New Study Finds Personalization Over Perks Drives Top-of-Wallet Credit Card Selection

Gen Z and Millennials Prioritize Flexibility, Control, and Configurability Over Traditional Features

A new study commissioned by i2c Inc., a global financial technology innovator, reveals that while nearly half of U.S. credit cardholders carry three or more cards, the factors that drive earning the top-of-wallet spot are evolving rapidly.

Conducted in collaboration with PYMNTS Intelligence and based on a nationally representative sample of over 2,200 U.S. consumers, “The Credit Economy: Top-of-Wallet Credit Cards” report shows that while rewards and credit flexibility still matter, a new generation of cardholders is shifting expectations. Gen Z and millennials, who rely most heavily on their primary credit cards, are demanding flexible, configurable, and intuitive features that fit their financial behavior in real time.

“This data confirms what we’re seeing in the market: credit products can’t be static. To win top-of-wallet, issuers need to look beyond perks to deliver personalized, dynamic experiences,” said Amir Wain, founder and CEO of i2c Inc. “Consumer expectations are changing rapidly, and for financial institutions and fintechs, providing intuitive and highly configurable credit products are no longer ‘nice to haves.’ They’re a requirement to drive profitable growth.”

Key findings from the report include:

• More cards, more concentration: 46% of cardholders with three or more cards use their primary card multiple times per week, compared to just 35% of those with only one card.
• Primary cards generate more revenue: The average monthly balance on a top-of-wallet card is $1,903, far surpassing second-choice ($1,202) and third-choice ($929) cards.
• Control drives engagement: 48% of Gen Z consumers say they’d use their primary card more if they could choose payment options, such as installments, real-time transfers, or statement payoffs, at checkout.
• Beyond rewards: While nearly half of cardholders say rewards or discounts influenced their decision, nearly 70% cited other features like high credit limits, credit-building tools, and strong customer service as their single most important reason for choosing a primary card.

As top-of-wallet status becomes more closely tied to personalized engagement rather than static perks, the study highlights an opportunity for issuers to differentiate through technology. i2c’s award-winning globally unified platform and configurable banking and payment solutions were intentionally designed for this new reality, enabling issuers to launch highly tailored credit products quickly, respond to user behavior in real time, and deliver best-in-class customer experiences at scale.

For a deeper dive into these insights and more: Access the full report available for complimentary download here.

Additionally, i2c is set to host a research-based webinar on Monday, June 30, 2025, at 1:00 pm EDT. “The New Credit Playbook: Discover how card issuers can stay top-of-wallet” will uncover:

• What consumers demand from credit and card issuers, and how this is overwhelmingly shaped by age, purpose and product flexibility
• How financial institutions can meet rising expectations and win top-of-wallet status in today’s credit economy
• How issuers can overhaul their outdated “one-size-fits-all” strategies and dominate top-of-wallet across generations

Speakers include:

• Seth Perlman, Global Head of Product – i2c
• John Gaffney, Chief Content Officer – PYMNTS
• Agata Ruta, Chief Operations Officer - Belize Bank
• Gretchen Bartholomew, VP of Operations and Payment Strategy - KEMBA Financial Credit Union
• Sumeet Grover, EVP, Chief Strategic Growth & Digital Officer - UFCU

Register to reserve your spot and join the conversation.

About i2c Inc.

An award-winning global financial technology innovator powering credit, debit, prepaid, core banking, and money movement solutions, i2c unifies banking and payments in an all-in-one platform, transforming product personalization with a customer-centric architecture and accelerating speed-to-market with composable building-block solutions. Financial institutions and fintechs globally trust i2c to help them quickly and efficiently configure and scale differentiated financial offerings in an evolving, competitive market. Powered by innovation and driven by trust for more than 24 years, i2c blends modern ingenuity with expert reliability to supercharge exceptional banking and payments experiences for millions of users and billions of transactions worldwide.

For more information, visit i2cinc.com and follow us on LinkedIn at @i2cinc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250626510662/en/

Providing intuitive and highly configurable credit products are no longer ‘nice to haves.’ They’re a requirement to drive profitable growth.