ABA Morning Consult Survey: Consumer Views on Credit Card Marketplace

How Americans View Credit Cards

7 in 10 say the credit card marketplace is highly competitive and they have multiple options to choose from when picking a card that meets their needs.

73% say access to a credit card is important for managing household finances.

Credit Card Features Consumers Value Most

1. 1st - Fraud protection
2. 2nd - Rewards
3. 3rd - Emergency access to credit
4. 4th – Convenience

Consumers Are Wary of Government Price Controls

• 65% say a one-size-fits-all credit card interest rate cap ignores the fact that people have very different financial situations.
• 65% would oppose a 10% credit card interest rate cap if it resulted in higher annual fees.
• 67% are concerned about negative impacts on credit scores from account closures or credit line reductions caused by an interest rate cap.
• 70% say responsible cardholders shouldn't face higher fees or reduced rewards because of new regulations.

3 in 4 say it is important for Congress to:

• Prevent higher annual fees for cardholders resulting from new regulations (76%).
• Protect consumers from losing access to credit cards or seeing their credit limits significantly reduced because of new regulations (75%).
• Protect people from being pushed toward payday loans or other extremely high-interest lenders because of new regulations (77%).

75% agree vs. 8% disagree that merchants and retailers get significant benefit from being able to accept credit cards or payment.

6 in 10 would be disappointed to lose the rewards program on their card(s) due to government regulatory changes.

61% would oppose (vs. 25% support) lowering debit interchange fees for retailers if banks would have to increase fees for checking accounts.

Source: Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Bankers Association, conducted an online survey from February 21–25, 2026. The margin of error is plus or minus 1 percentage point, from a weighted national sample of 4,456 adults.