Even as digital wallets, instant provisioning and tokenized credentials reshape how consumers pay, physical cards continue to show surprising staying power. In a payments ecosystem defined by speed and abstraction, the tangible card remains a familiar, reliable presence.<\/p>\n
That relevance is not theoretical. Gustavo Menezes<\/a>, senior vice president of payments North America at Thales<\/a>, said recent studies show that physical cards remain central to everyday spending habits, even as digital options proliferate.<\/p>\n The growth of contactless payments has strengthened the role of physical cards rather than diminished it. Menezes pointed to data showing 53% of consumers now prefer contactless payments in stores, a category that includes both tap-to-pay cards and mobile wallets. Within that group, physical cards are still the preference of consumers.<\/p>\n \u201cContactless payments include both cards and mobile wallets, but the cards itself represent more than double of the preference than the mobile payments today,\u201d Menezes said.<\/p>\n For him, that preference reflects behavior rather than technology. \u201cWe talk about contactless, so it\u2019s about the human behavior of tap to pay,\u201d he told PYMNTS.<\/p>\n Advertisement: Scroll to Continue<\/p>\n That same behavior is now shaping activation and onboarding. Menezes noted that new activation methods allow users to activate cards by tapping them to their phones, which he described as \u201cmuch more secure and convenient than just calling the bank or sending a text message.\u201d<\/p>\n The Card as a Personal Badge<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond convenience, Menezes emphasized that physical cards carry emotional and symbolic value. \u201cThe card works as a kind of a personal badge,\u201d he said, \u201cof status for the consumer.\u201d<\/p>\n That sense of identity goes beyond payment utility. \u201cIt\u2019s not only a means of payment,\u201d Menezes added. \u201cThey feel connected and that the card itself represents that style of life.\u201d The physical card, in this sense, becomes a visible extension of how consumers see themselves and the brands they choose.<\/p>\n That emotional connection plays a meaningful role in card acquisition. Menezes said premium cards are often aspirational, helping drive interest in specific card products. Design, finish and uniqueness can influence whether a consumer applies, sometimes even before rewards or rates enter the equation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe card, a premium card that\u2019s a unique card, is most of the time kind of an object of desire for many customers,\u201d he said. \u201cSo that definitely drives acquisition for a specific card product.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite innovation across wallets and apps, cards continue to dominate at the point of sale. Menezes said physical cards remain the preferred in-store payment method for more than 80% of U.S. consumers, underscoring their role as the default payment credential.<\/p>\n That preference reflects trust, familiarity and acceptance. Even consumers who use mobile wallets expect the physical card to be there as a dependable fallback.<\/p>\n