How Do Rich People Use Their Credit Cards? (2024)

How Do Rich People Use Their Credit Cards? (1)

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Credit cards are often seen as a way to spend money you don’t have, indulging in consumerism of the highest degree. Whether it’s the latest smartphone or designer clothing, you can just put it on your credit card and worry about the balance later.

That’s how many people use their credit cards, anyway. In the case of rich people, though, things are quite a bit different.

This is not to say that wealthy Americans don’t use credit cards. But while less well-to-do individuals might have a detrimental relationship with credit cards, wealthy people use them to their advantage. Instead of getting into debt, wealthy people use credit cards to improve their finances. Let’s take a closer look at what that actually looks like.

The Role of Credit Cards in Wealthy Americans’ Lives

While credit cards are used by many Americans to make everyday purchases and build credit, wealthy Americans use credit cards for a variety of reasons. For rich folks, credit cards are a tool to manage their finances and simplify their spending.

Credit cards give people a convenient way to spend, and that includes the wealthy. They often use credit cards to make large purchases or to pay for travel and entertainment expenses. Credit cards also provide a layer of security by offering fraud protection and insurance on purchases.

Credit cards play a major role in the financial lives of wealthy Americans. While they use credit cards for similar reasons as other Americans, they also rely on credit cards to manage their finances, earn rewards, and take advantage of exclusive benefits that come with high-end credit cards.

How Wealthy Americans Use Credit Cards

With the above background in mind, here are some specific ways wealthy Americans use credit cards effectively.

Earn Rewards

When used properly, credit card rewards can be extremely lucrative. In fact, these rewards have become so valuable that you can fall behind if you aren’t taking advantage of them.

Some sign-up bonuses can be worth well into the four-figure range, and cash-back rates can be as high as 10% in some cases. Credit card rewards come in the form of cash back, travel points or other perks that wealthy Americans can use to enhance their lifestyles. With so many ways to earn, wealthy Americans would be doing themselves a disservice by not using credit cards.

“It could be miles, cash back, travel assistance and insurance,” says Greg Heller, founder & CEO at HCR Wealth Advisors, speaking about what benefits wealthy people get from credit cards. “If they’re not using them for their own use, the miles can be donated or used for other family members’ needs,” Heller added.

Take Advantage of Card Perks

Credit card perks include everything from essentials like credits for grocery purchases up to luxuries, like airport lounge access and priority boarding on flights. While the best perks come from ultra-premium credit cards with hefty annual fees, the perks you can extract from those cards are sometimes worth more than the annual fee.

“Airlines tend to have tiered cards with higher rewards,” says Robert Persichitte, financial planner at Delagify Financial. Persichitte says that although premium credit cards have higher annual fees, it can be worth it for the points, miles or rewards if you spend $20,000 to $30,000 per year on them.

As long as you don’t spend a lot on interest charges, you can often come ahead by using these cards. And, of course, wealthy Americans likely pay their cards off, so they have the upper hand.

Get Credit Card Perks

Purchase Luxury Items

Wealthy Americans are probably less likely to use credit cards to spend beyond their means, but they might still use credit cards to buy nice things once in a while. For example, they might use credit cards to purchase high-end fashion, expensive jewelry or other luxury goods. This can allow them to make these purchases without having to pay for them upfront and may also offer additional rewards or perks.

Manage Cash Flow

Credit cards can be a useful tool for managing cash flow, allowing wealthy Americans to make purchases without having to immediately pay for them out of their bank account. If a wealthy American must make a large purchase like a new car or a piece of expensive equipment, they may use their credit card to pay for it and then pay off the balance over time, rather than having to pay for it all upfront. This allows them to have more cash to finance investments or other opportunities. This is especially useful if they come across a time-sensitive investment opportunity.

Persichitte notes that his wealthy clients almost always pay off the balance on their cards. “They know interest rates are high on credit cards, and they have a lot of alternatives. They won’t pay the interest if they don’t have to.”

