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Every major credit card issuer and even some of the smaller ones offer smartphone apps to help you manage your account. And those apps are getting increasingly sophisticated. Apps that once allowed you to see transactions, pay your bill and not much else now make it possible to carry out such tasks as redeeming rewards, checking your credit score, filing disputes, "locking" a missing card, activating bonus offers or even chatting with customer service.
NerdWallet's credit cards team has tested apps from several top issuers:
What's the best credit cards app?
J.D. Power's most recent survey of customer satisfaction with credit card mobile apps gave its top score among national issuers to American Express, followed by Bank of America® and Chase. (USAA scored higher than any of them, but because eligibility for USAA cards is limited, J.D. Power doesn't include it in the main list of issuers.) At the bottom were Synchrony, which issues branded cards for stores and other partners); Credit One, which focuses on subprime credit; and Citi.
MOBILE APP | SCORE |
|---|---|
American Express | 886 |
Bank of America® | 874 |
Chase | 873 |
Discover | 867 |
INDUSTRY AVERAGE | 865 |
Capital One | 864 |
Wells Fargo | 863 |
Barclays | 858 |
U.S. Bank | 848 |
Citi | 833 |
Credit One | 833 |
Synchrony | 816 |
USAA | 898 |
Apps are scored on a 1,000-point scale. | |
Of course, it's not as if you have a choice when it comes to the app you use to manage a particular credit card. If you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, for example, you're going to need the Chase app if you want to manage your account from your phone. But if you're someone who lives through your phone, the usability of issuer apps could be a key factor in deciding which card you apply for.
Looking for a card from a particular issuer? See our best cards from: Visa || Mastercard || American Express || Discover || Bank of America® || Capital One || Chase || Citi || US Bank || Wells Fargo
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