To come up with a list of the best credit cards for 2012, we used DailyMarkets.com’s smart Best Credit Cards Wizard which sifts through hundreds of credit cards in the US with the latest updated offers directly from banks. We tell you which are the best credit cards in different categories: Rewards, 0% balance transfer, cashback, hotel & airline, business, student. We will also recommend the best credit cards for bad or no credit. When you click Apply Now, we send you off to the card issuer’s official online application.

The following are 2012’s best credit card offers as ranked by the DailyMarkets.com staff:

Best Cash Back Credit Cards

Cash back credit cards give you back a certain percentage of what you spend in the form of cash rebates which is cold, hard cash. It is like getting a discount every time you spend on your card. All the cash back cards below have no annual fee.

Blue Cash Everyday from American Express (NYSE:AXP) is the best cash back credit card to get if you have very good to excellent credit. You get 3% cash back on purchases in supermarkets, 2% cash back on gas and department store purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The cash back you earn is in the form of statement credit. There’s no rotating categories, no minimum spend and no enrollment required. American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card also gives you a 0% intro APR on purchases for up to 12 months. Bonus: receive $100 cash back when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months.

Click here to read our detailed review of Blue Cash.

Chase Freedom Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back is the top cash back credit card in the US, and it is issued by JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM). You get 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories (gas, groceries, department stores, travel, home improvement, restaurants, movies etc), which can save you quite a bit of money if you plan your spending in advance, and 1% on everything else. When you shop online through Chase, you can get up to 10% cash back! Promotion for new sign-ups to Chase Freedom Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back: Get a $100 check after spending just $500 within the first 3 months of account opening. There is nothing we don’t like about this card at all!

This special Chase Freedom – $100 Bonus Cash Back offer is a time-limited promotion that’s not advertised on the Chase website. This $100 cash back signing bonus is, in fact, one of the largest in the market right now. Click on this link to apply for Chase Freedom $100 Bonus Cash Back.

Click here to read our detailed Chase Freedom review.

*Limited Time Offer* Citi Dividend Platinum Select – $100 Cash Back is also one of the best cash back cards in the US. It is offering a $100 signing bonus to readers of DailyMarkets.com (offer not advertised on main Citi website) if you spend $500 within 3 months of signing up. This Citi card gives you 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories (gas, groceries, department stores, travel, home improvement, restaurants, movies etc), just like the Chase Freedom card. The Citi Dividend Platinum Select gives you 1% cash back on all other purchases, and up to 5% cash back when you shop with Citi’s (NYSE:C) partner merchants. You also get 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers during the first 12 months. After that, the APR will be 12.99%-22.99%.

Click here to read our detailed Citi Dividend Card review.

Discover Card is also one of the best cash back credit cards. This Discover (NYSE:DFS) card gives you 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories (gas, department stores, travel, home improvement, restaurants, movies etc). You get unlimited 1% cash back on everything else, once your total annual purchases exceed $3000. Purchases that are part of your first $3000 earn 0.25% rebate. Discover Card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. What we absolutely like about their cash rebates is that you can double the value of your rebates by redeeming them for certain gift cards (over 100 partner stores). To give you some examples, a $40 rebate can be redeemed for a $80 Carnival Cruise; a $40 rebate can be redeemed for a $100 certificate from Hyatt Hotels & Resorts; a $20 rebate can be exchanged for a $40 Samsonite gift card!

Click here to read our detailed review of Discover Card.

Best Hotel & Airline Credit Cards For Frequent Travelers

Hotel and airline credit cards not only let you earn points when you stay at a particular brand of hotel or fly on a particular airline, they also give you points on your everyday spending, which you can later use to redeem for air tickets or hotel stays.

United MileagePlus Explorer is one of the best airline credit cards in the US. It is a great credit card for those who fly frequently or like flying with United Airlines. You get 2 miles for every $1 you spend purchasing tickets directly from United, and 1 mile for every $1 you spend on all other purchases made with your card. You can redeem your miles for free flights (on all 28 member airlines of the Star Alliance network), hotel stays and car rentals. You can earn unlimited miles and your miles never expire. First checked bag is free for cardmember and companions if tickets are paid with this card. So if you are traveling with your family, you could save up to $200 per round trip for four persons. Receive two free day passes to the United Air Line’s Red Carpet Club lounge every year, so you can relax in style before boarding your flight. Promotion for new sign-ups to United MileagePlus Explorer: After your first purchase/first use of the card, you will get a free round-trip air ticket within the US! The annual fee of $95 is waived for the first year, so giving you a savings of $95.

Click here to read our detailed review of United Credit Card.

Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express gives you 30,000 bonus miles, after spending $500 in the first 3 months, that can be used to pay for your air ticket in full or partially. You will earn 2 miles per dollar spent on any Delta purchase, which means that your mileage will increase twice as fast! On all other purchases, you earn 1 mile per dollar. Your miles never, ever expire even if you don’t have any mileage activity. First checked bag is free for cardholder and up to 9 people in the same reservation. $0 annual fee the first year, a savings of $95!

Click here to read our detailed American Express Delta Card review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. With this card you will earn 10,000 miles when spending $1,000 in the first 3 months as well as 2 miles per dollar spent on any purchase, which means that your mileage will increase twice as fast! There is an annual fee of $59 which is waived for the first year!

Click here to read our detailed Capital One Venture review.

Blue Sky Card from American Express doesn’t have any annual fee, and lets you earn 1 point per dollar spent on any purchase. Points earned on this card are worth 33% more than that of other rewards credit cards as you can redeem just 7,500 points for a $100 statement credit towards a travel purchase, instead of 10,000 points required by other cards. You can buy your travel from anywhere and then use your statement credit to pay for some or all of the cost. Points don’t expire and there’s no cap on how many points you can earn. Blue Sky from American Express also gives you savings with its Blue Savings Program, with which you can get exclusive discounts on certain hotels like JW Marriott, car rentals with Hertz, cruise bookings, dining, and others. Promotion for new sign-ups to Blue Sky from American Express: After spending $1,000 within the first 3 months you will receive 7,500 points.

Click here to read our detailed Blue Sky from American Express review.

Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase is one of the best hotel credit cards for those who are fans of Marriott and want to earn hotel loyalty program points for every dollar spent. You get 3 points for every $1 spent at any Marriott hotels or resorts worldwide, and get 1 point per every $1 spent on any other purchases. You can redeem your points for airline miles, hotel stays (at Marriott or The Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide) or merchandise from their online SkyMall. You can also redeem for car rentals, cruise certificates or travel packages. We like that there’s no limit to the number of points you can accumulate. Promotion for new sign-ups to Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase: You get to receive up to 6 free nights, and an annual fee waiver for the first year! It has a $45 annual fee after the first year.

Click here to read our detailed Marriott Rewards Credit Card review.

Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Got an existing credit card or store card debt? Consolidate all your high-interest debt by moving it to another card that offers 0% interest on balance transfers for a specific period of time so that you can pay off your existing debt interest-free during that period. All the 0% balance transfer cards below don’t have any annual fee.

Citi Simplicity MasterCard is one of the top 0% balance transfer cards as it offers one of the longest duration of 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After this introductory period your APR will be 12.99%-21.99%. For each balance transfer, you pay just 3% of the amount you transfer as fees, or $5 minimum. Some credit cards charge up to 5% balance transfer fee. The Citi Simplicity MasterCard also has a 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 months. This card doesn’t have any rewards program.

Click here to read our detailed Citi Simplicity Card review.

Citi Diamond Preferred Card also offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, with a 11.99%-21.99% APR thereafter. Like the Citi Simplicity Card, you pay just 3% of the amount you transfer as fees, or $5 minimum, and it also has a 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 months. This Diamond card gives you exclusive perks such as Private Pass, retail purchase protection, price protection and extended warranty on certain items you purchase. The Citi Diamond Preferred Card doesn’t have any rewards program.

Click here to read our detailed Citi Diamond Preferred Card review.

Discover More Card – 18 Month Promotional Balance Transfer is a time-limited card offer. For new sign-ups who apply, you get 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 18 months. That means you can have up to one and a half years to pay off your existing card debts at ZERO interest with this Discover More Card – 18 Month Promotional Balance Transfer! You still have to pay a balance transfer fee of 3% or $10 minimum even though you pay zero interest. This card also offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 6 months of card membership. As it is also a rewards card, it gives you cash back whenever you make purchases, giving you more savings on your spending.

Click here to read our detailed review of Discover More Card – 18 Month 0% Balance Transfer.

Discover Card is another great 0% balance transfer credit card as it offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. For each balance transfer, you pay 3% of the amount you transfer as fees. Like the Discover card above, it gives you 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories (gas, department stores, travel, home improvement, restaurants, movies etc). You get unlimited 1% cash back on everything else, once your total annual purchases exceed $3000. Purchases that are part of your first $3000 earn 0.25% rebate. You can double the value of your rebates when redeeming your rebates for gift certificates from certain retail partners.

Click here to read our detailed Discover Card review.

Best Rewards Credit Cards With No Annual Fee (including Travel)

Rewards credit cards let you earn points on your spending so that you can later redeem all those points for rewards ranging from free air tickets, hotel stays to merchandise, gift cards or even cash.

