If you think that choosing between two or three things could be difficult, then choosing between more than a hundred different things could be a veritable nightmare. And more-than-a-hundred is exactly what you will be faced with when you start shopping for credit cards.

Not that this should put you off though. Armed with the right information and the internet at your fingertips, choosing the right credit card does not need to be like searching for a needle in a haystack at all. All it requires is a bit of self-knowledge and an understanding of what you should be on the look-out for.

You will have heard the expression: ‘Different strokes for different folks.’ Well, it applies to credit cards too. Some cards will have the potential to play a constructive role in your financial life, while others could bring naught but destruction.

So, the very first filter to apply to the list of cards is you. To apply this filter, you will need to consider how you normally use your credit card and what your payment behaviour is.

You will (broadly speaking) either be

• One of the very few Buy-now-Pay-now; or
• One of the very many Buy-now-Pay-later South African consumers.

Buy-now-Pay-now consumers invariably settle their credit card accounts in full at the end of each and every billing cycle.

Buy-now-Pay-later consumers inevitably carry balances on their credit cards.

The second filter you will want to apply is card types. The idea behind this is to eliminate the card types that are not well suited to your credit card behaviour.

Buy-now-Pay-now consumers make good candidates for rewards credit cards:

• Firstly, they don’t have to worry about the high interest rates normally associated with rewards cards because they don’t carry interest bearing balances; and
• Secondly because they are big spenders, the rewards will add up quickly.

There are four criteria you may want to use during your evaluation:

• The type of reward offered: Air miles, rebates, points etc.
• Additional perks and benefits: Airport lounges, discounted car hire, entertainment offers, free services etc.
• The fee structure: Annual fees, additional card fees, replacement fees, and transaction fees, among others etc.
• The number of grace days: 55 days is normally the maximum.

Because carrying a balance is par for the course where Buy-now-Pay-later consumers are concerned, they should ideally stick to the low interest credit card varieties.

When evaluating low interest credit cards, you may want to include the following criteria:

• Interest rate: Because you carry a balance, go for a card that offers a low interest rate.
• The fee structure: Annual fees, additional card fees, replacement fees, and transaction fees, among others etc.
• Introductory Offers: Some banks have promotional introductory offers. During the introductory period you will normally enjoy a lower interest rate than usual.
• Balance Transfer: If you are already in a spot of bother, you may want to look at consolidating your credit card debt into a single low interest credit card account that comes with a low interest balance transfer offer.

Finally, you will need to make a decision on which of the card issuers you would prefer dealing with. Research the internet, read customer reviews and speak to friends and family who might be using some of the cards on your shortlist.

You may still end up with two or three credit cards to choose from after having applied all of the selection filters. But then, a choice of two or three certainly beats having to choose between a hundred.