Build Credit

There probably aren’t too many wealthy Americans who are subprime borrowers, but we all have to start somewhere. Hence, even wealthy Americans might use credit cards to build their credit scores.

A strong credit score can be important for obtaining loans or other forms of credit, such as a mortgage or car loan. This allows wealthy Americans to spend even less on interest when they finance purchases. They can then put that money to use in ways that earn returns for them instead.

Get Credit Card Perks

Fraud Protection

Given their favorable position, wealthy Americans could be more at risk of being the victim of fraud than their less wealthy peers. Fortunately, most major credit cards offer real-time fraud monitoring. If possible fraud is detected, they will be alerted right away and take action if necessary.

Thus, simply having a credit card gives wealthy Americans an extra layer of protection they wouldn’t otherwise have.

More From GOBankingRates

How Do Rich People Use Their Credit Cards? (2024)

FAQs

How Do Rich People Use Their Credit Cards? ›

For rich folks, credit cards are a tool to manage their finances and simplify their spending. Credit cards give people a convenient way to spend, and that includes the wealthy. They often use credit cards to make large purchases or to pay for travel and entertainment expenses.

Do most millionaires use credit cards? ›

Millionaires tend to use the same banks that average Americans do. And millionaires aren't saints -- many disregard sound financial advice. The average American may be better off avoiding millionaire credit card habits. For one thing, millionaires carry a lot of cards.

What is the #1 rule of using credit cards? ›

The most important principle for using credit cards is to always pay your bill on time and in full. Following this simple rule can help you avoid interest charges, late fees and poor credit scores. By paying your bill in full, you'll avoid interest and build toward a high credit score.

When you use a credit card you do not want to be rich? ›

"If you use your credit cards, you do not want to be rich," said Cuban. "That's my favorite line, I tell it to people all the time."

What credit cards do celebrities use? ›

If there's one card most associated with celebrities, it's the American Express Business Centurion Card, often referred to as the Amex Black Card. It's an invite-only card, and although you don't need to be famous to get it, the spending requirement for an invite is rumored to be at least $250,000 per year.

What is the single biggest credit card trap for most people? ›

The minimum payment mindset

Here's how most people get trapped in credit card debt: You use your card for a purchase you can't afford or want to defer payment, and then you make only the minimum payment that month. Soon, you are in the habit of using your card to purchase things beyond your budget.

What kind of credit card do billionaires use? ›

What Credit Card Do the Super Rich Use? The super rich use a variety of different credit cards, many of which have strict requirements to obtain, such as invitation only or a high minimum net worth. Such cards include the American Express Centurion (Black Card) and the JP Morgan Chase Reserve.

What you must never do while using credit cards? ›

The 5 types of expenses experts say you should never charge on a credit card
  • Your monthly rent or mortgage payment. ...
  • A large purchase that will wipe out available credit. ...
  • Taxes. ...
  • Medical bills. ...
  • A series of small impulse splurges. ...
  • Bottom line.

What is the 2 3 4 rule for credit cards? ›

2/3/4 Rule

Here's how the rule works: You can be approved for up to two new credit cards every rolling two-month period. You can be approved for up to three new credit cards every rolling 12-month period. You can be approved for up to four new credit cards every rolling 24-month period.

What is 5 24 credit card rule? ›

The Chase 5/24 rule is an unofficial policy that applies to Chase credit card applications. Simply put, if you've opened five or more new credit card accounts with any bank in the past 24 months, you will not likely be approved for a new Chase card.

What is the golden rule of credit cards? ›

Only have a credit card if you pay in full each month.

This is the single most important rule of credit cards. Your best financial move is to repay your credit card balance in full each month. Otherwise, you will be subject to high interest charges.

Does a black credit card mean you're rich? ›

Most of the time when people refer to a black card, what they mean is the luxe American Express Centurion card. Due to the card's exclusivity, it's become a symbol of wealth and the ability to buy just about anything your affluent heart desires.

