Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card Review

Best for: people who already have a Bank of America deposit account

With the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card you can earn rewards points to pay for travel expenses such as airline tickets, hotel stays, museum tickets and rail passes. But with so many travel rewards cards on the market, how does Bank of America’s stack up against the competition?

The basics of the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

• APR: As a new cardholder, you pay APR 0% on purchases during the first 12 billing cycles. After that, Bank of America charges a variable APR of 17.24%-25.24%
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards Rate: Earn unlimited points on purchases, calculated at 1.5 points for every dollar you spend. 
• Introductory offer: The Travel Rewards credit card program awards 25,000 bonus points to new cardholders who use the card to make at least $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of opening the account.

Bank of America® Travel Rewards card’s standout features

• No blackout dates for travel and points never expire.
• Book your own travel, and redeem for statement credits.  Minimal restrictions compared with other travel cards.
• Bank of America’s $0 liability guarantee means you will not be responsible for fraudulent transactions charged to your Travel Rewards card.
• You can link your Travel Rewards credit card to your Bank of America deposit account to protect against overdrafts. 
• Earn 25-75% more in rewards points if you’re a Preferred Rewards member.
• Add your Travel Rewards card to your Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay mobile app to make in-app and in-store purchases at point-of-sale terminals.
• Use Bank of America’s mobile app to transfer funds, access statements and pay bills.
• Set up account alerts to receive messages on your mobile device when it is time to pay your credit card bill.
• The mobile banking app also gives you the option to access your FICO credit score information, updated monthly.

Best way to use the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Use the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card for all your purchases to quickly build your rewards points balance. Use the card for $1,000 in purchases during the first 90 days of the contract to earn 25,000 bonus points to start saving on travel expenses.

Use the Travel Rewards card to pay regular monthly expenses like utility bills, groceries, cell phone bills, insurance and transportation costs. The more you use the card, the more rewards points you can accumulate. And if you pay your entire balance on time each month, you will not pay interest. 

Add your Travel Rewards card to Google Pay or Apple Pay to make incidental purchases like coffee and bagels at your favorite morning café. Enjoy the freedom of not having to dig for your card every time you need to make a purchase. All types of merchants now accept payments made using mobile apps.

Apply your accumulated points for statement credits to pay for airline tickets, baggage fees, hotel stays, cruises, rental cars and more.

In a nutshell

Travel rewards credit cards are a hot trend, which promises to continue in the future. As travel rewards programs go, the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card offers fairly mediocre features. The 1.5 rewards points you earn on all other purchases is good for a no annual fee card, but it is not the best rewards rate in the market.

Other rewards programs come packed with travel-related features that travelers need, such as roadside assistance and purchase protection to reimburse you for items damaged, lost or stolen while traveling. Some travel cards feature triple or even quadruple rewards points for certain types of purchases, like groceries or restaurant tabs.

Bank of America’s Travel Rewards credit card works best for people who already have a Bank of America deposit account and can take advantage of increased rewards as a Preferred Rewards member.