Last week over at IndexCreditCards.com we named the top ten new credit card introductions of 2007. We looked at the new credit cards that launched this year and then ranked the ten best based on how good the offer is, how many people would want the card, and how popular it's been on our site. This is admittedly a subjective process, but I think it's interesting both for looking at new products and also to see how larger trends in society are reflected in the offerings of financial services companies.

I should note that this list only includes cards introduced this year-it's not a list of the best credit cards in general, because naming any credit card as "best" is really dependent on your situation. (For example, a low rate card may be best for someone who carries a balance while a reward card may be best for someone who always pays off his or her bill each month.)

The list, with my commentary where appropriate:

1. Capital One Card Lab - Innovative for allowing you to "build your own" credit card, mixing and matching rates, rewards, and introductory rate offers to come up with the card that fits you best.

2. "Green" Credit Cards - This is actually a trend instead of a particular card. This year there were three different credit cards introduced that reward cardholders with points toward carbon offsets, which in theory are supposed to "offset" your use of carbon dioxide and fight global warming.

3. Chase Freedom - Not actually a new card, but they changed the rewards formula to give you an automatic 3% rebate on whichever categories you spend the most in each month, so you don't have to pull out one card when you're at the gas station and a different one when you're at a clothing store (or whatever you use your card for).

4. Discover Motiva - Refunds one month's interest every time you pay on time for 6 months straight.

5. PayPal MasterCard - Actually a debit card, but significant because it allow the millions of PayPal users to spend money from their PayPal accounts anywhere MasterCard is accepted.

6. GAP Visa - Only remarkable because for the first time GAP is offering a credit card that can be used for greater rewards at its stores (Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic) and also offers rewards on purchases anywhere else. (Gap previously only offered a store-only credit card.)

7. BankAmericard - Offers increased rewards for consumers that hold other Bank of America accounts.

8. Zappos Visa - Rewards Visa that offers increased rewards at the popular online shoe store.

9. World of Warcraft Visa - Offers rewards in the form of points that can be used toward free playing time on this popular online role-playing game site.

10. Citi CashReturns - The least interesting of the list, other than the fact that it gives 5% cash back with no limit for the first three months you use it.

What I find interesting about the list is that the credit card industry always tries to come up with new products to capture the mood of its customers, or to play off what they're into these days. The Capital One Card Lab offers interactivity versus simply having a predetermined offer thrown at you. The "green" cards reflect the ever-growing environmental movement. The PayPal, Zappos and World of Warcraft cards reflect the huge role the Internet now plays in our lives (albeit in different ways). The Gap Visa reflects the trend away from credit cards that can only be used in single store chains and toward cards that that can be used anywhere but with a bonus for using them at specific stores.

Well, it's interesting to me at least.