Do rich people need a credit score? ›

A high credit score can earn you a low interest rate and save you thousands of dollars in interest over the life of a loan. A low score may prevent you from getting a loan if you ever need one. Wealthy people know this and they never, ever ignore their credit score.

How do you qualify for a black card? ›

How much do you have to make to get Amex's black card? There aren't any income requirements per se, but you most likely need to be a high spender on your Amex cards. If you're in the ballpark of $250,000 to $500,000 in annual spending across all your open Amex cards, you may qualify for the Centurion card.

What credit card does Obama use? ›

Background Intel: President Obama's credit card of choice is the JP Morgan Select Card. He was photographed with the card at a Texas barbeque restaurant, where he also reportedly cut the line – earning the disapproval of many on social media.

What card does OnlyFans use? ›

Currently, OnlyFans accepts payments from the following sources: Visa credit cards and debit cards. Mastercard credit cards and debit cards. Discover credit cards and debit cards.

What is the biggest credit card mistake? ›

One of the biggest mistakes you can make with a card is taking out a cash advance on your credit card. Cash advances usually have a higher interest rate than your ongoing interest rate.

How many credit cards should a rich person have? ›

The Motley Fool Ascent recommends that most consumers should have one or two credit cards, although wealthy Americans may have the finances to juggle more than two cards. Plus, their spending in certain categories may be sufficient to justify an extra card or two to maximize rewards.

Who gives the most credit limit? ›

Highest “Overall” Credit Limit: $500,000

The winners of the nosebleed award for the highest credit limit among cards for mere mortals are these twins: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, with annual fees in the mid-triple digits and high-double digits, respectively.

What is a black card limit? ›

The minimum credit limit on a Mastercard Black card is $5,000. However, your credit limit could be higher depending on your creditworthiness.

What bank do rich people use? ›

Citi Private Bank is the private banking department of Citibank. Their services are reserved for worldly and wealthy individuals as well as their families. While eligible clients can get deposit accounts and retirement accounts as you'd find at any other bank, there are also many specialized products and services.

What are 3 credit card mistakes to avoid? ›

These 5 credit card mistakes can negatively impact your credit score and lead to debt
  • Carrying a balance.
  • Using most or all of your credit limit.
  • Taking cash advances.
  • Making late payments.
  • Chasing rewards.
  • 5 best practices when using credit cards.
Sep 28, 2022

What are the 3 C's of credit? ›

Students classify those characteristics based on the three C's of credit (capacity, character, and collateral), assess the riskiness of lending to that individual based on these characteristics, and then decide whether or not to approve or deny the loan request.

What are 5 things credit card companies don t want you to know? ›

7 Things Your Credit Card Company Doesn't Want You to Know
  • #1: You're the boss. ...
  • #2: You can lower your current interest rate. ...
  • #3: You can play hard to get before you apply for a new card. ...
  • #4: You don't actually get 45 days' notice when your bank decides to raise your interest rate. ...
  • #5: You can get a late fee removed.

What is the 15 and 3 credit card hack? ›

The 15/3 credit card hack is a payment plan that involves making two payments during each billing cycle instead of only one. Anyone can follow the 15/3 plan but it takes some personal management and discipline. The goal is to reduce your credit utilization rate and increase your credit score.

How often should I use my $200 credit card? ›

To keep your scores healthy, a rule of thumb is to use no more than 30% of your credit card's limit at all times. On a card with a $200 limit, for example, that would mean keeping your balance below $60. The less of your limit you use, the better.

What is the Capital One six month rule? ›

Capital One also has a hard-and-fast rule when timing your applications. You're only able to get approved for one card every six months. This lumps personal and small-business cards together.

What is credit card flipping? ›

Credit card churning is the process of opening cards for the sole purpose of earning welcome bonuses or other benefits. Usually, it involves closing cards after the bonus posts to your account and before the next annual fee is charged.

Is 5000 a lot of credit card debt? ›

It could lead to credit card debt

That's a situation you never want to be in, because credit cards have high interest rates. In fact, the average credit card interest rate recently surpassed 20%. That means a $5,000 balance could cost you over $1,000 per year in credit card interest.

