Why Credit Card Apps Now Drive Spend, Loyalty, and Top-of-Wallet Status

A credit card’s mobile app is for more than checking balances. These apps help to determine the card a consumer is more likely to use, according to a study by PYMNTS Intelligence and Elan Credit Card. An app also influences how often a consumer uses that credit card, and whether the card stays in a regular payment rotation or gets set aside.

Credit card issuers are now competing based on the quality of an app as they would on interest rates or rewards. Here’s why winning the app competition is so important to credit card companies.

Seven in 10 cardholders use their primary credit card’s app, and 69% of cardholders say the quality of the app influences the credit card they choose to use the most.

The quality of a credit card app matters most to younger consumers. Gen Z cardholders say a credit card’s app influences the card they choose as well as their loyalty to a card. 

Gen Z isn’t shy about opening new credit card accounts. According to FICO, more than 25% of Gen Z consumers with a FICO score opened at least one credit card account in the past year. This rate was the highest of any generation. 

Credit card apps help consumers stay on top of credit card payments and steer clear of fees, according to the PYMNTS study. And apps with rewards tracking and rewards redemption spur consumer spending on the card. 

A bad experience on a credit card app also has an impact. Negative app experiences can slash the card’s usage and decrease card retention. If consumers who carry multiple credit cards are turned off by an app, they can just reach for another credit card in their wallet with an app that they like.

How many credit cards do American consumers carry? According to Experian, about 90% of consumers have at least one credit card, and Americans carry an average of 3.7 active credit cards in their wallets. 

More than half of consumers using credit card apps say reminders or autopay help them avoid late fees or interest charges. So apps can help consumers pay their credit cards on time and help keep their accounts in good standing. 

Almost one-third of consumers using credit card apps say they have increased their spending after making use of the app. In contrast, almost 1 in 4 cardholders say a poor experience with an app led them to stop using the card or cut back on using the card.

American Express was tops in credit card mobile app satisfaction for the second year in a row, according to a 2025 study by JD Power. Wells Fargo came in second and Discover ranked third.

“We’re seeing customer satisfaction improving with banking and credit card apps and websites this year because of technical enhancements and speed,” said Jon Sundberg, director of digital solutions at JD Power in a press release.

“There is no question these digital tools have become more user-friendly, but utility alone is not the only factor in the overall digital experience. To differentiate and keep pace with ever-growing consumer expectations, banks and credit card companies are going to need to innovate further and break new ground on the complete digital experience.”

Credit card mobile apps can determine the credit card a consumer chooses to use. These apps also influence how often a consumer spends with a credit card.

A bad app experience could turn the consumer off from using the credit card. But a positive experience such as rewards tracking and rewards redemption may prompt additional spending.

Credit card companies that do their mobile apps right are American Express, Wells Fargo, and Discover — the top three credit card apps in a recent JD Power survey.