One in five rewards credit card has a higher annual fee than reward and one third of rewards cards return less than $20 in value per year.

Only five out the 67 standard rewards cards offered the average spender more than $100 in value each year. The average standard rewards card annual fee has risen from $126 in 2010 to $152 in 2012, whereas the average non-rewards card fee has decreased over the same period, from $62 to $44.

Source: Herald Sun