Is churning credit cards illegal? ›

Churning credit cards for miles, points or cash back is not illegal. However, card issuers now have guidelines in place to minimize instances of this controversial practice.

What happens when you use 90% of your credit card? ›

At the opposite end of the spectrum, a credit utilization ratio of 80 or 90 percent or more will have a highly negative impact on your credit score. This is because ratios that high indicate that you are approaching maxed-out status, and this correlates with a high likelihood of default.

What is the perfect credit score? ›

An 850 FICO® Score isn't as uncommon as you might think. Statistically, there's a good chance you've attended a wedding, conference, church service or other large gathering with someone who has a perfect score. As of the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, 1.31% of all FICO® Scores in the U.S. stood at 850.

What limit should you keep your credit card under? ›

Most credit experts advise keeping your credit utilization below 30 percent, especially if you want to maintain a good credit score. This means if you have $10,000 in available credit, your outstanding balances should not exceed $3,000.

What credit score gets you a black card? ›

What credit score is needed for the Mastercard® Black Card™? To increase your chances of approval for the Mastercard® Black Card™, you need a credit score in the range of 720 - 850.

Do some rich people have bad credit? ›

Because income has no impact on credit, the wealthy are just as likely to have a low credit score as the poor. The rich can miss payments, rely too heavily on credit, and open too many new accounts, all of which will lower their credit score.

How much does a black Amex cost? ›

There is a steep "initiation fee" of $10,000 and an annual fee of $5000. Amex doesn't publicize many details about its Black Card (also known as the American Express Centurion Card), so it's hard to say exactly what the approval requirements are.

What is the poorest credit score? ›

The VantageScore model breaks down its credit score ranges as follows:
  • Very Poor: 300-499.
  • Poor: 500-600.
  • Fair: 601-660.
  • Good: 661-780.
  • Excellent: 781-850.
Apr 18, 2023

How do rich people borrow money? ›

Two effective ways to borrow are a line of credit secured by an investment portfolio and margin loans against a brokerage account. Before using debt, however, investors must carefully consider how much leverage they can comfortably assume, from both a balance sheet and cash flow perspective.

Do billionaires live off loans? ›

Billionaires multiply their wealth by borrowing against their assets to pay for new investments. But they aren't the only ones who can use leverage to their benefit. In 2021, a ProPublica article revealed that some U.S. billionaires pay little to no tax.

How much money does it cost to get a black card? ›

The Black Card has a hefty $10,000 initiation fee, a $5,000 annual fee, and offers many travel perks. The Platinum Card has a $695 annual fee with many travel-related perks, and cardholders can earn points for every dollar spent. Besides Black and Platinum, American Express offers a line of 17 other cards.

Which black credit card has no limit? ›

There are no preset spending limits with the Amex black card, so you can easily buy big-ticket items that you may not necessarily be able to pay for with other credit cards. Keep in mind, however, that you must pay off your balances in full every month.

Why is the Amex black card so special? ›

The privileges of a black card include upgrades and special permissions for rental cars and access to some of the most breathtaking hotel suites in hard-to-reach destinations. Black cards also offer dedicated concierge services, and some are even rumored to provide charter jet service.

What credit card do the Kardashians use? ›

Celebs Who Roll with the AmEx Black Card | Kardashian, Kim kardashian, Robert kardashian.

What is higher than a black card? ›

The Centurion card beats out the Mastercard Black card in terms of rewards, benefits, and features. The major drawback of the Centurion card is its $10,000 initiation fee and $5,000 annual fee (plus $5,000 annually for each authorized user).

Do unlimited credit cards exist? ›

However, a credit card that is truly a no-limit credit card does not exist. All credit cards have limits. However, some credit cards are called no spending limit credit cards or credit cards with no limits. These cards have either very high limits or no official published limits at all.

