There are so many credit cards on the market these days and those you use can say a lot about you. As well as a multitude of designs there is also a variety of types: affinity cards, loyalty cards, reward cards, and charity cards. But, which card you choose is most likely to be determined by how you use it.

A major American study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates analysing typical credit card customers’ behaviour highlighted two major types of card users; the ‘transactor’ and the ‘revolver’. A ‘transactor’ typically pays off their entire balance each month, so are totally unconcerned with the interest rate that the card carries. Their focus is firmly on the rewards that the card brings. However, the survey also highlighted the fact that some rewards give more satisfaction than others. Cards offering air miles are popular, but that satisfaction wanes when attempts are made to redeem the mileage, with customers often complaining that flight choice under air miles offers is severely restricted.

Cash back is very popular as a reward, especially from those who repay in full each month as they are effectively getting discounts on the goods they bought merely for using their credit card. Other affinity cards offer rewards, but not to the card user; premiership and other football teams are popular with card issuers and offer a form of cash back. From those schemes a percentage of each purchase goes to the team featured on the card, rather than the card holder.