Welcome to the era of rewards cards relationship gaps

Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI Louis Fawcett's wife doesn't love the credit card points game like he does, though she does enjoy the perks — when she actually uses them. They make most of their purchases with two elite American Airlines cards to build up loyalty points and status. Whenever it comes time to do something points-related, Fawcett's wife just hands him her phone. "She's a more laid-back person," Fawcett, 53, says. She'll join him in American's Admirals Club, which she jokingly calls the "poor people's lounge," but she skips out on the "rich people's" Centurion Lounge, which Fawcett can now access thanks to a recently acquired Amex Platinum card . (The reluctance is partly due to the $50 guest fee.) She doesn't always take advantage of the American benefits, either — a few years ago, Fawcett upgraded to first class on a family trip from South Carolina to Hawaii.