How do I discreetly pay for OnlyFans? ›

As you have read, PayPal, Paysafecard and gift cards are not accepted on OnlyFans. If you can't use your credit card or don't want to use it for obvious reasons, a virtual prepaid card is the best solution to pay. Using a prepaid card also prevents “OnlyFans” or “OF” from being visible on your bank statement.

Can you screenshot on OnlyFans? ›

On Windows, go to the interface you want to capture and press the "Print Screen" button. On Mac, visit the content you want to take a screenshot of and press "Command + Shift + 3". On Android and iPhone, go to the window to be captured and open the drop-down menu and select the screenshot option.

What percentage of millionaires use credit cards? ›

Millionaires are more likely to have multiple credit cards compared to the average American
How many credit cards do you haveNet worth greater than $1 millionNet worth less than $1 million
122%36%
237%25%
321%9%
4 or more12%7%
1 more row
Mar 27, 2023

Do rich people need credit cards? ›

For rich folks, credit cards are a tool to manage their finances and simplify their spending. Credit cards give people a convenient way to spend, and that includes the wealthy. They often use credit cards to make large purchases or to pay for travel and entertainment expenses.

Do most rich people have good credit? ›

Your credit score isn't about how much money you have. It's about how you manage it. So in answer to this question: No, rich people do not necessarily have better credit than you do. Having a lot of money can be helpful, but it is in no way the secret to a high credit score.

What bank do most millionaires use? ›

Best Private Banks For Millionaires
  • Bank of America: Private Banking.
  • Citi: Private Banking.
  • HSBC: Private Banking.
  • JP Morgan: Private Bank.
  • Morgan Stanley.
  • UBS.
  • Wells Fargo: Private Bank.
Apr 26, 2023

What are the 3 things millionaires do not do? ›

He also identified three money habits that successful self-made millionaires avoid at all costs.
  • They don't have a wallet full of exclusive credit cards. ...
  • They avoid giving large gifts to their children, or supporting them financially as adults. ...
  • They don't spend hours managing their investments.
Nov 24, 2020

Is there a million dollar credit limit? ›

The highest credit card limit you can get is over $100,000 according to anecdotes from credit card holders. But like most credit cards in general, even the highest-limit credit cards will only list minimum spending limits in their terms. The best high limit credit cards offer spending limits of $10,000 or more.

What creates 90% of millionaires? ›

“90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate.” This famous quote from Andrew Carnegie, one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of all time, is just as relevant today as it was more than a century ago. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world have built their wealth through real estate.

Do rich people use wallet? ›

#3 They can carry so many cards

You probably have four or five, at most. Rich people, on the other hand, have way more than that. That's why they use long RFID-blocking wallets to carry all of their credit cards (and more).

Does credit matter if you're rich? ›

Because income has no impact on credit, the wealthy are just as likely to have a low credit score as the poor. The rich can miss payments, rely too heavily on credit, and open too many new accounts, all of which will lower their credit score.

At what level are you considered rich? ›

You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth. That's how financial advisors typically view wealth.

What is considered financially rich? ›

The Modern Wealth Survey collected responses from 1,000 adults between the ages of 21 and 75. According to those surveyed, it would take an average net worth of approximately $2.2 million to be considered “wealthy” in 2022. In 2021, survey respondents indicated it would take a net worth of $1.9 million.

Where do millionaires deposit their money? ›

Where do millionaires keep their money? High-net-worth individuals put money into different classifications of financial and real assets, including stocks, mutual funds, retirement accounts and real estate.

What type of accounts do millionaires use? ›

Bank of America, Citibank, Union Bank, and HSBC, among others, have created accounts that come with special perquisites for the ultrarich, such as personal bankers, waived fees, and the option of placing trades. The ultrarich are considered to be those with more than $30 million in assets.

Can you deposit millions into a bank? ›

Generally, there is no limit on deposits. However, there are limitations on the amount of funds the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will insure. Please refer to the Understanding Deposit Insurance section of the FDIC's website for more information on FDIC deposit insurance.

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