Banks are battling to get consumers using their credit cards for holiday shopping. But faster mobile payment options are making that more difficult.
As consumers shop on their phones, analysts say they may end up using whichever card is automatically stored instead of considering rewards.
Getting in your wallet increasingly includes digital wallets. PayPal Wallet, Apple Pay, Google Pay offer ways to streamline the check-out process. While they allow you to load multiple payment methods, some tech players are now offering their own cash-back cards with rewards. The Apple Card, for example, gives daily cash back and is used through the app.
More consumers are making use of mobile wallets, according to Deloitte. The firm’s holiday survey showed the share of shoppers making a purchase on mobile phones doubled in the past five years.
“Credit cards remain one of the relative bright spots in the banks in payments despite all the completion and cost rising to give more value back to the consumer,” Deloitte’s Aron said. “To continue to drive usage on cards and maintain what are still healthy revenues and margins, you have to drive rewards.”
