What to Look for in a Credit Card Mobile App

A credit card’s mobile app can give you immediate access to your account, making it easier to track purchases, make payments, review monthly statements, report a lost card and view rewards, among other things.

But not all mobile apps are the same, and knowing what’s available can make it easier to choose a credit card and find the features you want in an app. Of course, that’s after you’ve found the card with the best interest rate and rewards you want.

A 2018 satisfaction study by J.D. Power ranked the best apps on five factors: ease of navigation, appearance, clarity of information, range of services and availability of key information. Here are the top five credit card apps based on the results:

American Express
This was the only app to receive a rating of five out of five. The American Express mobile app allows users to track transactions, check monthly statements, redeem rewards and explore card benefits. Fraud notifications can also be set.

Chase
This app rated three out of five in J.D. Power’s satisfaction survey. It can be used to review and pay Chase credit card bills, access rewards information and set up notifications. The app also allows you to view your VantageScore credit score, as well as secure messages from Chase’s customer service team.

Citi
Citi also scored three out of five, with an app that allows users to view a summary of their main account information before signing in. Your credit card can be locked if your card is lost or stolen, and you can request a replacement card through the app, as well. You can also view transactions and pay your bill, as most other credit card apps allow. Citi also allows users to dispute unauthorized transactions, view and redeem rewards, and check their FICO credit score.

Bank of America
Allowing common services such as paying your credit card bill, viewing transactions, accessing your FICO score, getting account alerts and redeeming rewards, the Bank of America app scored a three out of five.

Capital One
This app received a rating of four out of five. Along with allowing users to review transactions and statements, view and redeem rewards, pay their credit card bill, and set up purchase notifications, the Capital One app has two top features that users say they want: the ability to instantly lock a card if it’s lost or stolen, as well as the ability to unlock the card and continue using it if it’s found.

Capital One also allows users to sign in using a pattern traced with a finger instead of typing in a password. Additionally, the app provides access to the company’s credit monitoring service and VantageScore credit score.