A new survey from Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE) finds that credit card costs rank near the bottom of voters’ affordability concerns, as groceries, healthcare, and housing top the list.
CASE, an Alexandria-based 501(c)(4) that advocates for free-market consumer policies, shared the survey results Wednesday with members and staff in both parties on Capitol Hill.
The survey, conducted by GrayHouse, asked voters to name their single largest affordability concern. Groceries led at 27 percent, followed by healthcare at 20 percent, and housing at 19 percent. Credit card costs were cited by just 5 percent of respondents.
On credit card use specifically, 86 percent of cardholders said they are satisfied with their current cards and 81 percent reported earning rewards. Sixty-five percent said those rewards play an important role in their household finances, a finding CASE frames as evidence that cash-back programs help consumers manage tight budgets — not merely as a marketing perk.
One Republican Senate aide told the Washington Reporter that the survey is being distributed to both Republican and Democratic offices as a data point on voter affordability priorities. “It shows voters see costs like food, medicine, and rent as the most pressing,” the aide said. “It’s simply out of touch to claim that credit card fees are a major issue for voters.”
The findings arrive as several proposals to cap credit card interest rates and fees face skepticism on the Hill, particularly among Republicans who argue that rate caps could reduce access to credit for lower-income consumers. Multiple House Republican lawmakers — including ones who support caps on credit card interest rates — have told the Reporter in interviews that they are unfamiliar or opposed to proposals like Durbin-Marshall that overhaul how credit card payments are processed.
The Reporter previously covered opposition from conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform to proposals to cap credit card fees or overhaul how credit cards are processed.
