Bank of America® Travel Rewards Review: Easy Travel Rewards

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MoneyGeek’s Take

With 1.5 points per dollar spent and a welcome bonus of 25,000 points (worth $250 if redeemed for travel or dining), the Bank of America® Travel Rewards card is a compelling option for travelers looking for a no-annual-fee travel card. If you’re eligible for Preferred Rewards (Bank of America’s loyalty program), you can increase the rewards you earn by up to 75%. Before applying, consider the card's lack of bonus categories and the lower value for cash redemption.

This card is best for:

  • Earning consistent travel rewards from everyday purchases

This card can also work for:

  • Taking advantage of the intro 0% APR offer to spread out travel expenses or transfer balances from other cards without accruing interest

This card is not ideal for:

  • Those who prefer to maximize their rewards through higher earning rates in specific spending categories
Bank of America® Travel Rewards

Rewards Summary
Earn 1.5 points
APR
18.74% - 28.74% variable
Annual Fee
$0
Recommended Credit
670–850 (good to excellent)

Bank of America® Travel Rewards Card Overview

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards card offers a seamless way to earn points, providing 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases. Ideal for travelers, points yield the most value if redeemed as a statement credit for travel and dining expenses.

With a 0% introductory APR for 15 billing cycles on both purchases and balance transfers, it also provides a strategic option for managing larger expenses or consolidating debt. This card comes with no annual fee and a generous 25,000-point bonus offer, equal to $250 in travel credit. If you qualify for Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program, you can enjoy up to a 75% increase in the points you earn.

Although the card excels in simplicity and reward flexibility, it may not suit those with significant travel expenses and who want to maximize their earnings. You can find similar, no-annual-fee travel cards that offer up to 5 points for every dollar spent on bonus categories. If you travel frequently, cards that have annual fees may even yield higher rewards.

>>MORE: MoneyGeek's Best Travel Credit Cards
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Card Details
Feature
Details

Card Type

  • Travel
  • Balance Transfer

Annual Fee

$0

Introductory Offer

Earn 25,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days

Introductory APR

0% for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers and purchases, then 18.24% - 28.24% variable APR after that

Rewards

1.5 points per $1 on all purchases, with no expiration.

Rewards Redemption

  • Statement credits for travel and dining starting at 2,500 points (worth $0.01 per point)
  • Cash rewards starting at 2,500 points (worth $0.006 per point)
  • Gift cards starting at 3,125 points (actual worth varies)

Regular APR

Variable 18.24% - 28.24% after the intro period

Penalty APR

None

Balance Transfer Fees

3% per transfer

Late Fees

Up to $40

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Other Perks

  • Contactless payment available
  • Comes with $0 Liability Guarantee for fraudulent transactions
  • Access to online and mobile banking

Benefits: Reasons to Consider This Card

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards card works best if you’re looking to get consistent travel rewards from your purchases.

    points icon

    Earn points on every purchase

    Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every dollar spent, with no categories to activate or track. If you spend $1,000 monthly, you're looking at a $180 travel credit each year.

    giftCard icon

    Redeem points your way

    You can redeem points as statement credit, cash or gift check; redemption starts at 2,500 points for statement credits and cash and 3,125 for gift cards. Points yield the highest value when redeemed as a statement credit towards travel and dining expenses at a rate of $0.01 per point, while redeeming for cash will give you $0.006 per point. If redeemed as a gift card, the value of the points will vary based on the specific card selected.

    noAnnualFee icon

    Intro 0% APR offer

    Enjoy 0% interest for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, then 18.24% - 28.24% variable APR after that. This feature allows you to spread out large expenses or consolidate debt without interest piling up.

Additional Rewards for Bank of America Preferred Rewards Members

The Bank of America Preferred Rewards program increases the rewards you receive from the Bank of America® Travel Rewards card. To qualify, your three-month combined average daily balance on Bank of America and Merrill must be at least $20,000.

This program is divided into different tiers, and the rewards boost you receive depends on which tier you qualify for.

Preferred Rewards Tier
Balance Required
Rewards Bonus
Points per Dollar Spent

Gold

$20,000 - $49,999

25%

1.875

Platinum

$50,000 - $99,999

50%

2.25

Platinum Honors, Diamond and Diamond Honors

$100,000 or more

75%

2.625

Drawbacks: Reasons to Consider a Different Card

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards card is great at what it does, but it may not work for credit card power users.

    creditDenied icon

    No bonus categories

    If you frequently spend on travel and dining, you may miss out on higher rewards that other cards offer in these areas. Among no-annual-fee cards, you can find cash back cards that offer 3% to 5% on bonus categories. For example, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards offers 3% cash back on your preferred category.

    travel icon

    Only good for dining and travel reward redemption

    Redeeming points for cash diminishes their value by 40% compared to using them for travel and dining credits. You may find the card's rewards less valuable if you don’t frequently travel or eat out. You might consider a cash back card that doesn’t limit how you can redeem your rewards. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® provides unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.

Best Ways to Use the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Card

Maximize the Bank of America® Travel Rewards card with these tips:

1
Combine with another card

If you have a card that has bonus categories, you can use that for eligible purchases to get better rewards than the Travel Rewards’ flat points rate. You can then use the Travel Rewards for your other purchases to continue earning 1.5 points per dollar spent. This strategy ensures you maximize the rewards you earn in all your purchases.

2
Focus on clearing your balance within 15 billing cycles

Pay off your debt before the 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers expires. If possible, aim to settle the full amount in 12 months. This approach provides a three-month safety net in case you’re unable to follow your initial repayment strategy.

How Bank of America® Travel Rewards Compares

To help you decide if the Bank of America® Travel Rewards is right for you, we’ve compared it to similar cards.

Bank of America® Travel Rewards vs. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

The Customized Cash Rewards offers 3% cash back in your chosen category and 2% on groceries and wholesale clubs, with a combined spending cap of $2,500 per quarter. All other purchases earn 1% cash back. If you tend to spend heavily on specific areas and want to maximize the rewards you earn, the Customized Cash Rewards may provide more value.

Bank of America® Travel Rewards vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash®

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® lets you earn 2% cash back on all purchases, which is already higher than Travel Rewards’ rewards rate. When redeeming cash back, there are no category restrictions and you always get its full value. If you want to earn rewards on all your purchases but don’t want to limit yourself to travel rewards, the Active Cash is a solid alternative.

How We Evaluated The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Card

Our evaluation of the Bank of America® Travel Rewards card involved comparing it with 22 other travel and balance transfer credit cards. We analyzed the length of 0% APR offers, subsequent variable APRs, balance transfer and other fees and the value of the rewards program, if any.

About Doug Milnes, CFA


Doug Milnes, CFA headshot

Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.

Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.


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