New Survey: Americans Want Fintechs to Follow Bank Rules, Support Protecting Local Lending from Stablecoin Risks

WASHINGTON -

A new survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association found that consumers want nonbank fintech companies to follow the same rules as banks. More than 8 in 10 (84%) agree that any business providing bank-like services like check/savings accounts or loans to consumers should be held to the same standards for consumer protection that banks are. By a 7-to-1 margin (71% vs. 9%), respondents care if the business that handles their finances is held to the same legal and regulatory requirements as a bank. The survey, unveiled today at ABA's 2026 Washington Summit, also gauged consumers' views on digital asset rules and government price controls on credit cards.

In addition, the survey found that consumers strongly support protecting local lending and the financial system from stablecoin risks:

• By a 6-to-1 margin (62% vs. 10%), consumers agree that in establishing the first-ever rules for digital assets like cryptocurrencies and stablecoins in the U.S., Congress and the administration should be cautious and not take any steps that could undermine our existing financial system, especially the community banks that help drive local economic activity in some parts of the country
• By a 3-to-1 margin (42% vs. 15%), consumers agree that Congress should bar the ability for stablecoin issuers and their affiliates to offer interest and rewards on stablecoin if there is any risk it could reduce the amount of funds available to banks to lend in the community and support economic growth
• 75% say it is important for them to have access to credit at their bank

The survey also found that stablecoin adoption remains low among consumers:

• 90% do not currently own stablecoin
• 80% have never owned stablecoin
• Only 17% are likely to buy, hold or use stablecoin in next 12 months

"Consumers are clear: Any fintech or crypto company offering bank like products should be held to the same rigorous standards that apply to banks," said ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols. "At the same time, Americans urge caution as Congress considers the first-ever rules for digital assets like stablecoin. A strong majority say lawmakers and the administration should avoid steps that could weaken community banks and undermine the financial system, and policymakers should bar the offering of yield-like rewards on stablecoin that threaten to draw away bank deposits that drive local lending. We share that view."

Consumers view the credit card marketplace as highly competitive, are wary of government price controls

The survey also shows that consumers find a number of benefits from their credit cards:

• 7 in 10 (69%) say the credit card marketplace is highly competitive and they have multiple options to choose from when picking a card that best meets their needs.
• Nearly three-quarters of adults (73%) say access to a credit card is important for managing household finances.
• Fraud protection is seen as the most valuable benefit (47% of card holders placed it in top 3 rank), followed by earning rewards (41%), emergency access to credit (40%), and convenience (39%).

"Consumers value the credit cards they use every day, and they recognize the strong competition and robust fraud protections that come with them," Nichols said. "Given that reality, it's no surprise that they are wary of proposals that would force one-size-fits-all price controls on credit. Americans understand that these kinds of proposals can lead to reduced credit access, fewer options and higher fees that ultimately hurt the very people they're meant to help."

According to the survey, consumers are wary of government price controls on credit cards and want retailers to take responsibility for accepting card payments:

• U.S. adults had concerns about the potential negative consequences from a credit card interest rate cap proposal.
  • 65% say a one-size-fits-all credit card interest rate cap ignores the fact that people have very different financial situations.
  • If a 10% credit card interest rate cap resulted in higher annual fees, 65% say they would oppose the policy.
  • Additionally, 67% are concerned about potential negative impacts on credit scores from account closures or credit line reductions caused by an interest rate cap.
  • 70% say responsible cardholders shouldn't face higher fees or reduced rewards because of new regulations
• Three-quarters or more of Americans say it is important for Congress to
  • prevent higher annual fees for cardholders (76%) as a result of new regulations.
  • protect consumers from losing access to credit cards or seeing their credit limits significantly reduced because of new regulations (75%)
  • protect people from being pushed toward payday loans or other extremely high-interest lenders as a result of new regulations (77%)
• 75% agree (vs. 8% disagree) that merchants and retailers get significant benefit from being able to accept credit cards for payment.
• 63% would be disappointed to lose the rewards program on their card(s) due to government regulatory changes.
• 61% would oppose (vs. 25% that would support) lowering debit interchange fees for retailers if it meant bank would have to increase fees for checking accounts.

"Americans recognize that credit cards don't just help them manage their own finances - they also provide tremendous benefits to the retailers and merchants that accept them," said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO. "Consumers don't want to lose the rewards programs they value or face higher bank fees because large retailers refuse to pay their fair share to maintain our highly efficient payments system."

Earlier this year, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if passed, would mandate government price controls on credit card interest rates. In addition to increased costs, its enactment would have a devastating effect on access to credit for individuals and small business owners across the country, especially for those who need it the most. Likewise, another proposal in Congress would impose government routing mandates on credit cards, which would effectively end credit card rewards programs and undermine the safety and security of Americans' credit card transactions.

