According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, 53% of cardholders are currently carrying revolving debt, and 56% are classified as financially unhealthy.
While these percentages have risen and fallen during reporting waves of the 2025 study, the result is a bifurcation of credit card customer experience, with significantly higher levels of customer satisfaction among financially healthy customers than among those who are less financially resilient.
“There was a significant increase in the number of financially unhealthy cardholders and those carrying revolving debt in early fielding of the study,” said John Cabell, managing director of payments intelligence at J.D. Power. “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/miles rewards programs and annual fee cards, are driving significant gains in overall satisfaction among cardholders. The trend illustrates the challenges card issuers face in delivering the right card options to the right customers in an uncertain economy.”
Key findings of the 2025 study:
Satisfaction slightly rises, driven by financially healthy cardholders: Overall satisfaction among all credit card customers is 611 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is up just a single point from 2024. The nominal improvement is driven in part by a nine-point increase in customer satisfaction among financially healthy cardholders and a four-point increase among credit card transactors carrying no revolving debt. There is a decline of a single point among financially unhealthy cardholders and those carrying revolving debt, driven by lower satisfaction with credit limit, account management and ease of balance transfers.
Financial strain drives down card spending, spurs payment plan usage: Increased financial volatility and decreasing household incomes have contributed to a $68 year-over-year decline in average total credit card monthly spend. The average total monthly spend across all cardholders in the study is now $1,058, down from $1,126 in 2024.
Use of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has also increased, with 20% of credit card customers using these payment plans in the past year. The percentage of cardholders who say they would consider using BNPL from another lender has also increased, to 37% from 34% in 2024.
Higher annual fees linked to higher overall satisfaction: Overall satisfaction is higher among cardholders with annual fee products (regardless of fee amount) than among those with no annual fee products (plus 3 points). Those with an annual fee of $500 or more have lower satisfaction with the reasonableness of the annual fee itself compared with cardholders paying an annual fee under $500. However, those with an annual fee of $500 or more are more satisfied with the overall card experience than their counterparts who have an annual fee under $500.
Merchant surcharges deter card use, sap satisfaction: Overall, 65% of cardholders have been charged higher prices for goods and services for using their credit cards, while 25% of cardholders have experienced no surcharges. Customer satisfaction scores fall 39 points, on average, when cardholders encounter a surcharge. Among cardholders who have experienced a surcharge, 81% say they have used an alternate payment method at some point to avoid a surcharge.
High hopes for AI to increase card security: Overall customer awareness of credit card issuers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) is relatively low, but customers are still enthusiastic about its potential to improve security. Just 11% of cardholders say they completely understand how their card issuer uses AI, and only 13% say their cardholder has completely communicated how they are using AI technology. One-third (33%) of cardholders perceive improved fraud prevention and data security would be the biggest benefits of AI.
Study rankings
American Express ranks highest in customer satisfaction among credit card issuers, with a score of 643. This is the sixth consecutive year in which American Express received a segment award. Bank of America (622) ranks second, and Capital One (621) third.
Capital One Savor Rewards Card (with no annual fee) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among bank rewards credit cards with no annual fee for a third consecutive year, with a score of 662. Citi Double Cash Card (642) ranks second and Discover it Student Cash Back Credit Card (637), along with Wells Fargo Active Cash Card (637), rank third.
The Platinum Card from American Express ranks highest in customer satisfaction among bank rewards credit cards with an annual fee, with a score of 683. Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite (674) ranks second, and American Express Gold Card (669) ranks third.
Capital One Platinum Mastercard ranks highest in customer satisfaction among bank credit cards with no rewards or annual fee for a second consecutive year, with a score of 620. BankAmericard (610) ranks second.
Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard Card ranks highest in customer satisfaction among airline co-branded credit cards with a score of 625. Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card (607) ranks second, and Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card (Bank of America) (602) ranks third.
Hilton Honors American Express Card ranks highest in customer satisfaction among co-branded credit cards with no annual fee, with a score of 641. Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi (629) ranks second, and Apple Card (Goldman Sachs) (624) ranks third.
