Despite the increase in revolving debt carriers, Americans’ favorite credit card perk has nothing to do with their APRs. Cash back is the most-favored credit card feature, far above low APR, wide acceptance, travel perks and a slew of other features.
The survey results reveal a potentially troubling trend: Americans are paying too much attention to their credit card rewards and not enough to their debt.
Young adults are least aware of their cards’ interest rates.
Over a third (35%) of all U.S. adults carry credit card debt from month to month, up from 29% last year. Of this group of debt carriers, 43% say they don’t know the attached interest rates. This is especially troubling given that the average credit card interest rate is at an all-time high approaching 20%, thanks to the series of rate hikes announced by the Federal Reserve throughout 2022.
Interest rate awareness increases with age, though. The survey found that 50% of Gen Zers with credit card debt don’t know all of the rates attached to their credit cards, followed by 46% of millennials, 43% of Gen Xers and 39% of baby boomers.
Cash back is the best credit card feature, according to 36% of cardholders. That was the most popular response, well ahead of “it is accepted most places” (16%) and “it has a low interest rate” (10%). Only 7% said travel rewards, and another 7% said low fees.
Cash back topped the list for all generations, its popularity level growing with age: 23% of Gen Z cardholders say it’s the best aspect of having a credit card, then 33% of millennials, 36% of Gen Xers and 41% of boomers.
Though younger generations ranked cash back first, categories like “travel perks,” “customer service,” and “retail perks” were more favored by Gen Zers and millennials than older generations.
“It makes sense that cash back is number one,” says Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate. “Who couldn’t use more cash, right? Especially amidst the highest inflation readings in 40 years. Cash back cards tend to be simpler than travel cards and are less likely to charge annual fees. Of course, travel cards can be good too, provided that you’re able to pay in full and avoid interest.”
Cash back is even the favorite feature among people with credit card debt, though by a smaller margin (27% vs. 17% who said “it is accepted most places” and 14% who said “it has a low interest rate”). And while credit card rewards programs can be lucrative, the value of the rewards you earn will be reduced or nullified when you carry debt.
“Forget about rewards for now, because it doesn’t make sense to pay 20% in interest just to earn 1, 2 or even 5% in cash back or airline miles,” says Rossman.
If you carry debt, knowing your credit cards’ APRs is important because it allows you to prioritize your accounts by interest rate, says Rossman. Pay most to the card with the highest rate, and when that debt is deleted, pay more to the account with the next-highest rate.
One way to get ahead of mounting interest is to do a balance transfer, an option that 37% of people with credit card debt don’t know about. Balance transfer credit cards allow you to transfer debt from high-interest credit cards to a new card with 0% APR for a limited time.
“My top tip for paying down credit card debt is to sign up for a zero% balance transfer card,” Rossman said. “They allow you to pause the interest clock for up to 21 months.”
All it costs is a transfer fee, which is typically between 3% and 5% of the balance you transfer.
“While this may sound too good to be true, it’s absolutely true and a balance transfer could potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest charges,” Rossman said. “The best way to use one of these cards is to refrain from making any new purchases. Divide what you owe by the number of months in your zero% term and try to stick with that level payment plan. Adding new purchases, even if they’re interest-free, forces you to try to hit a moving target.”
Many people stick with the same credit card for years. In fact, the survey found that 43% of credit card holders have either never switched their primary credit card (30%) or it has been at least a decade since they have switched (13%).
“Another 10% have used the same primary card for the past five to nine years,” Rossman said. “Just 20% changed their primary card within the past year, split almost evenly between those who do so regularly and those who swapped cards for the first time in a while.”
Older adults are most likely to have stuck with the same card for a long time: 19% of boomers haven’t switched in a decade or more, versus 14% of Gen Xers, 6% of millennials and 1% of Gen Zers.
“I give Gen Zers a pass because they’re relatively new to cards, but when it comes to the other generations, there are a lot of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond that have never switched cards,” says Rossman.
Yet it’s important to get the correct card match, whether you’re working on paying down debt or earning rewards. Check out Bankrate’s picks for the best credit cards of 2023, and if you do apply for a new card, remain aware of the terms and rewards and charge only the amount you can afford to repay before interest is applied.
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