FWIW, this is not even remotely true in Europe. People use debit cards day to day, more likely to use a credit card if they don't have enough in the bank I suspect. At least where I am, there isn't much to be had in terms of points or whatever.

In the US every merchant factors in an extra 3-4 cents on every dollar for credit card transaction costs on all of their prices. If you pay with cash or debit card you eat that cost yourself, if you pay with a credit card you can make back like 2 - 4 cents of that amount depending on the purchase category, and it can really add up over time.

It's a very bizarre system, and incredibly regressive, and would actually probably be pretty simple to get rid of with federal legislation. I actually can't believe none of our current wave of progressive politicians have thought to come after it yet.

Or are financially independent, and don't care about the equivalent of some colored class pearls.

That's reversed in Europe. Using credit is what implies financial responsibility. On that subject I've seen American financial devices, such as cashback and so on, slowly sip in on this side of the Atlantic and I find it worrying.