Chase Sapphire Credit Card is another great rewards credit cards with no annual fee. Whether you are someone who travels frequently or likes to earn points throughout the year to later redeem a large reward such as a free flight, hotel stay or other rewards, this is an excellent choice of card. It gives you 2 points for every dollar you spend on dining as well as on booking air tickets and hotel stays through Ultimate Rewards, their online travel booking site. It gives you up to 10 points for every dollar you spend shopping through their online mall (over 300 retailers). For everything else, it gives you 1 point for each dollar of purchase. You can redeem your points for cash, airline tickets, hotel, car rental, cruise certificates, merchandise or gift cards. There’s no limit to the number of points you can earn and points never expire. Promotion for new sign-ups to Chase Sapphire Credit Card: After spending $500 within the first 3 months, you will receive 10,000 points, or $100 in rewards for free.

Click here to read our detailed Chase Sapphire Card review.

Miles by Discover Card is one of the best rewards credit cards with no annual fee. You get 2 miles for every $1 spent on travel and restaurants (up to $3,000 a year), and 1 mile for every $1 spent on anything else. There’s no maximum cap on the number of points you can earn and points don’t expire. This card is versatile when it comes to rewards: you can redeem for cash, merchandise, gift cards or travel. When redeeming for a travel credit, you can book any airline, any flight, any hotel, cruise, vacation package, car rental with any travel agency or website.You get 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months. Promotion for new sign-ups to Miles by Discover Card: Get up to 20,000 bonus miles (which equals $200 on travel credit) in your first 6 months simply by making $4,000 in purchases!

Click here to read our detailed Miles by Discover Card review.

Citi Forward Card is a great no-fee rewards card that not only rewards you on your spending, but also rewards you for paying your bills on time and for staying within your limit. It gives you 5 points for every $1 you spend at restaurants (including fast food restaurants), movie theaters, video rentals, record stores and book stores. You get 1 point for every $1 for all other purchases. You can redeem your points for cash, gift cards, flights, hotels, merchandise, or even towards your student loans or mortgage. Your interest rate will shrink by 2% over a 2-year period if you  stay within your credit limit, pay on time and make purchases. This Citi Forward Card offers 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 7 and 12 months respectively. After this your APR will be 12.99%-22.99% based on your creditworthiness. Promotion for new sign-ups: Receive up to 10,000 bonus points within the first 3 months.

Click here to read our detailed Citi Forward Card review.

Best Business Credit Cards With No Annual Fee

Are you an entrepreneur or a small business owner? Business credit cards are useful as they not only give you a line of credit for your business expenses, they also reward you when you spend on your card.

Ink Cash Business – $250 Bonus Cash Back credit card from Chase is hands-down the best cash back business credit card, with the largest signing bonus ever to boot. You get 5% cash back when you purchase office supplies, cable services, and telecom services, up to a maximum of $25,000 a year (1% thereafter), and 2% cash back on dining and gas purchases, for the first $25,000 spent annually. You get unlimited 1% cash back on all other business purchases. And if you shop online at their online mall, you can get up to 10% cash back. There is no limit to the amount of cash back you can earn. Promotion for new sign-ups: You get a $250 cash back signing incentive when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. It offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. It has many protection benefits such as purchase protection, extended warranty and many more. There is no annual fee for you or any additional cards you might want to get for your employees. Ink Cash Business – $250 Bonus Cash Back is the card to get if you want maximum cash rebates in return for your business spending, without paying any annual fee.

Click here to read our detailed Chase Ink Card review.

Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business is also another good business credit card as it gives you 1 mile for every dollar you spend on all your purchases and 50% more miles every year, and offers a 0% intro APR on purchases till November 2012. There’s no limit to the amount of miles you can earn, and your rebates don’t expire. You can get your miles whenever you want. Like Ink Cash and SimplyCash, you can get additional credit cards for your employees for free and set spending limits on them so that you can keep tabs on your employees. You also get $0 fraud liability protection if your card is lost or stolen, and free itemized year-end summary. This Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business card is ideal for new business owners.

Click here to read our detailed Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business review.

SimplyCash Business Card from American Express OPEN is one of the best business credit cards that gives you cash back on your spending. You get 5% cash back on wireless services and office supplies, 3% cash back on gasoline, and 1% cash back on the rest of your purchases. To save you hassle, your cash rebates are automatically credited to your statement every month. There is no limit to the amount of cash back you can earn. With OPEN Savings, you can save up to 10% automatically on business expenses from FedEx, Hertz and more. Every calendar year, you will receive a $100 statement credit if you spend more than $3,000 on a cruise or vacation package purchased through American Express Travel Services.  It offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 6, 9, or 12 months. SimplyCash Business Card from American Express OPEN is a credit card, so you can choose to carry a balance and pay interest. To be approved, your business must have excellent credit.

