Cardholder satisfaction with the Direct Express® card rose slightly between 2022 and 2023, according to the latest Annual Cardholder Survey.

The survey, conducted in 2023, tracks levels of satisfaction with Direct Express® as a payment option and gauges levels of card usage for specific transaction types (ATM withdrawals, purchases, cash back at point-of-sale, etc.).

The 2023 survey shows a slight uptick in cardholder satisfaction, with 92% of all cardholders saying they are satisfied (91% in 2022) and 73% saying they are very satisfied (71% in 2022).

Banked vs. Unbanked

About 7 in 10 Direct Express® cardholders are unbanked. This statistic has not changed much since 2017.

Awareness of Features and Card Usage

Awareness of all the features of the Direct Express® card remains largely unchanged compared to last few years, with nearly 80% or more being aware of online/phone bill payment (86%), online shopping (84%), ability to purchase groceries and retail items (79%), and Direct Express® mobile app access (79%).

Making purchases and getting cash back from ATMs are still the primary uses of the Direct Express® card (7 in 10 use their card in this way more than once a month).

Mobile App

Satisfaction with the Direct Express® mobile app continues to be strong, with nearly 9 in 10 (87%) expressing satisfaction.

Eighty five percent of mobile app users say they use the Direct Express® mobile app once a month or more, most often to check their account balance and to view recent transactions. Almost 9 in 10 also say that the mobile app is easy to use.

About the Cardholder Survey

The annual cardholder research is designed to:

  • Track satisfaction with the Direct Express® card as a payment option;
  • Uncover areas where lack of awareness might inhibit proper card usage;
  • Gauge levels of card usage for specific transaction types such as ATM withdrawals, purchases and cash back at point-of-sale;
  • Understand how cardholders use cash and the prevalence of using cash instead of the card;
  • Understand usage of and satisfaction with the Direct Express® mobile app.

SOURCE: DIRECT EXPRESS®