More than half of U.S. credit card customers are “financially unhealthy,” with financial strain driving down card spending in 2025, according to a recent survey by J.D. Power.
The survey found that 53% of cardholders were carrying revolving debt while 56% were classified as financially unhealthy – a metric based on a customer’s spending/savings ratio, creditworthiness and safety net items such as insurance coverage. At the same time, increased financial volatility and declining household incomes led to a decrease in reliance on credit cards and an increase in the use of buy now, pay later payment plans. The average total monthly spend across all cardholders was $1,058 in 2025, down from $1,126 in 2024, while there was a 20% increase in credit card customers using BNPL in the past year.
Overall satisfaction among all credit card customers was 611 on a 1,000-point scale, up just one point from 2024. The small increase was driven in part by a rise in satisfaction among financially healthy cardholders.
The survey also found that merchant surcharges deter credit card use. Sixty-five percent of cardholders have been charged higher prices for goods and services for using their credit cards. Customer satisfaction scores fell an average of 39 points when cardholders encountered a surcharge.
