In the past, we brought you our top picks for the best balance transfer cards, frequent flyer cards, low fee credit cards, and even the top five Australian credit cards overall. Now we’re going to take a step back and compare credit card issuers rather than individual cards. Who offers the most good deals to choose from? Which credit card company is most likely to have the credit card you really want? What companies are most competitive when it comes to landing your business in the credit card market?

We’ve looked at factors such as the variety of credit card offers a company provides, where their interest rates tend to fall in relation to comparable offers, and more in choosing these — our top five picks for the best Australian credit card issuers.

1. Citibank Credit Cards – Citibank is our first pick for the best Australian credit card issuer in part due to the sheer volume, special offers and diversity of credit offerings. From the Citibank BP credit card that lets you save on everyday petrol purchases to the Citibank Platinum credit card that offers you one of the most flexible rewards programmes available, Citibank has something for everyone.

2. ANZ Credit Cards — Whether you’re looking for a simple first credit card like the ANZ First Visa or a chance to build some frequent flyer points with the ANZ Frequent Flyer credit card, ANZ has a card that meets your needs. They have credit cards focusing on low balance transfer rates, low annual fees, low interest rates, and more — there’s a card for you no matter what your priorities are when comparing credit card offers.

3. National Australia Bank (NAB) Credit Cards — NAB takes the third place on our list of the top credit card issuers due to their incredible interest rate offers. Did you even realise you could get an introductory offer for 0% interest on purchases? Well, with NAB credit cards you can (with both the NAB Standard card and the NAB Low Rate Visa)! On top of that, NAB offers several credit cards with great balance transfer rates and low annual fees.

4. BankWest Credit Cards — There are two primary things we love about BankWest. First, forget about introductory offers but they do have some great balance transfers right now — this company tends to offer some of the best regular purchase interest rates around (several points lower than many competing cards). BankWest also offers generous rewards point policies compared to similar cards, letting you earn 1.5 points for every dollar spent with their More credit card and More Gold card. Still not enough? They offer low or no annual fees on several of their credit cards and offer three additional cardholders for free!

5. Suncorp Credit Cards — Rounding out our list of the top five Australian credit card companies is Suncorp. What makes them unique is their unusually low cash advance rate on their Standard credit card (just 16.99%) and the overall fair value of their interest free days, reasonable annual fees, great balance transfer introductory rates, and rewards programmes. They’re just a sound consideration when you compare credit card companies.

Choosing the right credit card isn’t just about finding an appealing credit card offer (which might change when initial offers expire). It’s also about finding a credit card company you’ll be happy with for the long haul. Perhaps one of our top five picks will also top your own list when you’re making that choice.