With the launch of the BankAmericard® credit card in 1958, Bank of America helped pioneer modern credit cards and remains a well-known issuer with a solid roster of cards for consumers and small businesses alike. Whether you’re looking to earn cash back or travel rewards, build credit with a secured card or pay down debt with a balance transfer offer, you’ll likely find a good option with Bank of America. For small business owners, Bank of America’s business credit card collection offers several cards to help you maximize your business spending.
Here are our top picks for the best Bank of America credit cards and the details of this issuer you should be mindful of.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card* provides greater flexibility in terms of rewards than most credit cards. Cardholders can choose one 3% cash back category to earn rewards for, in addition to 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. However, rewards are limited to the first $2,500 spent in combined 3% and 2% categories each quarter before rewards fall to 1% cash back. 3% cash back categories include gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvement and furnishings.
It has a fairly easy to reach welcome bonus as well as an introductory APR for both purchases and balance transfers, but few other perks. Its spending limit makes it better for people who spend less than $2,500 quarterly on the offered purchases, and it’s best used in tandem with another rewards card that doesn’t have a spending limit.
For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A 3% fee applies.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card* provides greater flexibility in terms of rewards than most credit cards. Cardholders can choose one 3% cash back category to earn rewards for, in addition to 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. However, rewards are limited to the first $2,500 spent in combined 3% and 2% categories each quarter before rewards fall to 1% cash back. 3% cash back categories include gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvement and furnishings.
It has a fairly easy to reach welcome bonus as well as an introductory APR for both purchases and balance transfers, but few other perks. Its spending limit makes it better for people who spend less than $2,500 quarterly on the offered purchases, and it’s best used in tandem with another rewards card that doesn’t have a spending limit.
For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A 3% fee applies.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
BankAmericard® credit card
If you need to avoid interest that’s accruing on another credit card, consider transferring the balance to the BankAmericard® credit card*. It features an introductory 0% APR for both purchases and balance transfers (then 16.24% to 26.24% variable) for 18 billing cycles. Just keep in mind that you have to make any balance transfers within the first 60 days of opening the account.
It’s a simple card with no annual fee or rewards. There is an introductory balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transaction for 60 days from account opening (then 4%), but if you’re suffering from interest charges, using a balance transfer can be a great way to alleviate some of that pressure. However, because the card doesn’t offer any rewards or perks outside of its introductory APR offers, it shouldn’t be used for anything else.
For more details, see our full review of the BankAmericard credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4% will apply.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 16.24% – 26.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
If you need to avoid interest that’s accruing on another credit card, consider transferring the balance to the BankAmericard® credit card*. It features an introductory 0% APR for both purchases and balance transfers (then 16.24% to 26.24% variable) for 18 billing cycles. Just keep in mind that you have to make any balance transfers within the first 60 days of opening the account.
It’s a simple card with no annual fee or rewards. There is an introductory balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transaction for 60 days from account opening (then 4%), but if you’re suffering from interest charges, using a balance transfer can be a great way to alleviate some of that pressure. However, because the card doesn’t offer any rewards or perks outside of its introductory APR offers, it shouldn’t be used for anything else.
For more details, see our full review of the BankAmericard credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4% will apply.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 16.24% – 26.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card* is a good travel card for those who travel only a handful of times per year because it has no annual fee. It’s a straightforward card experience without many frills to keep track of. Use it for all of your spending, and then redeem the rewards as statement credits for past travel and dining purchases.
There’s an introductory 0% APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and on any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.24% to 28.24% variable), so if you have any trips planned, you can use the card to pay for it and then pay it down while the balance accrues no interest. There are no foreign transaction fees either, so you won’t incur additional fees no matter where you’re traveling.
For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4% will apply.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card* is a good travel card for those who travel only a handful of times per year because it has no annual fee. It’s a straightforward card experience without many frills to keep track of. Use it for all of your spending, and then redeem the rewards as statement credits for past travel and dining purchases.
There’s an introductory 0% APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and on any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.24% to 28.24% variable), so if you have any trips planned, you can use the card to pay for it and then pay it down while the balance accrues no interest. There are no foreign transaction fees either, so you won’t incur additional fees no matter where you’re traveling.
