There are thousands upon thousands of credit cards, ranging from secured cards to check cards to debit cards to cash cards to traditional credit cards. If you haven’t figured out yet that you can be a profitable customer for the banks and networks even though you are a transactor or convenience user, then you haven’t thought it through. This post is an analysis of some of the most profitable credit card offers you can get on the market.

One of the most popular credit card deals of recent years has been that of the 0% APR balance transfers. When you take out a card which offers this feature, you can transfer a balance off another card you own, and benefit from either a low or 0% rate for an introductory period, or a permanently low rate that applies until you’ve cleared the balance. Although less cards are offering this kind of deal recently, as they cost the credit card companies huge amounts of money to operate, there are still some good deals to be had. Note that many cards now charge a balance transfer ‘handling’ fee.

The biggest gotcha when it comes to balance transfers is fees. Many card issuers charge a balance transfer fee (typically in the ballpark of 3% of the amount transferred) whereas others don’t. Obviously, if you’re looking to maximize the value of your balance transfer, you’ll want to avoid fees. The good news is that there are a number of fee-free balance transfer options, as well as others that normally have a fee, but waive it for new applications.

The most desirable type of 0% offers are for no fee balance transfers. Most credit card offers include this fee, hidden somewhere in their contract agreement, in the form of a no-limit clause on these fees so you need to be careful when applying.

If you can’t get your hands on a no fee balance transfer offer, the next best choice is to apply for a credit card that offers a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. While you incur in some expenses (in comparison with the previous choice), finding a card with 0 APR balance transfers and purchases is easier than finding a no-fee credit card. Although paying balance transfer fees isn’t ideal, the benefits of 0 balance transfers can more than offsets these irritating fees. This even applies if you need to make transfers from multiple credit cards. And, in addition, this calculation doesn’t consider the money you will save with your 0% APR on the purchases you make. Still quite a sweet deal.

Aside from the previous credit options, there is one more road to take.: fixed APR balance transfer credit cards. This option ensures a fixed interest rate, and you avoid the risk of not getting approved for a 0% APR credit card, rendering unable to transfer your balance from one credit card to the other. With a fixed APR balance transfer, you pay a set rate until your balance is repaid in full, and then explore other options. If you are certain that it will take you a long time to repay your balance, a fixed interest rate can provide great savings (if you consider transfer fees) and you can rest at ease, knowing that your interest rate won’t skyrocket in the future.

That being said, it’s also important to keep in mind that you likely have other credit cards lying around that you won’t be using for your 0% games. As you may or may not know, credit utilization (the percent of your available credit that is currently tied up) is a major component of your credit score, and maxing out one or more 0% credit lines can pump up your utilization. To the extent that you don’t run up charges on these cards, they’ll help offset the heavy usage of your other cards. This positive effect on utilization is one of the reasons that you shouldn’t cancel old credit card accounts (the other reason is that credit scores are also influence by the average age of your accounts — the older the better). Most, if not all, 0% offers will work to your advantage only if you play by the rules, not the least of which is paying the minimum amount due on time every month. Slip up and the interest rates can rebound to their normal levels. So read the terms carefully, and be sure to follow all of the rules.

To conclude, the most desirable choice for consumers aiming at minimizing their credit card interest rates is a 0 APR no fee balance transfer. Since these offers are difficult to come by, the next best option is to find a credit card that offers 0 APR balance transfers and a 0 APR on purchases as well, so that you still get the benefits of 0 APR balance transfers and the added savings during purchases. Consumers that wish to pay their debt over an extended period of time may aim at a fixed APR balance transfer offer (with low or no balance transfer fees).