High-end credit cards are nothing new. American Express has been catering to a discerning crowd since the 1960s, while airlines began partnering with Visa and Mastercard in the 1980s to launch airline credit cards for loyal travelers.

Cards with triple-digit annual fees are becoming more common, with even several "midmarket" cards upping fees to around $150 . But that’s pocket change compared to premium card annual fees of $500 or more.

High annual fees get a mixed reaction from consumers. A NerdWallet survey , conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that 57% of Americans say no annual fee would be important to them if they were applying for a new credit card.

At the same time, the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study found that cardholders paying an annual fee of

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