For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4% will apply.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
A step up from the Bank of America Travel Rewards card, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card* earns more rewards and features more valuable perks in exchange for an annual fee.
The Premium Rewards card includes up to a $100 statement credit for the application fee of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. The credit can be used every four years. Global Entry is great for international travelers looking to skip the customs line, and TSA PreCheck for travelers who want to save time by avoiding TSA.
The card also includes up to a $100 statement credit each calendar year for incidental airline fees. Incidental airline fees include seat upgrades, baggage fees, in-flight services and airport lounge fees.
There’s also an impressive collection of travel protections including lost luggage reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. That alone makes it a better choice for people who travel relatively frequently. And as with nearly all travel credit cards, there are no foreign transaction fees.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 27.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 4% of the amount of each transaction
A step up from the Bank of America Travel Rewards card, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card* earns more rewards and features more valuable perks in exchange for an annual fee.
The Premium Rewards card includes up to a $100 statement credit for the application fee of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. The credit can be used every four years. Global Entry is great for international travelers looking to skip the customs line, and TSA PreCheck for travelers who want to save time by avoiding TSA.
The card also includes up to a $100 statement credit each calendar year for incidental airline fees. Incidental airline fees include seat upgrades, baggage fees, in-flight services and airport lounge fees.
There’s also an impressive collection of travel protections including lost luggage reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. That alone makes it a better choice for people who travel relatively frequently. And as with nearly all travel credit cards, there are no foreign transaction fees.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 27.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 4% of the amount of each transaction
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card* is an easy-to-use rewards credit card. It has no annual fee and earns a flat rate for every purchase. It would be a good choice to pair with another card that earns rewards across a number of bonus categories in order to maximize the return on your spending.
There’s not much to it other than that. It has a welcome bonus that shouldn’t be too hard to reach if you’re using it for most of your spending, along with an introductory APR for purchases and balance transfers to help avoid interest charges, for a time.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A 3% fee applies.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card* is an easy-to-use rewards credit card. It has no annual fee and earns a flat rate for every purchase. It would be a good choice to pair with another card that earns rewards across a number of bonus categories in order to maximize the return on your spending.
There’s not much to it other than that. It has a welcome bonus that shouldn’t be too hard to reach if you’re using it for most of your spending, along with an introductory APR for purchases and balance transfers to help avoid interest charges, for a time.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A 3% fee applies.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
If you prefer to fly with Alaska Airlines, Bank of America offers a credit card just for you. With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card*, for a $95 annual fee cardholders can earn rewards for their eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. It features 20% back in the form of a statement credit for in-flight purchases as well as your first checked bag free of charge. And best of all, you’ll get an Alaska Airlines companion ticket for a fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) every account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
However, because rewards and perks are, for the most part, limited to Alaska Airlines, you should only consider it if you fly Alaska while traveling. If you don’t have a favorite airline, check out a general travel card, like the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card, instead.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 4% of the amount of each transaction
If you prefer to fly with Alaska Airlines, Bank of America offers a credit card just for you. With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card*, for a $95 annual fee cardholders can earn rewards for their eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. It features 20% back in the form of a statement credit for in-flight purchases as well as your first checked bag free of charge. And best of all, you’ll get an Alaska Airlines companion ticket for a fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) every account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
However, because rewards and perks are, for the most part, limited to Alaska Airlines, you should only consider it if you fly Alaska while traveling. If you don’t have a favorite airline, check out a general travel card, like the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card, instead.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 4% of the amount of each transaction
Credit score requirements for Bank of America credit cards
Most Bank of America’s rewards credit cards require good to excellent credit, which means your credit score will need to be at least 670. However, it does issue a few credit cards for people with bad or limited credit which are typically easier to qualify for, including the BankAmericard® Secured Credit Card*.
Bank of America vs. other credit card issuers
Bank of America offers a wide variety of credit cards to choose from, but it’s not the only credit card issuer. Chase, American Express, Discover and Capital One all offer credit cards to take advantage of.
