Perks with your plastic.

Byline: Alyson Ward

It's hard to find the right relationship.

There's so much to consider. Do you ever have to pay? How often do the gifts come? Are you ready for a commitment? And are you getting what you want?

We're talking, of course, about credit cards. Reward credit cards, specifically _ those plastic passes that offer a plethora of perks, prizes and privileges.

It's a system that has doubled in popularity in the past four years. It has also become more sophisticated. The more you spend, the more you're showered with gifts _ discounts, consumer goods, travel vouchers, even your own money bouncing right back to you. There's nothing timid or coy about this: The credit card companies want a long-term relationship. With you.

Here's how elaborate the rewards system has gotten. Bank One recently unveiled the Starbucks Card Duetto Visa, which combines a credit card with a store declining-balance card. The new card is a Visa you can use anywhere _ and every time you do, you collect reward points that can be redeemed to feed your Frappuccino habit. But the Duetto is also what finance types call a "stored value card," a declining-balance card good only at Starbucks locations. (You might know it better as a gift ...