The average person getting caught up in chasing rewards is the problem, at least for personal cardholders vs. business. I won't be manipulated like some lab rat, for a few pieces of cheese. I've had a Capital One card for about 20 years and only treat it as the instrument it is: cash that is indentured one month and paid off in full the next, buying me 26 days of grace. And every once in awhile I "earn" a few reward bucks, which I quickly apply as a credit on the next bill. I ignore the bells and whistles marketing hype and only charge what I can pay off when the next bill arrives.