Airline Mile Credit Cards
Put simply, airline mile credit cards or frequent flyer credit cards give you airline miles credits (or frequent flyer miles) whenever you use your card. Typically, you as the cardholder accumulate "points" based on the dollar amount of your credit card purchases over a period of time. Based on a predetermined point level, you can then redeem those points for airline travel (much like frequent flyer miles).

Each airline mile credit card is a bit different; therefore, be sure to read the fine details in the card’s terms and conditions to find out how many airline miles you gain for every dollar spent in purchases. Also, watch out for how many airline miles you will need to accumulate before you qualify for a free airline ticket. Finally, find out whether or not airline miles expire if you do not use them within a specified amount of time. Because airline mile reward programs can be costly for credit card companies, many airline mile credit cards come with an annual fee. These cards are great for people who frequently travel or for those who want to use their cards to plan vacations, but the associated fee might make them impractical for other types of cardholders.

Cash Back Credit Cards
Cash back credit cards give you cash rewards for making purchases with the card. The more the card is used, the more cash rewards you usually get. Most cash back rates are around 1% of your total purchases, excluding interest and finance charges. However, some cards offer a higher cashback percentage with increased usage while still others offer a higher cash back percentage at select merchants or for particular types of purchases. Since cash back programs are costly to the credit card companies, some cash back credit cards also have an annual fee, which can vary from $50 to $100. This type of card is particularly good for people who are faithful about paying off their balances each month. If used appropriately a cash back credit card can earn the cardholder a significant amount of money over time.

Reward Credit Cards
Reward credit cards are similar to cash back cards in that you can accumulate points towards a reward structure, which is based on how much you use the card over a period of time. Credit cards offer different reward programs and promotional offers often change, so be sure to thoroughly look over the card’s terms and conditions of each specific card before applying.

Typical rewards include:

1. Gasoline rebates
2. Entertainment rewards
3. Store discounts for specialty store cards

Reward programs are costly to the credit card companies; therefore, many reward credit cards also require an annual fee, which could vary from $50 to $100. This card is particularly good for people who are faithful about paying off their balances each month. By minimizing their finance charges, such individuals will reap greater benefits from the associated rewards credit card.