Although each of the major cards have unique "personalities" and appeal to thousands of clients, I personally find Discover innovative--and with cash back programs a tad more aggressive and progressive than some of the other major cards. Does that make it better? Not necessarily. It simply allows a more rounded choice of options.

You might be interested to know that whereas Visa began as BankAmericard, Discover began as Sears. Visa evolved in 1976. Discover became independent in 2007. And though widely accepted, it is not as widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa, although there are some locations where Discover is accepted and Visa is not. Discover cards are considered to have more generous cash back programs and provide a larger credit line than Visa. However, when it comes to flexibility, Visa seems a tad more flexible than Discover.

There is no doubt Discover is struggling to catch up to Visa and MasterCard. In fact Discover filed a suit against Visa and MasterCard in 2004 for locking it out of a position of growth as credit cards took off. Discover sought damages of $6 billion, and a court has held up a ruling in Discover's favor. In 2008 they were awarded $18 billion.

What I would do is go to CardRatings.com with the criteria you are seeking in a card and compare the offers by Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. You be the judge.

And here is a fitting last paragraph. There is now Discovery VISA credit card that's the ultimate in convenience and value. To the best of my knowledge there is no connection with Discover, but I find Visa's choice of name rather interesting.