The news: Many lower-income consumers primarily view credit cards as an investment in financial access, per a Credit One Bank report.

• 37% of US consumers who earn $50,000 or less say their primary reason for using a credit card is building their credit history and score. 
• By comparison, 38% of US consumers who earn more than $150,000 cite cash back and points as their primary motivator.

How we got here: Gen Zers have aged into qualifying for credit cards but may not have the earnings or credit history to access all credit products—roughly 74% of Gen Zers earn less than $52,040, per Lending Tree. 

And these younger adults are struggling to prove their creditworthiness: Nearly half (46%) of Gen Zers use those tools, but two-thirds of those who used a credit-building tool said it had a limited-at-best impact on their credit scores, per Bloom Credit.

Zoom out: Fintechs are hitting this demographic hard. 

• Cash App’s consumer lending originations surged 82% YoY, per Q1 2026 earnings.
• Cash App Borrow origination grew more aggressively at 175% growth YoY.
• Chime’s Instant Loans originated $180 million in loans, per Q1 2026 earnings. 

While traditional providers may be swerving lower-income segments, fintech sees an opportunity to snag overlooked consumers. Access to credit helps them lock these consumers into their ecosystems—which can then be made stickier through bundled banking services and cheap phone lines. 

Recommendations for issuers: Issuers need to acquire Gen Zers to build long-term customer relationships. Designing introductory credit cards or other credit products with incentives this generation prioritizes—experiental rewards, travel and dining perks—can help issuers gain share. 

Younger and lower-income consumers are looking for footholds to lift their creditworthiness. Beyond prioritizing credit-building cards, investing in alternative credit scoring that factors in timely rent and bill payments could help these adults start their credit relationships sooner.