Aids for choosing a card by goal
Balance transfer
- 0% BT list site [link]
- 0% / low APR cards [fw thread], [link] - sorted lists of 120 cards
- Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards [fw thread]
- CreditCards.com balance transfer cards section[link]

Reward maximization
- Credit Card Tune-Up: A utility to find the best reward credit card or combination of cards for your categorical spending profile is this rewards calculator [link], [fw thread]
- Credit Card Tune-Up for Canadian rewards cards [link], [fw thread]
- Reward credit cards sorted by the value of annual rebate/gift card rewards for an average US family. [fw thread],[link]

Sign-up bonus
- Credit card sign-up bonuses [fw thread] - sorted by value, bank name and expiration date, $12,000 in total

Consumer cards by reward category

All-purpose
2% Schwab Bank Invest First Visa: Flat 2% cash back, credited monthly, requires Schwab account [link], [fw thread]
2% Fidelity Rewards American Express Cards through FIA Card Services (BoA): contribute to virtually any Fidelity account, no yearly limit [link], [FW thread]
2% Citi Platinum AMEX: In TYP (1TYP = 1c for $100 GCs, comparable for travel, Expedia) $1,500 cap per year, $99 fee, $150 bonus (15K TYP) (also promo for 2 years: 3% supermarkets, drug stores, gas). [Link]
2% HSBC / Orchard Bank Premium Platinum MasterCard (annual fee for some, mostly targeted but you might be converted when you try to cancel). See thread for important details.) FW thread
1.5 - 2% Fidelity Investment Rewards Visa Signature Card through FIA Card Services (BoA): 1.5% flat ca$h back (2% after $15k annual spending), requires Fidelity account [link]
1 - 2% Citi PremierPass - 1 TYP/$ plus duplicate with 1 TYP/mile flown. 20K bonus TYP ($200) (PremierPass Elite [link] [fw thread 1] [fw thread 2]) or 1 TYP/3 miles flown (PremierPass)
0.25 - 2% Sam's Club Discover Card: (accepted everywhere Discover is accepted), 2% on purchases between $10,000 and $1 million per year, lower tiers before that ([link])
1.4% Emigrant Direct: Requires $10K balance at Emigrant Direct [link]
1.33% AMEX Blue Sky: for each $7500 spent, get $100 toward any travel expense. No restrictions on where you can earn points.
1.25% Penfed: no caps, no tiers, monthly credits, plus 5% gas and 2% groceries ca$h back [fw thread]
1.25% Capital One: 1% ca$h back plus annual .25% bonus
0.5 - 1.25%: Am.Ex Blue Cash: 1.25% ca$h back on everything after you have spent $6,500 for the year [fw thread]

Car Purchase/Repair
3% Chase Subaru on everything. Good for Subaru purchase ($500 annual limit, 4-yr expiration period)

Department Stores
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More
3% rotating - Chase Freedom Card, $50 bonus [fw thread]

Gas, Groceries, Drugstores
1 - temp 5%: Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards MC (5% promo for 1 year) In TYP (1TYP = 1c for $100 GCs, student loans, comparable for travel, Expedia) $750 cap per year link
1 - 5%: Am.Ex Blue Cash: 5% after you have spent $6,500 for the year. 1% before that. [fw thread]
2 - 4% Citi PremierPass - 2 TYP for every $1 spent at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, 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]) or 1 TYP/3 miles flown (PremierPass)
(dead?) 3%: Bank of America Worldpoints Platinum plus MasterCard: 3 world points on Gas and Groceries for the first $500/mo Apply
(dead?) up to 5%: Washington Mutual Platinum MasterCard (up to 10% for 6 months) 5% ca$h back on gas/groc/drugstores after you have spent $4,000 for the year [link], [fw thread]

Gas
5% Penfed [fw thread] [link]
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More
3 - 5% AAA Rewards Visa. Look on your region's site for current offer (generally 3-5% on gas). North CA, NV, UT 5% on gas and 2% on AAA insurance
4% Costco/Amex TrueEarnings Business card - capped at $6,000 in spending per year
3% Am.Ex Costco card [link] (3% for gasoline, for annual gasoline purchases of up to $3,000 (1% thereafter) meaning 3% up to $90 CashBack each year)
3% FirstUSA Sheetz Mastercard 3% Sheetz purchases, 2% grocery&travel, 1% general (10% Sheetz purchases first 90 days)
3% Citi Professional [link] 3% Cash Back for 12 months, 1% thereafter)
3% Chase Professional MasterCard (Business card, 3% @ Restaurants, Office Supplies Stores, Gas, Home Improvement stores, Building Supplies Stores)link rewards details link
3% Am.Ex SimplyCashSM Business Card (also 5% on office supplies, telecom) [link], [cardoffers link]
3% rotating - Chase Freedom Card, $50 bonus, [fw thread]