ABA released an accompanying infographic highlighting some of the survey results. The full results for today's survey questions are as follows:

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Any business providing bank-like services (i.e. checking and savings accounts, loans, etc.) to consumers should be held to the same standards for consumer protection that banks are." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 59%
• Somewhat agree - 25%
• Somewhat disagree - 5%
• Strongly disagree - 1%
• Don't know - 11%

When asked "Which of the following comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right?" consumers provided the following answers:

• I care if the business that handles my finances is held to the same legal and regulatory requirements as a bank - 71%
• I don't care if the business that handles my finances is held to the same legal and regulatory requirements as a bank - 9%
• Don't Know/No Opinion - 20%

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with this following statement? In establishing the first-ever rules for digital assets like crypto currencies and stablecoins in the U.S., Congress and the administration should be cautious and not take any steps that could undermine our existing financial system, especially the community banks that help drive local economic activity in some parts of the country." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 29%
• Somewhat agree - 33%
• Somewhat disagree - 7%
• Strongly disagree - 3%
• Don't know - 29%

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with this following statement? Congress should bar the ability for stablecoin issuers and their affiliates to offer interest and rewards on stablecoin if there is any risk it could reduce the amount of funds available to banks to lend in the community and support economic growth." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 18%
• Somewhat agree - 24%
• Somewhat disagree - 11%
• Strongly disagree - 4%
• Don't know - 43%

When asked "How important is it for you to have access to credit at your bank?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Very important - 44%
• Somewhat important - 31%
• Not too important - 9%
• Not at all important - 4%
• Don't know/no opinion - 13%

When asked "Stablecoin is a type of digital asset intended to maintain a stable value. Examples of stablecoin in the market include USDC (Circle), USDT (Tether), and PYUSD (PayPal).Do you own stablecoin?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Yes, I currently own stablecoin - 10%
• Yes, I have previously but do not currently own - 10%
• No, I have never owned stablecoin - 80%

When asked "How likely are you to buy, hold or use stablecoin in the next 12 months?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Very likely - 5%
• Likely - 12%
• Unlikely - 13%
• Very Unlikely - 48%
• Don't know - 22%

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with this following statement? The credit card marketplace is highly competitive, and I have multiple options to choose from when picking the card that best meets my needs." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 30%
• Somewhat agree - 39%
• Somewhat disagree - 11%
• Strongly disagree - 6%
• Don't know - 13%

When asked "How important is having access to a credit card for managing your household finances?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Very important - 39%
• Somewhat important - 34%
• Not too important - 10%
• Not at all important - 8%
• Don't know/no opinion - 9%

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with this following statement? A one-size-fits-all credit card interest rate cap ignores the fact that people have very different financial situations." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 34%
• Somewhat agree - 31%
• Somewhat disagree - 14%
• Strongly disagree - 7%
• Don't know - 15%

When asked "A proposal in Congress would cap credit card interest rates at 10%. If this policy resulted in the following consequences, how much would you support or oppose it? - Higher annual fees for most cardholders." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly support - 9%
• Somewhat support - 12%
• Somewhat oppose - 23%
• Strongly oppose - 42%
• Don't know - 13%

When asked "If a proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10% caused account closures and credit line reductions, which can negatively impact an individual's credit score, how concerned would you be?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Very concerned - 32%
• Somewhat concerned - 35%
• Not too concerned - 14%
• Not concerned at all - 7%
• Don't know - 11%

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with this following statement? Responsible cardholders shouldn't face higher fees or reduced rewards because of new regulations." consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 42%
• Somewhat agree - 28%
• Somewhat disagree - 10%
• Strongly disagree - 7%
• Don't know - 13%

When asked "How important is it for Congress to protect each of the following? - Preventing higher annual fees for cardholders as a result of new regulations." consumers provided the following answers:

• Very important - 48%
• Somewhat important - 28%
• Not very important - 9%
• Not important at all - 4%
• Don't know/no opinion - 11%

When asked "How important is it for Congress to protect each of the following? - Protecting people from losing access to their credit cards or seeing their credit limits significantly reduced because of new regulations." consumers provided the following answers:

• Very important - 46%
• Somewhat important - 29%
• Not very important - 10%
• Not important at all - 4%
• Don't know/no opinion - 12%

When asked "How important is it for Congress to protect each of the following? - Protecting people from being pushed toward payday loans or other extremely high-interest lenders as a result of new regulations." consumers provided the following answers:

• Very important - 51%
• Somewhat important - 26%
• Not very important - 8%
• Not important at all - 4%
• Don't know/no opinion - 11%

When asked "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Merchants and retailers get significant benefit from being able to accept credit cards for payment," consumers provided the following answers:

• Strongly agree - 29%
• Agree - 46%
• Disagree - 6%
• Strongly disagree - 2%
• Don't know/no opinion - 18%

When asked "How disappointed would you be to lose the rewards program on your card(s) due to government regulatory changes?" consumers provided the following answers:

• Very disappointed - 34%
• Somewhat disappointed - 29%
• Not too disappointed - 14%
• Not at all disappointed - 11%
• Don't know/no opinion - 13%

When asked "Would you support or oppose lowering debit interchange fees for retailers if it meant banks would have to do each of the following? - Increase fees for checking accounts," respondents who have a bank account provided the following responses:

• Strongly support - 11%
• Somewhat support - 14%
• Somewhat oppose - 21%
• Strongly oppose - 40%
• Don't know/no opinion - 14%

About the Survey
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association from February 21-25, 2026, among a national sample of 4,456 adults split into two representative groups for specific question sets (Split Sample A n=2,117 | Split Sample B n=2,339). The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point.

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About the American Bankers Association

The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation's $25.3 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ over 2 million people, safeguard $20.1 trillion in deposits and extend $13.5 trillion in loans.