The 10 most consumer-friendly credit cards

CardWeb.com, a leading source of data on the credit-card industry, analyzed 10,200 card offers to identify those with the lowest cost in a group that provided the best terms based on Consumer Report's criteria. None of the 10 cards has a universal default clause, two-cycle billing, or balance transfer fees, all of which can jack up finance charges. All cards have a grace period of at least 25 days and have no annual fees. The information is current as of Aug. 1, 2005. An “f” indicates that the card has a fixed rate; “v,” a variable rate. Rates are the lowest offered to customers who meet issuers' credit-score standards. The “go-to APR” takes effect at the end of the promotional period.