherwise. $0 annual fee; 3% foreign transaction fee

Rotating Categories
5% - Discover It Card: - 5% cash-back for first $1500 in select quarterly categories, 1% otherwise [link]
5% - Chase Freedom Card: - $300 bonus @ 17.99 APR [FW Thread] or $250 bonus @ 15.99 APR [FW Thread]: 5% for first $1500 in select quarterly categories, 1% otherwise
5% - Citi Dividend: - 5% on quarterly categories, 1% otherwise, up to $300 in rewards per year. [FW Thread]
5% - USBank Cash Plus: - 5% on two categories per quarter, including bill pay for utilities, phone, and insurance (otherwise hard to get 5% on), airplane tickets, hotels, as possible categories, plus 2% on one category (chosen from groceries, gasoline, or drugstores), 1% otherwise. Categories offered should not change every quarter. Bonus of $25 for $100 redemption. [FW Thread]

College Student Cards
1-5% Discover Student Card - $25 free after your first purchase, 5% cash-back on rotating categories, plus up to 1% on all other purchases. [link]

Balance Transfer Cards
1-5% Discover More Card - 0% Balance Transfer for 18 months (3% fee), 5% cash-back on rotating categories, plus up to 1% on all other purchases. [link]

Store-specific cards
Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card from Chase - 3% cash-back at Amazon.com. (You can get 5% from the Citi Forward)
Buy.com Platinum Visa from Chase - 3% cash-back at Buy.com.
Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic Visa cards - 5% at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, 1% everywhere else. Each store's card works at the other two stores.
Hooters Mastercard- 5 points w/ Hooters, 1 point elsewhere.
REI Visa Up to 5% back on REI, 1% elsewhere.
Mercedes Benz Visa 5 pt/$ spent @ M.B. dealerships and on merchandise.
Gymboree Visa by US Bank Save 5% at Gymboree (Kid's Clothing) and 1% elsewhere. $10 sign up bonus
Brooks Brothers MC 4% rewards for BB purchases, 1% elsewhere, redeemed as BB credits in $20 increments.
Target REDcard - 5% off Target. Debit card and credit card available. No credit check to apply for the debit card.
SearsCard - 2% in Shop Your Way Rewards at Sears and 5% at Kmart, 1% elsewhere, fw thread.
Toyota Rewards Visa Card 5% off Services, Parts, Accessories at a Toyota Dealer, 1% elsewhere. Use point balance towards future Toyota services or towards Toyota vehicle purchase or lease.

Reward Maximization
- Credit Card Tune-Up: A calculator to find the best reward credit card or combination of cards for your categorical spending profile: link, fw thread