Many consumers don't do their research when it comes to credit cards, according to U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice. In its most recent survey of credit card holders, U.S. News found that nearly half of respondents didn't research their card before signing up. Further, more than 50% of those surveyed don't regularly shop around for better cards.

Regardless, 7.7% of U.S. adults would like to switch to a different credit card this year, according to AudienceSCAN. Almost 55% of these consumers are between the ages of 25 and 44, 47.1% live in a city or metropolitan area and 21.2% have an annual household income of over $150,000.

U.S. News Money, which publishes the Best Rewards Credit Cards of 2018, conducted the survey to learn more about cardholders' rewards preferences and redemption habits. According to its 2018 Rewards Credit Card Survey:

• Cash back is the most popular reward, followed by airline rewards and gift cards. The highest number of respondents (43%) said they redeemed cash back or a statement credit within the last 12 months, followed by airline rewards (23%) and gift cards (16%).
• The top three stated reasons consumers choose specific cards are no annual fees, the rate of earning rewards and loyalty perks or rewards.
• Most cardholders don't maximize the value of their rewards cards. More than 25% of those surveyed carry a balance from month to month at least seven times a year, potentially costing them more than the rewards they earn.

According to AudienceSCAN, within the next year, 12.8% of Potential Credit Card Switchers would like to plan a trip to a ski resort. When it comes to potential gift cards they'd be interested in, this audience is 119% more likely than other adults to shop at Gap and 118% more likely to shop at an AT&T Wireless store.

"There are dozens of rewards credit cards to choose from," said Kimberly Castro, executive editor at U.S. News. "But, consumers need to do their research to find the right card for their specific financial situation. By carrying a balance or not shopping around, they're leaving money on the table."

Nearly 41% of Potential Credit Card Switchers get most of their local news through TV, according to AudienceSCAN. This is a good place to target them with ads since 78.3% took action after seeing a TV commercial last year. They're also 89% more likely than other adults to take action after seeing a pre-​roll video ad. These come before online or streamed videos that 59.7% of this audience looked up on a mobile device within the past six months.

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. Media companies and agencies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.