Click here to read our detailed American Express SimplyCash Business Card review.

Ink – Classic Business – 25,000 Bonus Points is another good business credit card from Chase as it gives you 1 point per dollar on all your purchases, 2 points per dollar when you buy fuel and eat in restaurants, 5 points per dollar when you purchase office supplies and telephone and wireless services, and up to 10 points per dollar when you purchase things through Ultimate Rewards. Points can be redeemed for air tickets with no blackout dates or restrictions, cash back, gift cards, merchandise and many more. No limit to the number of points you can earn, and your points don’t expire. This card offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for the first 12 months. Like Ink Cash and SimplyCash, you can get additional credit cards for your employees for free and set spending limits on them so that you can keep tabs on your employees. $0 fraud liability protection and free itemized year-end summary. Signing promotion: Chase Ink – 25,000 Bonus Points gives you $250 cash back when you get the card and spend $5,000 during the first 3 months.

Click here to read our Chase Ink review.

Best Student Credit Cards

Unlike debit cards, student credit cards can help you establish a credit history, and if you make purchases with it and pay your bills on time, you would build a good credit score over time, which is important when you find employment in the future or apply for loans. All the student cards below have no annual fee.

Citi Forward Card For College Students is one of the best student credit cards as it has a very generous rewards system through the ThankYou network. It gives you up to 5 points for $1 you spend at restaurants, movie theaters, book stores, and video rental shops, and 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases. You can redeem your points for merchandise, travel, gift certificates, movie tickets or cash. It offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 7 months, and a 13.99%-22.99% APR thereafter. If you are a responsible card user, your interest rate can shrink up to 2% over 2 years. Promotion for new sign-ups to Citi Forward Card For College Students: When signing up for paperless statements, you will earn 1,000 bonus points.

Click here to read our detailed Citi Forward Card For College Students review.

Discover Student Card is an excellent choice of card for students as it gives you 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories such as movies, restaurants, gas stations, department store, etc. which rotate and change quarterly. You will get 1% cash back for every purchase you make after spending $3,000 annually. For the first $3,000, you will get 0.25% cash back. When you shop online at ShopDiscover (over 150 retailers such as Dell, Best Buy, etc), you can get 5% to 20% cashback bonus. Like the regular Discover More Card, you can double the value of your rebates when redeeming your rebates for gift certificates from certain retail partners. Enjoy 9 months of 0% introductory APR on purchases. There is no limit to the amount of rebates you can earn with the Discover Student Card, and rebates don’t expire.

Click here to read our detailed Discover Student Card review.

Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students is another good choice of student card as it gives you 5% cash back for the first six months when you purchase in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, drugstores, and even when paying for utilities, which includes cable TV. You get 1% cash back for everything else. You’ll also get 2% cash back when you spend on rotating categories, such as restaurants, hotels, apparel, etc, which rotate every few months. You will get your cash rebates as “Dividend Dollars”, which can be redeemed for $50 checks upon your request. The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students also offers a 0% introductory rate on purchases for 7 months, and a 13.99%-21.99% APR thereafter.

Click here to read our detailed Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students review.

Best Credit Cards For Bad Or No Credit

If you have a bad credit score or don’t have any credit history, you can rebuild or establish your credit with secured credit cards, which are actual credit cards, not prepaid debit cards (debit cards do not help build credit). Below we list the best secured credit cards you can apply for even with bad or no credit.

Capital One Secured MasterCard is the best credit card to get if you want to rebuild or build your credit. The minimum refundable security deposit is $49, $99 or $200 depending on your credit score, credit limits from $200 up to $3,000 are available. As an actual credit card, your payment information is reported to the 3 major credit bureaus in the US, so if you pay on time each month, your credit score should improve. New sign-ups to the Capital One Secured MasterCard get free enrollment in CreditInform which helps you monitor and understand your credit.

Click here to read our detailed Capital One Secured Credit Card review.

Orchard Bank Visa Card or Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard (both are the same, except one is a Visa, the other is a MasterCard) is one of the best credit cards for bad or no credit. This card is actually issued by Capital One Bank, an international bank you can rely on. Orchard Bank has a unique application process: it screens your credit first before offering you a card that matches your credit history. Orchard Bank cards have the best rates compared to other sub-prime credit cards which usually charge sky-high interest rates. Since this card reports to the 3 major credit bureaus in the US, it means you will be able to build your credit history.

Click here to read our detailed Orchard Bank Credit Card review.