A free vacation on your travel points sounds appealing but how easy does your credit card make it to get the points you need and is there a better option?

"Very very confusing," is how Lori Miller sums up credit card reward programs.

"I just don't know which one to use or what the benefits are, I need help."

Lori wants to fly to Toronto but isn't sure which credit card will help get her there the fastest with the fewest strings. So let's review her options.

A few cards give you cash back, that's the easiest system. There are some that accumulate bonus dollars as a percentage of every dollar you spend and you use those bonus dollars for purchases. Others give you points and you use the points to make purchases. A fourth style accumulates points and then converts them back into cash.

"Every single card offers a different system, none of them are the same," says Lori.

Fortunately there is help - as close as a mouse click away at the website moneytools.ca. The website is run by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

I sat down with Lori and we went through it.

She answered the questions such as did she pay her balance off every month? Did she mind paying annual fees? What features did she want on a card?

We started with the widest possible range and there were 102 credit cards that fit her profile.

Way too many -- no wonder people are confused.

So we narrowed the focus on moneytools.ca demanding more features like travel rewards and cash back and there were now eight cards that met all those requirements with interest rates from 9.9 to 19.9 per cent.

The website lets you compare credit cards so you can see what features each gives you, how long the grace period on purchases is and how much of an annual fee you have to pay if any.

Pay particular attention to the fine print at the bottom as you might be able to double your rewards if you pay a small $20 annual fee.

We discovered that neither of the cards Lori had would get her anywhere anytime soon. She's now reviewing her options.

If points aren't important to you and you're looking for a card with the lowest interest rate we found one no fee credit card from capital one with an interest rate under 6 per cent guaranteed for three years on balance transfers and purchases as long as you pay your bills on time .

Remember one thing: if you don't pay your balance off in full every month earning points or money on a credit card isn't worth it. You're better off with a no frills no fee low-interest card that you pay off as quickly as possible.