Merchant apps can turn a one-time decision to save a card into a recurring advantage for its issuer. New research from Auriemma Group’s latest issue of Mobile Pay Tracker suggests that by moving payment choice into the background, these apps are creating another important battleground for top-of-wallet status.
Among cardholders who use merchant apps, only 5% say they regularly choose different payment methods within the app. This creates a potentially durable advantage for the issuer whose card becomes the default payment method within an app.
“The merchant app can move payment choice into the background,” says Jonathan O’Connor, Senior Manager of Research at Auriemma Group. “Once cardholders save a payment method and become accustomed to a faster checkout experience, they may have little reason to reconsider which card they use for each purchase.”
This advantage applies only after a cardholder decides their relationship with a merchant is established enough to justify saving a card. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of cardholders who have downloaded merchant apps require an established relationship with a merchant before saving their payment information. One-third (34%) would need to make several purchases per month before doing so, while another 19% would need to shop with the merchant about once per month.
This makes merchant apps especially relevant in frequent-spend categories. Among cardholders who have downloaded a merchant app, 73% have at least one from an online retailer, 62% from a big-box retailer, 52% from a grocery store, and 50% from a quick-service restaurant. These everyday purchase environments give saved cards repeated opportunities to capture spend without requiring the cardholder to make an active payment decision each time.
Looking ahead, tools that surface the value of competing cards could bring payment choice back to the foreground. When asked to imagine merchant apps evolving to recommend the best payment method based on rewards or savings, half of cardholders expressed interest (51%). Although the research tested this hypothetical capability within merchant apps, the potential effect extends further: tools that compare card value at checkout could prompt shoppers to reconsider their default payment method and rotate toward a card offering greater value.
“Merchant apps can move payment choice into the background, but that does not mean issuers can take default-card status for granted,” says O’Connor. “As tools help cardholders identify which card will maximize their rewards, purchases that routinely flowed to one card could begin rotating among several.”
(New York, NY) Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the payments landscape, with providers investing heavily in AI-assisted solutions for their customers. However, Auriemma Group’s latest issue of Mobile Pay Tracker finds that while awareness of AI assistants grows, interest in using them has declined.
Across two recent surveys conducted in January and April 2026, awareness of AI assistants increased from 68% to 81%, while interest remained stagnant or dropped for those offered by card issuers, networks, airlines, hotels, and others. The findings suggest that as AI becomes more mainstream, cardholders are increasingly discerning about where and how they are willing to incorporate the technology into their financial lives.
“Awareness of AI-supported tools is growing rapidly,” says Jonathan O’Connor, Senior Manager of Research at Auriemma Group. “Cardholders are becoming more pragmatic in how they view AI. Interest remains strongest when AI acts as an advisor or assistant, rather than an autonomous decision-maker.”
Fewer cardholders say they are likely to allow AI to complete a purchase on their behalf than at the start of the year, dropping from 46% to 35% over the two survey periods. However, some find value in using AI tools to help them find the best prices or deals and comparing products, indicating that the technology may find early success helping cardholders with research-centric shopping tasks rather than payment-centric ones.
In fact, 24% of cardholders turn to AI assistants like ChatGPT when researching retail products or services, and 15% do the same when gathering information about financial products or services. While traditional search engines like Google may still be the primary research tool, AI’s presence in this space this early in its tenure is notable.
“While AI may not dominate cardholders’ research of financial products, its impact is noticeable,” says O’Connor. “Our research found that 54% of those who used AI for financial research have applied for a financial product based on AI interactions, highlighting the importance for card issuers and brands to optimize their product pages for AI searching.”
Although cardholders are becoming more measured in their enthusiasm for AI, the technology’s potential influence remains substantial. Many current users already report acting on AI recommendations, suggesting that even incremental increases in adoption could reshape how cardholders research, evaluate, and select both financial and retail products.
Survey Methodology
Mobile Pay Tracker
This Auriemma Group study was conducted online within the US by an independent field service provider on behalf of Auriemma Group (Auriemma) in June 2026 among 2,450 Mobile Pay (i.e., Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet) eligible adult credit cardholders. The number of interviews completed for both is sufficient to allow for statistical significance testing among sub-groups at the 95% confidence level ±5%, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of the research was not disclosed, nor did respondents know the criteria for qualifying.
(New York, NY) Even as artificial intelligence (AI) tools grow more sophisticated, cardholders still want a human on the line when it matters most. Auriemma Group’s latest issue of Mobile Pay Tracker reveals that despite the rise of chatbots and generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, live agents remain the most used customer service channel, especially for complex or sensitive issues like fraud, disputes, and multi-step problem resolution.
“In moments that require trust, empathy, or judgment, cardholders continue to rely on people—not bots,” says Jonathan O’Connor, Senior Manager of Research at Auriemma Group. “Digital tools offer convenience, but trust is still earned through human connection. Issuers who balance automation with meaningful service support will be best equipped to meet cardholder expectations.”
Interactions with live agents—whether by phone (40%), chatting by website or app (32%), or in-person (27%)—outpaced AI-based communications within the past 12-months. Only 21% utilized a chatbot or virtual assistant, and even fewer interacted via AI-based text messaging or with an interactive voice response (IVR) system over the phone (13% each). While automation can streamline simple tasks, the findings show that cardholders still lean more heavily on human support.
This distinction is especially evident in support preferences. Even as digital tools expand, cardholders still favor human support for nearly all service interactions, especially those involving complexity, risk, or disputes. Nearly 9-in-10 cardholders prefer human support for multi-step issues and to identify or resolve potential fraud. Automated support is more welcome for simpler tasks, like resetting passwords or replacing damaged cards.
“AI is not an absolute replacement for human support,” says O’Connor. “While many issuers are exploring how GenAI—and agentic AI in particular—can transform their servicing capabilities, they must caution against removing too much of the human element. When trust and empathy matter, cardholders still want to speak to a person.”
While some (22%) believe AI-based customer service solutions improve overall service quality, nearly twice as many (41%) say they reduce it—signaling a potential backlash if providers over-automate. This is particularly relevant as agentic AI models become more advanced and conversational. Though they may appear human-like, savvy cardholders may find the interaction off-putting if they realize they are not talking to a human (or are not told up front), especially in situations that require reassurance, discretion, or accountability.
As issuers pursue cost efficiencies through automation and AI, these findings serve as a reminder that not every support interaction should be digital-first. Getting the balance right is key—not just for service satisfaction, but for long-term loyalty.
Survey Methodology
Mobile Pay Tracker
This Auriemma Group study was conducted online within the US by an independent field service provider on behalf of Auriemma Group (Auriemma) in April 2025 among 2,181 Mobile Pay (i.e., Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet) eligible adult credit cardholders. The number of interviews completed for both is sufficient to allow for statistical significance testing among sub-groups at the 95% confidence level ±5%, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of the research was not disclosed, nor did respondents know the criteria for qualifying.