US EditionA fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
A new card tier with $300–$500 annual fees targets mass-affluent consumers, filling the gap left by rising luxury card costs, says Bankrate.com analyst Ted Rossman.
- Last month, Citi and American Airlines launched the Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard with a $350 annual fee and benefits including four airport lounge passes and up to $240 in Turo credits.
- Amid benefit expansion at the top end, luxury cards have moved upmarket, with fees reaching $895 and $795, widening the gap below premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Platinum Card.
- The American Express Gold Card awards 4X points on restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases up to $50,000 and $25,000, while Capital One Venture X offers stronger airport lounge access.
- Issuers are carving out an upper‑middle tier of cards priced in the $300 to $500 range to target mass‑affluent customers, with industry actors competing aggressively for heavy spenders.
- Looking ahead, Bilt plans $495 and $95 fee cards in recent years, while some issuers target benefit cuts in early 2026, and fees may surpass $1,000 within recent years.
17 Articles
17 Articles
A fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
By Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like $800 or $900 in many cases). The upmarket migration of luxury credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® has cre…
A fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
By Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like $800 or $900 in many cases). The upmarket migration of luxury credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® has cre…
A fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
By Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like $800 or $900 in many cases). The upmarket migration of luxury credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® has cre…
A fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
By Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like $800 or $900 in many cases). The upmarket migration of luxury credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® has cre…
A fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
By Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like $800 or $900 in many cases). Related Articles Sharp disagreements over economy threaten Federal Reserve interest rate cut W…
A fourth tier of credit cards has begun to emerge
By Ted Rossman, Bankrate.com For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like $800 or $900 in many cases). The upmarket migration of luxury credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and American Express Platinum Card® has cre…
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