Earning rewards on purchases that you make can be a great way to maximize your money. But for those people who don’t travel very much or find the reward redemption process to be confusing, a cash-back credit card can be a great option. One of the biggest benefits for a cash-back card is the flexibility to use the rewards to make the purchases that you want, instead of being tied into a list of predetermined rewards.

In recent years, the choices for cash-back cards have exploded, but all cards are not created equal. The terms and conditions can vary widely, making some cards a much better financial move than others. And like all things in the credit card industry, one card does not fit all. Certain cards are a better fit for one consumer than another based on their needs, shopping patterns and credit score.

Here are three steps to find the right cash-back card for you:

1. Calculate the annual fee and interest.

The first consideration when selecting a cash-back card is to determine the annual fee and the interest rate for each card. Is there an introductory rate? How long with it last? Some cards offer a higher annual fee with a lower interest rates while others take the opposite strategy. Look at your last year’s credit card bills to calculate which option is best for your situation. Determine how much you would have paid both in interest and annual fees using the terms of the card you are considering.

2. Determine how much cash back you would earn based on your spending habits for each card.

Next look at the cash-back percentage and determine which purchases are eligible for the cash back. While some cards offer the same percentage cash for all purchases, many cards offer a different percentage back for different types of purchases, such as 3 percent on groceries and 1 percent on all other purchases. Other cards only offer cash back on one category of purchases, such as gas.

Look at your credit card spending pattern and determine which type of purchases you most often make on your credit card. Make sure that you are considering cards that will offer the highest value for your habits. Using the percentages and eligible purchases for the card you are considering, examine your credit card statements to determine how much cash you would have earned last year. Be sure to subtract the amount of interest and annual fee for the card. Calculate the amount for several types of cards so you can begin to see a pattern for the type of card that will yield you the best value.

3. Consider the cash-back limit amount.

Now that you have the hard numbers for what each card would have netted you, look at the fine print for the cards and determine if there is a cash-back limit for the card. Many cards have a maximum amount of cash back that you can earn each year either total or for specific types of purchases. Since some cards will allow a high cash-back amount the first year, verify if the limit is an introductory limit or if it is fixed. Apply the limit to each of the cards you are considering, and you should be able to see which card makes the most sense for your wallet.

While it can be tempting to grab the card with the highest cash back percentage, you can now see that the higher percentage card doesn’t always yield the highest amount of cash back in the long run when you take all variables into consideration. By taking the time to do the calculations and side-by-side comparisons, you can use your cash back card to put extra money in your wallet.