A good credit reward card can contribute to your retirement account, offer gas rebates, score theme-park or vacation tickets or take thousands off the price of your next auto purchase. Rewards at hotels, airlines, and retailers bring more to the possibilities but, adds to the confusion. Here are some tips to find the best reward programs for you to increase your buying power.

Who should apply for reward cards?
It used to be that if you pay off your balance each month, reward cards are definitely worth considering. But now, many have come out with very competitive interest rates below 10 percent, so if your credit is good enough to qualify, you need not necessarily discount a rewards card, unless it hinders you from paying down your balance in any way.

Invest some time to maximize payoff
Anyone who wants to get the best deal must patiently compare offers, then manage them consistently afterwards. Scrutinize spending to give maximum rebate value for the dollar.

Calculate your spending to make the rewards worthwhile
If you charge $3,000 a year on a card that costs $45 annually, for example, it will take over 6 years to earn a free airline ticket with most cards. In that time, you will have paid $270 in fees -- enough to buy a discounted air ticket on your own.

Flyer miles
Frequent-flier miles were the first comers of the rebate credit cards. They typically value at 1% to 2% rebate or one mile per dollar spent, so choose the ones that offer the highest return.

Some airline cards have a