COSTA MESA, Calif.: 16 Aug. 2018 — As credit card customers drive up credit card debt to an all-time high, more of them are switching cards for a better rewards program, according to the J.D. Power 2018 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.SM The study finds that 47% of credit card customers who switched to a new card within the past 12 months did so for a better rewards program.
Banks are experiencing record expenses related to the increasing rate of customers redeeming their rewards. To manage profitability, some issuers have eliminated or reduced card benefits. The key for issuers in this highly competitive environment is to make sure they are offering the types of benefits that resonate with current and potential customers. Most customers are aware of only a handful of benefits and use just nearly two of them, so there is room to simplify the benefits offered. It is better to have customers fully understand their benefits rather than provide benefits of which customers aren’t even aware.