Gas - Specific
5 - temp 10% Chase BP Visa: 5% at BP service stations, plus 2% dining & travel (incl. airfare), 1% general. Double rewards (10%/4%/2%) in first 3 months FW thread
5% Barclay's Sinclair Oil Mastercard: 5% at Sinclair stations, 1% general
5% Shell Platinum MasterCard 5% rebates @ Shell and Jiffy Lube, 1% elsewhere
5 - temp 10% Marathon Gas MC- 10% @ Marathon for 60 days 2% elsewhere, then 5% @ Marathon, 1% 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)

Home Improvement
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More
3% rotating - Chase Freedom Card, $50 bonus [fw thread]
3% Chase Professional MasterCard (3% @ Restaurants, Office Supplies Stores, Gas, Home Improvement stores, Building Supplies Stores)

Hotel Cards
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More
3 - 3.75% Chase Freedom Business Card
hilton HHonors by Citi [link] or Am.Ex [link]
Am.Ex Starwood: [am.ex link]; or Business [cardoffers link] / Personal [cardoffers link]
Marriott Rewards Visa Signature [Link] 20K points w/ first purchase free night stay, $30 annual fee (waived 1st year)

Public Transportation & Parking
2 - 4% Citi PremierPass - 2 TYP for every $1 spent at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, 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]) or 1 TYP/3 miles flown (PremierPass)

Movies, Books, Music
5% Citi Forward Card
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More

Office Supplies
5% Am.Ex SimplyCashSM Business Card (also 3% on gas, 5% on telecom) [link], [cardoffers link]
3% Citi Professional [link]3.75% (3%) Chase Freedom Business Card
3% Chase Professional MasterCard (3% @ Restaurants, Office Supplies Stores, Gas, Home Improvement stores, Building Supplies Stores)

Phone
5% Am.Ex SimplyCashSM Business Card (also 3% on gas, 5% on telecom) [link], [cardoffers link]
3 - 3.75% Chase Freedom Card

Restaurant
5% Citi Forward Card
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More
3% Am.Ex Costco card [link]
3% Citi Professional Cash Card [link]
3% Chase Professional

Travel Purchases
5 - 6.25% rotating, limited - Discover More
3% Citi Professional Card - 3% on Rental cars (with free Travel insurance and PRIMARY rental car insurance)
1 - 3% Travel0city Rewards MasterCard: 2-3% on purchases at Travel0city ($29 annual fee), $100 bonus [fw thread]
2% Am.Ex Costco [link]
2% - temp 4% Chase BP Visa: 5% at BP service stations, plus 2% dining & travel (incl. airfare), 1% general. Double rewards (10%/4%/2%) in first 3 months FW thread
1 - 2% Citi PremierPass - 1 TYP/$ plus duplicate with 1 TYP/mile flown. 20K bonus TYP ($200) (PremierPass Elite [link] [fw thread 1] [fw thread 2]) or 1 TYP/3 miles flown (PremierPass)

Utilities, Cable
(dead?) 2 - temp 5%: Citibank Dividend Select (5% promo for 6 months) [fw thread] (excludes phone)

Specific customer types

Business cards
Chase Professional MasterCard (3% @ Restaurants, Office Supplies Stores, Gas, Home Improvement stores, Building Supplies Stores)

College student cards
Calculator for Student card rewards: A utility to find the best reward card or combination of cards for a college student's categorical spending profile [link], [fw thread]
2 - temp 5% Gas, Groceries, Drugstores: Citibank Dividend Select (5% promo for 6 months) [fw thread]
(dead?) Citi Driver's Edge: 3% Thank You points gas/groc/drug store with possible doubling with 1 point/1 mile that you drive [link]
5% restaurants, bookstores (Amaz0n.com!), movies, movie rentals: Citi mtvU [link], [fw thread]. Up to 2000 ThankYou Points per semester for maintaining a good GPA

Consumer cards
Consumer cards are broken out above by reward category.

Store-specific cards (Thanks to those who submitted these cards!)

TJX Rewards Mastercard 5% rebate at T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods and A.J.Wright, 1% elsewhere
Banana Republic Card 5% at Banana, Gap, & Old Navy. Can't be used anywhere else.
Hooters Mastercard- 5 points w/ Hooters, 1 point elsewhere.
Continental Airlines MC 5% off CO fares for 1 year, $65 annual fee.
Choice Hotels Visa Earn 15 points per $ at Sleep, Comfort, Quality, Clarion, & Mainstay. 2 points elsewhere.
Marriott Rewards Visa Signature 5 points at Marriott, 2 for travel, 1 elsewhere.
REI Visa Up to 10% back on REI, 1% elsewhere.
Mercedes Benz Visa 5 pt/$ spent @ M.B. dealerships and on merchandise.
Sinclair MC by Juniper For 60 days you'll earn 7% at Sinclair, 2% elsewhere and then 5%/1%. Not bad!
Gymboree Visa by US Bank Save 5% at Gymboree (Kid's Clothing) and 1% elsewhere. $10 sign up bonus