FOSTER CITY, Calif.–Nearly 85% of credit cardholders say they are satisfied with their cards, but higher fees, rising interest rates and cuts to benefits could quickly change their minds, according to an annual survey by CardRatings.com.
CardRatings surveyed more than 2,500 cardholders in late 2025. Nearly 85% said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their cards, while just over 5% said they were “unsatisfied” or “very unsatisfied.”
That satisfaction does not necessarily mean loyalty. More than 40% of respondents said they thought a better card was available, and another 40% said there might be one, CardRatings reported.
Cost and service drive cancellation decisions
A fee increase was the most frequently cited reason respondents said they would cancel a card, at nearly 32%. An interest rate increase followed at 26%. Together, those direct cost increases accounted for 58% of responses.
Three Factors Listed
Reduced rewards, poor customer service and a lower credit limit accounted for more than 40% combined. Each of those three factors was cited by at least 10% of respondents as the change most likely to prompt them to cancel a card, according to CardRatings.
The effect of a change may depend on how a cardholder uses the account. Someone who regularly carries a balance pays interest and may be especially sensitive to a rate increase. A frequent traveler who earns and uses substantial rewards may place greater value on the rewards program, while a person who uses a card lightly may find a new annual fee harder to justify. A poor customer service experience may matter most to someone who recently needed help; a longtime cardholder who has never contacted support may give it little weight.
Differences by Gender and Age
Nearly 30% of women cited an interest rate increase as the most likely reason they would cancel a card, compared with just under 23% of men. The gap was much smaller for fee increases: 31.9% of women and 31.8% of men selected that reason.
CardRatings suggested the difference on interest rates could be related to how often cardholders carry balances. About 7 percentage points fewer women than men said they typically pay their balances in full each month. Carrying a balance generally means paying interest, though the survey does not establish that this explains the difference in cancellation preferences.
Rewards cuts also drew different responses by age. Among cardholders 55 and older, 23.9% selected reduced rewards as their most likely reason to cancel, making it their second-ranked trigger. Among those younger than 55, 11.6% selected rewards cuts, ranking them fifth.
CardRatings suggested older cardholders’ finances and leisure time may make rewards more valuable to them. The survey results show a difference in stated priorities, but do not establish why the age groups differ.
Higher Earners Sensitive to Fees
Fee increases were a concern even among the highest earners surveyed. Nearly 39% of respondents earning $200,000 or more selected a fee increase as their most likely reason to cancel a card — the highest share of any income group and above the roughly 32% overall figure, CardRatings said.
The results suggest that cardholders’ willingness to pay a fee depends on the value they believe they receive, even when they can afford the cost.