Bank of America stands out from competitors thanks to its secured credit cards and student credit cards to help build credit, its credit cards with flexible rewards programs -- like the Customized Cash Rewards Card -- as well as its Preferred Rewards program. The Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program allows bank members to earn better credit card rewards rates and interest rates on Bank of America savings accounts.
Chase offers a wider variety of travel credit cards than Bank of America and features a travel and redemption portal called Chase Ultimate Rewards. A few of its cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, feature a 1:1 point transfer to airline partners as well as a point bonus for redeeming for travel through Chase Travel℠. Chase doesn’t offer many cards for people with limited credit, however.
American Express offers premium benefits on some of its cards, but they also have high credit requirements and often higher annual fees than Bank of America cards.
Capital One offers more flexibility to rebuild credit than Bank of America, but its cards typically have fewer perks. Capital One travel cards are on par with Bank of America’s offering.
How many Bank of America cards can you have?
Bank of America doesn’t list any official rules about how many of its credit cards you can hold at a time, but as with many other issuers, there are unofficial limitations on how frequently you can apply for new cards. Users have reported a pattern colloquially known as the 2/3/4 rule, meaning you can only get approved for two new Bank of America cards in a 30-day period, three cards in a 12-month period and four cards in a 24-month period. Any applications in excess of that limit will likely be denied.
Is a Bank of America credit card the right choice for you?
It depends on whether or not Bank of America offers a credit card that matches your needs. You’ll have to decide if Bank of America provides what you’re looking for, whether that be travel rewards and perks, a way to build credit or cash back for everyday purchases. Consider the terms and features of the card and make sure it matches your spending habits.
You might be able to earn better benefits from a Bank of America credit card if you’re a Bank of America or Merrill customer.
How to apply for a Bank of America card
Follow these steps to apply for a Bank of America credit card.
- Choose a card that fits your needs.
- Fill out the application with all of the required information.
- Use the card responsibly and always remember to pay on time.
FAQs
Balance transfers can be a great way to mitigate debt. If you have a balance accruing interest on another card, by transferring it to a card that features an introductory 0% APR offer for balance transfers, you’d be able to both save money and pay it down faster. You can put the money that you had been spending on interest charges toward the debt on the new card and pay it down faster, and save money from interest in the long run.
Some cards require a balance transfer fee to move over the balance, but more often than not, that fee will cost you less than interest charges would over a long period of time.
You can typically use your points for statement credits, which reduce your monthly credit card statement balance, deposit them directly into your Bank of America bank account, or credit your Merrill accounts. For travel cards, you can use your points to cover past travel expenses.
The BankAmericard doesn’t feature any rewards, however, so there are no redemption options connected to the card.
Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program is a way for cardholders to bolster the rewards from their credit cards based on how much money they have in a Bank of America bank account or Merrill Investing account (or both). The higher the account balance, the greater bonus to card rewards they’ll receive.
Bank of America offers credit cards at a variety of annual fees. The issuer has a large selection of no-annual-fee cards like the Customized Cash Rewards credit card and the BankAmericard® credit card, as well as cards with fees in the sub-$100 range, such as the Premium Rewards® credit card and the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. On the luxury end, there’s also the $550-annual-fee Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite card.
The best credit card for you will come down to your individual needs as a spender. If you’re looking to earn rewards for everyday spending, consider the Customized Cash Rewards card or Unlimited Cash Rewards card. If you travel every so often, the Bank of America Travel Rewards card is a good fit. If you travel more frequently, consider the upgraded version, the Premium Rewards Card. If you’re suffering from credit card debt, use the BankAmericard to help shrink the debt faster.
It comes down to your individual spending habits and what kinds of things you’re looking for in a credit card.
Unlike some issuers, Bank of America offers credit cards for people with limited credit. The BankAmericard Secured Card and the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card* will typically be the easiest cards to qualify for.
Contact Bank of America if you need to cancel a credit card through the customer service number on the back of your card. However, canceling a credit card can have serious consequences for your credit score, so make sure to cancel your credit card the right way.
*All information about the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card, BankAmericard credit card, Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card, Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card, Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card, BankAmericard Secured Credit Card, Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students, Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card, and the Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
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