In the third quarter of 2011, more Americans were found to be late in making minimum payments for their credit card bills compared to the second quarter. TransUnion, one of the main credit bureaus in the US, recently reported in its survey of the year’s third quarter that for the first time in 2 years, credit card delinquency has risen on a quarterly basis, increasing to 0.71%.

This increase in credit card delinquency isn’t necessarily because cardholders have become more careless; in fact, credit card issuers have recently started focusing more on people who don’t have excellent credit than they did in the past, which could be the reason for this increase in late payments. In the third quarter of last year, 23% of new credit card accounts were opened by people with a credit score lower than 700, and this year, it increased to 25.2%.

The average balance held by a typical cardholder also increased from the second to the third quarter by $63, up to $4,762. Even so, although late payments have become more common in the last few months, credit card delinquency rate is still the second lowest in the US in 16 years.

Nonetheless, card issuers continue to place their main focus on affluent people with good to excellent credit score, and have come up with a wide selection of credit cards that offer rewards and benefits to those with good credit.

If you are someone with very good to excellent credit, here is a list of the 3 best credit cards for excellent credit so that you can compare and choose the one that is best for you and that rewards you more on your spending.

Chase Freedom. This card issued by JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) rewards you with $100 cash back when you spend $500 on your card within the first 3 months. When making purchases you will earn 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories and 1% cash back on everything else. You can earn unlimited cash back that never expires. You will enjoy 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months (12.99%-22.99% APR thereafter). You will also benefit from the Blueprint feature which helps you organize the repayment of your credit card balance. No annual fee.

Blue Cash. This card, issued by American Express (NYSE:AXP), gives you $100 cash back when you spend $1,000 on your card during the first 3 months. You will also receive 3% cash back on supermarket purchases, 2% cash back when making purchases at department stores and gas stations and 1% cash back on everything else you buy. Enjoy 0% introductory APR on purchases for up to 12 months. You can also receive cash back when paying for your phone bills. Cash back is given as statement credit. No annual fee.

Chase Sapphire. This credit card gives you 10,000 points when you spend $500 on your card within the first 3 months. You will also receive 2 points for every dollar you spend booking tickets through Ultimate Rewards, and 1 point for every other dollar you spend. You can earn unlimited points that never expire. When redeeming your points to book travel tickets you won’t experience blackout dates or restrictions. Enjoy the Blueprint feature on your card. No annual fee.

On the other hand, if you’re someone with bad or fair credit who is trying to build up your credit score, I recommend the Capital One Secured MasterCard, with which you’ll get a credit line of up to $3,000. This card, issued by Capital One (NYSE:COF), reports to the 3 main credit bureaus yearly so if you make your payments on time, it will be reflected in your credit score. There is no balance transfer fee or application fees when you apply. This credit card has a low annual fee of only $29.