Why Credit Card Offers Are Getting Weirdly Specific to You

A credit card can be more than just a financial product. It can reflect something very specific about the cardholder.

Credit card issuers are using product design and niche marketing to target everyone from pet owners and golfers to homeowners. These cards feel personal and distinct from more generic card offers or broader category-focused cards like those with perks on groceries, travel, or gas.

According to Matthew Goldman, founder of the fintech consulting firm Totavi, people want personalization in a way they never did before.

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“There’s a big trend towards personalization and kind of more niche cards. And technology allows us to do that in a way that we couldn’t years ago,” Goldman told us.

And personalization may be a way of competing with the largest credit card issuers. Goldman pointed out that a group of large issuers dominates the credit card market. These issuers offer a handful of cards that Goldman called “pretty generic.” Personalization is one way to stand out in a crowded market.

Katya Nieburg-Wheeler, Executive Director of Business Development and Client Strategy at the technology and payments company Deluxe, told us that timing is an essential part of personalization when reaching out to credit card customers.

“It’s not only the right offer, it’s not only the right message, it’s also the right time,” Nieburg-Wheeler told us. 

“We also have the ability to deliver it on a daily or weekly basis. And so that becomes the hyper-personalization, not only in the fact that you’re offering something that they might need but they need it now. You’re there for them.” 

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Here are a few examples of personalized design and niche marketing in today’s credit card market.

Issuers such as Wells Fargo allow credit cardholders to put their own photos on their credit cards or choose an image from an online image library. Options can include photos of family and friends, a favorite pet, a child’s artwork, or a favorite hobby. These personal touches make the cards stand out in customers’ wallets.

Housing payments are also becoming a target for specialized rewards.

Homeowners with a lot of equity in their homes may be interested in an Aven Home Equity Visa Card. This card is a credit card that is backed by a cardholder’s home equity so it tends to carry lower interest rates than unsecured cards.

Eligible borrowers may be able to reduce interest costs by moving higher-rate debt to the card, but their potential savings would depend on the offered rate and repayment terms.

The account is backed by home equity so failing to repay can put the borrower’s home at risk, but cardholders who like to earn rewards have a unique opportunity. With the Aven Home Equity Visa Card, cardholders earn 2% cash back on purchases.

Meanwhile, Bilt’s Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium cards let users pay rent and mortgages without a transaction fee through Bilt. Cardholders can use Bilt Cash earned from eligible everyday spending to unlock points on housing payments, subject to program requirements.

With the GolfCard, cardholders earn points toward golf experiences and luxury golf gear. New cardholders can earn 20,000 points after making $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. The card, which is currently available through a waitlist, carries a $250 annual fee.

Cardholders earn points on everyday spending and additional points on travel and dining, golfing, and purchases made at card partners such as True Swing, Golfballs.com, Worldwide Golf and Golf Traveller. 

For many pet owners, animals are family — and some credit cards now cater specifically to the cost of caring for them.

Synchrony’s CareCredit credit cards can be used for veterinary appointments, grooming services, emergency pet care, surgeries, and other treatments at participating locations in the CareCredit network.

CareCredit actually offers two related products. Its standard credit card can be used at enrolled health, wellness, and pet-care providers, while the CareCredit Rewards Mastercard can also be used wherever Mastercard is accepted and earns rewards on eligible purchases.

The CareCredit Rewards Mastercard earns rewards on eligible purchases at pet stores, health and wellness businesses, grocery stores, and restaurants.

Meanwhile, the Nibbles credit card covers the base premium for qualifying pet insurance on one eligible pet and offers 3% back in rewards at pet stores, pet-service businesses, and licensed veterinarians.

Deductibles, reimbursement limits, exclusions, and eligibility requirements apply. Rewards also can be earned for boarding, vaccinations, medications, grooming, and training. 

The GBank Visa Signature Credit Card is a credit card for gaming and sports fans. The card treats eligible loads to gaming and sports apps as purchases rather than cash advances.

Cardholders earn 1% cash back on eligible gaming and sports app loads and 2% cash back on other eligible purchases.

Fans of PlayStation have their own credit card. With the PlayStation Visa, new cardholders can earn a $100 statement credit after spending $500 within the first 60 days. There is no annual fee. 

Cardholders earn 5% back in points on eligible purchases made directly through PlayStation and the Sony Store, 3% back in points on eligible internet, cable, and streaming purchases, 2% back in points at grocery stores and restaurants, and 1% back in points on other eligible purchases.

Whether you’re a gamer or a golfer, niche credit cards offer unique opportunities to earn more points or cash back on what you love.