Credit card rewards benefit the rich the most. Here’s who actually pays for them

American Express is among lenders offering a swath of premium credit cards to attract affluent customers, and it's heating up the credit card wars. Silas Stein/dpa/Getty Images

Americans are feeling bleak about the economy. Yet, despite headwinds, high earners are still spending like mad — and credit card companies are offering more and more perks to attract them.

But some experts are worried these additional rewards for the rich are raising costs for everyone else, from merchants to customers.

“Credit card companies (are) working to serve the most affluent customers more and more,” said Doug Kantor, general counsel at the trade group National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). These companies “try to get (high earners) more rewards at everyone else’s expense by pushing those