TROY, Mich. — Volatility in financial markets and the prices of consumer goods is changing how credit card customers use their cards, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
The study found that more than half of cardholders — 53% — are carrying revolving debt and 56% are classified as “financially unhealthy.”
J.D. Power said that while these percentages fluctuated during the reporting waves of the 2025 study, the results show a widening gap in customer experience, with financially healthy customers reporting significantly higher satisfaction than those who are less financially resilient.
‘Significant Increase’
“There was a significant increase in the number of financially unhealthy cardholders and those carrying revolving debt in early fielding of the study,” John Cabell, managing director of payments intelligence at J.D. Power, said in a statement. “Although financial health and debt levels began improving in subsequent waves, satisfaction is lower in multiple areas among a large portion of credit card customers. At the same time, cardholders with higher financial health scores and no revolving debt — especially those using cards with points or miles rewards programs and annual fee cards — are driving significant gains in overall satisfaction. The trend illustrates the challenges card issuers face in delivering the right card options to the right customers in an uncertain economy.”
Key Findings
According to J.D. Power, key findings in the Credit Card Satisfaction Study include:
Satisfaction slightly rises, driven by financially healthy cardholders: Overall satisfaction among all credit card customers is 611 on a 1,000-point scale, up just one point from 2024, J.D. Power reported. “The increase is partly due to a nine-point gain in satisfaction among financially healthy cardholders and a four-point increase among customers carrying no revolving debt. Financially unhealthy cardholders and those with revolving debt saw a one-point decline, citing lower satisfaction with credit limits, account management and balance transfer ease.”
Financial strain reduces spending, increases payment plan use: Financial volatility and declining household incomes contributed to a $68 year-over-year drop in average monthly credit card spending, now at $1,058 compared with $1,126 in 2024. “Buy Now, Pay Later usage increased, with 20% of cardholders using such plans in the past year,” J.D. Power reported. “Those who would consider using BNPL from another lender rose to 37% from 34% in 2024.”
Higher annual fees linked to higher satisfaction: The J.D. Power survey found cardholders with annual fee products — regardless of the fee amount — report satisfaction scores three points higher than those with no annual fee products. Cardholders paying $500 or more annually are less satisfied with the reasonableness of the fee but more satisfied with the overall experience than those paying under $500.
Merchant surcharges reduce use, lower satisfaction: The survey found 65% of cardholders have been charged higher prices for using credit cards, while 25% reported no surcharges. According to J.D. Power, satisfaction scores drop an average of 39 points when cardholders encounter a surcharge. Among those who have experienced a surcharge, 81% said they used an alternate payment method at some point to avoid it.
AI seen as a security booster: While awareness of credit card issuers’ use of artificial intelligence remains low, customers are optimistic about its security potential. Just 11% of cardholders say they fully understand how their issuer uses AI, and 13% say their issuer has completely communicated its AI use. One-third of cardholders cited improved fraud prevention and data security as the top potential benefit, J.D. Power stated.
Study Rankings
J.D. Power further found:
- American Express ranks highest among credit card issuers with a score of 643, marking its sixth consecutive segment award. Bank of America ranks second at 622, followed by Capital One at 621.
- Among bank rewards credit cards with no annual fee, Capital One Savor Rewards Card ranks highest for a third consecutive year with a score of 662, followed by Citi Double Cash Card (642) and a tie between Discover it Student Cash Back Credit Card and Wells Fargo Active Cash Card (637).
- For bank rewards credit cards with an annual fee, The Platinum Card from American Express ranks highest at 683, followed by Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite (674) and American Express Gold Card (669).
- Capital One Platinum Mastercard ranks highest for a second straight year among bank credit cards with no rewards or annual fee with a score of 620, followed by BankAmericard (610).
- Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard ranks highest among airline co-branded credit cards with a score of 625, followed by Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card (607) and Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card from Bank of America (602).
- Hilton Honors American Express Card ranks highest among co-branded credit cards with no annual fee with a score of 641, followed by Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi (629) and Apple Card from Goldman Sachs (624).
About the Study
The U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, now in its 19th year, measures satisfaction with primary credit cards based on seven factors: account management, benefits, customer service, new account, rewards earning, rewards redeeming and terms. The 2025 study includes responses from 37,293 credit card customers collected between June 2024 and June 2025.
For info: www.jdpower.com/business/credit-card-consumer-insights.
