3. Cash or Gas Rebates

Winner: American Express Blue Cash (for aggressive chargers) Runner-up: Platinum Discover Gas card

If you'd rather take cash, don't settle for one percent back cards. Many cards these days offer bonus rebates, most commonly two percent or three percent, on specific purchases. Bonus gas rebates are popular and can be very generous. The average rebate on gas purchases earned by users of special gas rebate cards was five percent, a reward that's tough to find in other rebate categories, according to a Cardratings.com survey.

Aggressive spenders may benefit most with American Express's Blue Cash card, which offers five percent cash back on purchases at gas stations, supermarkets and drug stores and one and a half percent on everything else, once you spend $6,500 in a given year.

A favorite among lighter spenders: the Platinum Discover Gas card, which offers a five percent rebate on all gas purchases, up to the first $1,200 spent at the pump. Afterwards, you earn the same rebate as other purchases. And if you redeem your rebate for gift certificates from select merchants -- including Gap, Blockbuster or Sharper Image -- rather than receive a check, the average cash-back rate could go as high as seven percent or eight percent, Arnold says. In a disappointing move, another favorite -- Citibank's Dividend Select Platinum card -- recently scaled back from five percent cash back on purchases at the gas pump to two percent. For a video of how to get the most back from your gas rebate credit card, click here.

Click here for a table with card details.

Credit Card	Annual Fee	APR	Bonus Features
American Express Blue Cash	None	13.24%, 15.24% or 18.24%, depending on credit history.	· 0% APR on purchases for the first six months; · Once you spend $6,500 on the card, earn 5% cash back on purchases in supermarkets, gas stations and drugstores; 1.5% everywhere else. Before that, 1% cash back on everyday purchases, 0.5% everywhere else; · No cap on the rewards you can earn.
Platinum Discover Gas card	None	Between 10.99% and 18.99% variable, depending on credit history.	· 0% APR on purchases until the last day of the billing period ending during March 2008; · Earn 5% cash back on your first $1,200 in gas purchases for the year. After that, earn 1% back on all purchases, provided you've charged at least $3,000 on the card for the year. (Otherwise, your first $1,500 in purchases earn 0.25%, your second $1,500 earn 0.5%, excluding first $1,200 in gas purchases.) · Unlimited cash rewards; · Increase your cash-back bonus when you redeem for gift certificates from select retailers.

Sources: AmericanExpress.com, Discovercard.com. Data as of 08/23/2007.