Key takeout
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Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit cards are considered Starter Travel Rewards cards. There are no robust benefits found on many other travel credit cards, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful for some people.
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Compensation program members who prefer Bank of America can get more from this card by boosting their rate of return.
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Bank of America’s definition of “travel” is less stringent than other issuers, so cardholders can earn travel credits on more than airfares, hotels and related purchases.
If you’re coming with a big trip, you may be considering getting a travel credit card to earn a booking sign-up bonus and reward (or if you’ve planned ahead of time, actually book a trip with the reward). However, it is not always clear which card is best, especially considering that many of the best travel cards charge annual fees or have complex reward programs with varying point redemption values.
Most people don’t want to start with premium cards, Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card It can be a great entry point.
Although there is no annual fee for this Bank of America credit card, it offers plenty of benefits to start your award travel journey. You earn a flat rate of 1.5x points on every purchase, making this a particularly simple and low maintenance travel reward card. The Bank of America Preward Rewards program can also significantly increase the value of this card, allowing you to increase your rates by up to 75% based on your Bank of America or Merrill savings and investments.
This will give you a guide to the main benefits of this card. This will help you understand whether it’s perfect for you.
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card Remuneration Benefits
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit cards do not offer high reward rates in certain spending categories, but sometimes provide ample value for travelers.
Welcome bonus and intro APR offer
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit cards offer solid welcome bonuses that are easy to achieve for most cardholders. Earn $1,000 on a $1,000 purchase within 90 days of opening an account and earn 25,000 online bonus points. This is about $250 worth of travel credits. This is the strong value of a card with no annual fee (reward cards usually offer a bonus of just $200).
In addition to the welcome bonus, cardholders will receive an annual implementation rate (APR) of 0% for 15 months, both in purchases and balance transfers. Any balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening will be subject to a 3% balance transfer fee. After the introduction period ends, there will be a 18.24%-28.24% change in purchases and balance transfer fees, and the balance transfer fee will rise to 4%. These are also relatively generous offers for year-round unpaid reward cards, especially travel cards (many don’t offer intro APR at all).
Various redemption options
Some redemptions offer higher value than others, but this card allows you to redeem reward points in a variety of ways.
- Statement credits for the US or Merrill account of eligible banks. This can be summed up if you decide to use your card as a daily spending card. You have the flexibility to redeem points as cashback and cashback is welcome. However, if you redeem this way, your points are worth 0.6 cents per point.
- Cash deposits in the US or Merrill account of the eligible bank. Your cash redemption will not lose value with this option.
- Travel credits for purchases up to 12 months from the date of purchase. This is a great option you can have, rather than redeemable for actual bookings only. However, there is a minimum of 2,500 points of redemption, which is about $25.
- Statement credits for food and takeaway purchases. Bank of America considers this to be a rather broad category. This means that in addition to restaurants, you may be able to earn statement credits for purchases from bars, lounges and nightclubs.
- Gift card. This redemption option offers points of 0.6 cents each with a minimum of 3,125 points redemption.
Bank of America’s Priority Remuneration Program to Increase Your Preferred Remuneration Rates
If you are part of Bank of America’s Priority Rewards Program, you will receive up to 75% increase in each dollar reward you spend on your Travel Rewards Card. The only requirement is to maintain the minimum balance of your eligible bank or Merrill investment account. The minimum balances for each tier are:
| Tier | Balance is required | bonus |
|---|---|---|
| gold | $20,000 to $49,999 | twenty five% |
| platinum | $50,000 to $99,999 | 50% |
| Platinum Honor | $100,000 to $999,999 | 75% |
| diamond | $1,000,000 to $9,999,999 | 75% |
| Diamond honor | Over $10 million | 75% |
To qualify for these tiers, you will need to maintain a significant amount of money in the bank, but you will see that you can actually make money with your travel reward card. In the best tier, you can earn up to 2.62 points for every dollar spent on your card.
bank
The BankAmerideals program allows you to access exclusive discounts by using cards for a specific period of time with eligible retailers. You can save 5% to 15% on a specific purchase by activating the offer and using your card according to the offer details. Please note that participating companies change every few weeks.
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card Travel Benefits
As an entry-level travel card, the Bank of America Travel Rewards card does not have the more common travel benefits, such as credits to TSA Precheck or Global Entry. There is no lounge access, travel insurance or annual credits. Instead, the card offers the advantages of your next trip.
There are no foreign transaction fees
Foreign transaction fees are usually 1-3% of purchases and can be added quickly depending on where you shop. If you plan on traveling abroad or shopping internationally online, at least these additional fees won’t break your travel budget.
There is no annual fee
Most travel reward credit cards charge an annual fee for all benefits they offer, especially if they are branded as luxury travel credit cards. These cards cost up to $695. However, Bank of America Rewards credit cards do not have annual fees, but they do not have the same level of perks or perks. So you need to determine if paying the fee is worth what you get with this card.
Visa Signing Benefits
We also offer the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card as a visa credit card.
- VisaSignature®Concierge Services
- Extended warranty coverage
- Access to RoadsideDispatch® for emergency vehicle assistance
- Lost a refund for my package
- Travel and emergency support
Extensive travel categories
One of the advantages of Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Cards is that they are not always visible on other travel cards. It is about how diverse the definition of “travel” is. You can get travel statement credits for purchases below
- Airlines
- Hotels and Motels
- Timeshare
- Trailer parks, motorhomes, recreational vehicle rentals
- Camping area
- Cars, trucks, trailers, boat rentals
- Cruise Line
- Travel agents, tour operators, real estate agents
- Passenger train
- bus
- Taxi, ferry, limousine
- Parking and Garage
- Tolls and bridge fees
- Tourist attractions and entertainment parks
- Art Gallery and Museum
- Carnival and Circus
- Aquarium and Zoo
Our Museum
This unique advantage allows Bank of America cardholders to access more than 225 cultural institutions for free on the first weekend of each month. This program is perfect for those who prefer day trips or have a list of museums that are excited to visit. To take advantage of this perk, all you need to do is present your Bank of America debit card and a valid photo ID on the museum site.
Maximize Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Cards
This card’s flat reward rate allows you to maximize your Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card with 1.5x points for every purchase. However, there are several ways to make sure this card is worth it.
Conclusion
In some respects, Bank of America’s travel rewards are not the best travel credit card out there. Most people may prefer cards that offer a higher travel reward rate.
However, for those receiving Bank of America, the cards could offer substantial value as reward requirements were prioritized. Additionally, it may be appealing to those who want travel rewards to be more useful than those who are just beginning their journey, not just airfares and hotels. But even so, there may be better cards available to take your trip to the next level.
Bank of America content for this post was last updated on January 2, 2025.