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Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Our Rating 4/5 How our ratings work
- APR18.74% - 28.74% Variable APR on purchases
- Annual Fee$0
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Bonus Offer
$200Cash Bonus
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card is a solid cash-back card with a strong bonus, especially for a card with no annual fee. If you're looking for a card that also has competitive balance transfer terms, this is one to consider.
A Rewarding Cash Back Card, Especially for Existing Bank of America Customers
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card was launched in July 2021, and it has the potential to be one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. However, the card’s best rewards rate is reserved for wealthy Bank of America customers, so for most people, it may just be another 1.5% cash-back credit card.
However, if you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you could earn between 25% and 75% more cash back, elevating the rewards rate to as much as 2.62% — you’ll be hard-pressed to get that high of a cash-back rate on every purchase anywhere else. Here are some of the major details of the credit card.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Straightforward rewards rate
- Sign-up bonus
Cons
- No bonus spending categories
Sign-Up Bonus
The card offers a $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. That bonus is on the high end for no-annual-fee cash-back credit cards, but the spending threshold is double what some similar cards require.
That said, if you have no trouble spending more than $333 per month on a credit card, the $1,000 bonus spending threshold won't be a problem. And it's still essentially a 20% rewards rate on that spending in addition to the 1.5% cash back you'll get every time you swipe.
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| Credit Card | Intro Bonus | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Learn More |
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1.5%Extra Cash Back
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. |
$0 |
1.5% - 5%Cashback
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Apply Now |
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60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base) |
$95 |
1x- 5xPoints
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. |
Apply Now |
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20,000Points
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value. Dollar Equivalent: $200 (20,000 Points * 0.01 base) |
$0 |
1x - 3xPoints
Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases. |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
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$200Cash Bonus
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. |
$0 |
2%Cashback
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
Intro APR
Like many cash-back credit cards, the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card offers an introductory 0% APR. You'll pay no interest for 15 billing cycles on purchases, as well as on balance transfers made within the first 60 days after you open your account. After that, the card features a 18.74% - 28.74% Variable APR on purchases, based on your creditworthiness.
Rewards Rate
The credit card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. But if you're a Preferred Rewards client, you'll get up to 75% more rewards. Here's how it works:
Gold
- Earn 25% more rewards for a rewards rate of 1.87%
- Qualify by having a three-month combined average daily balance of at least $20,000 in qualifying Bank of America and Merrill Lynch accounts
Platinum
- Earn 50% more rewards for a rewards rate of 2.25%
- Qualify by having a three-month combined average daily balance of at least $50,000 in qualifying Bank of America and Merrill Lynch accounts
Platinum Honors
- Earn 75% more rewards for a rewards rate of 2.62%
- Qualify by having a three-month combined average daily balance of at least $100,000 in qualifying Bank of America and Merrill Lynch accounts
Recommended Rewards Credit Cards
| Credit Card | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | Intro Bonus | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1x- 5xPoints
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. |
$95 |
60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base) |
Apply Now |
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1.5% - 5%Cashback
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
$0 |
1.5%Extra Cash Back
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. |
Apply Now |
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1x - 3xPoints
Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases. |
$0 |
20,000Points
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value. Dollar Equivalent: $200 (20,000 Points * 0.01 base) |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
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1X-10XPoints
10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets 3x -- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations 1x -- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases |
$95 |
75,000Citi ThankYou® Points
Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. Dollar Equivalent: $1,350 (75,000 Citi ThankYou® Points * 0.018 base) |
Apply Now Rates & Fees |
Annual Fee
The card doesn't charge an annual fee, which is impressive for a card with this kind of rewards potential. However, there's a 3% foreign transaction fee on all international purchases, so consider using a different card that doesn't charge that fee if you plan to travel.
Credit Score
Bank of America doesn't publicly disclose its credit score requirements. However, its rewards credit cards are generally reserved for people with good or excellent credit. According to FICO®, a good credit score is 670 or higher. Just because you meet that minimum, though, it doesn't mean you're guaranteed to get approved.
Card Benefits
Like other cash-back credit cards, this one doesn't come with a lot of perks. You'll get some of the standards like FICO Score access, contactless capability and zero-liability fraud protection. But if you're looking for a credit card that offers travel perks, this one may not be right for you.
Related Article
15 Years Later, Here’s Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred Is Still the Best Travel Card for Beginners
Bottom Line
On the surface, the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card's rewards rate is a dime a dozen — there are several other 1.5% and 2% cash-back credit cards from which you can choose. But if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, this card has the potential to be one of the best cash-back credit cards we've seen.
Ready to apply for the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card? Start here.
That said, take your time to consider the hoops you might have to jump through to maximize this card. And plan to shop around and compare other rewards credit cards to ensure that you find the right one for you.
Ben Luthi
Ben Luthi is a personal finance and travel writer and credit card expert. He has a degree in finance from Brigham Young University and worked in financial planning, banking and auto finance before writing full-time for NerdWallet and Student Loan Hero. Ben is now a full-time freelance writer and enjoys traveling and spending time with his two kids. His work has appeared in several publications, including U.S. News & World Report, USA Today, Money, Success and Slickdeals.
