The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card is an affordable and straightforward travel rewards card with a generous welcome offer and no foreign transaction fees. It’s suitable for travel rewards beginners and anyone who wants to avoid an annual fee, but if you want elevated benefits, consider other travel credit cards.
Annual fee
$0
Welcome offer
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening – that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
Introductory APR
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Purchase APR
17.49% – 27.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Rewards rate
Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on everyday purchasesNo blackout dates or restrictionsPoints do not expire as long as your account remains open
Benefits
Flexibility to redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel and dining purchasesNo expiration on your points, as long as the account remains openNo blackout dates or booking restrictions
With the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card, you can take advantage of two intro APR offers. These offers allow you to pay down debt or cover a large purchase without worrying about interest charges for a while. Note that balance transfers incur fees.
Related: Avoid paying interest rates for up to 21 months with the best 0% APR credit cards
Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can earn 25% (Gold Tier) to 75% (Platinum Honors and Diamond Honors Tiers) more points on every eligible purchase. That means you could earn 1.87x to 2.62x points on every purchase with your Bank of America Travel Rewards card instead of the base 1.5x rewards rate.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards offers 1.5x points on every eligible purchase. If you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can boost your earnings by up to 75% at the Platinum Honors or Diamond Honors Tier, which is up to 2.62x points on every eligible purchase.
Eligible new cardholders can also earn a welcome bonus of 25,000 bonus points after spending at least $1,000 in the first 90 days after account opening.
Related: Enjoy boosted first-year credit card rewards with the best credit card sign-up bonuses and welcome offers
The Bank of America Travel Rewards offers these redemption options with its rewards program:
Statement credits toward travel and dining purchases: Cash rewards can be redeemed as statement credits to offset eligible travel and dining expenses in the past 12 months, such as flights, hotel stays, or restaurant bills. The minimum redemption is 2,500 points. Rewards redeemed this way are worth $0.01 (2,500 points = $25).
Cash back: Cash rewards can be redeemed as a check or an electronic deposit into an eligible Bank of America® checking or savings account, or as credit to a qualifying Cash Management Account® with Merrill. The minimum redemption is 2,500 points. Rewards redeemed this way are worth $0.006 (2,500 points = $15).
Gift cards: You can redeem points for various types of gift cards at a varying redemption value, depending on the gift card. The minimum redemption is 3,125 points.
Note that your points are worth more when redeemed for statement credits toward travel and dining purchases than for cash back.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to worry about blackout dates to use your points to book travel, since you simply pay with your card and then redeem points as a statement credit toward the eligible purchase.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards makes sense if you want a no-annual-fee credit card with flat-rate rewards. It doesn’t have many additional benefits, but it’s affordable and easy to use. This makes it a good card if you’re just starting out with travel rewards and learning how they work.
However, there are better cards available if you want to earn more rewards in specific categories or take advantage of premium travel benefits, such as airport lounge access.
Related: Best rewards credit cards
Generous welcome offer for new cardholders
Straightforward rewards rate
Introductory APR offers
No annual fee
No foreign transaction fees
No transfer partners as a redemption option
No bonus categories on the rewards rate
No premium travel benefits, such as annual travel credits or airport lounge access
The Bank of America Travel Rewards is a Visa credit card, so it’s accepted at any merchant or retailer that accepts Visa worldwide. In addition, you don’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees with this card if you travel internationally.
Related: Best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees
You can make Bank of America credit card payments through your online account at BankofAmerica.com, through the Bank of America mobile app, or in person at about 3,700 financial centers or over 15,000 ATMs.
To make a payment over the phone, call 1-800-236-6497.
If you want to make a payment by mail, use these addresses:
Consumer card payments (standard delivery): PO Box 15019 Wilmington, DE 19850-5019
Consumer card payments (overnight delivery): Bank of America, Attn: Payment Processing DE5-023-03-02 900 Samoset Drive Newark, DE 19713
Business card payments: Bank of America Business Card PO Box 15710 Wilmington, DE 19850-5710
You can reach Bank of America credit card customer service 24/7 by calling 1-800-732-9194 or the number on the back of your card. The international line (charges may apply) is 1-302-738-5719.
Rewards rate
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries2x points on all other travel purchases1x points on all other purchases$50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
Benefits
Complimentary DashPass with $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27, plus a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant ordersEarn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase TravelOn every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides more redemption options than the Bank of America Travel Rewards, giving you more flexibility with your points. This includes transferring points to travel partners or redeeming points for travel through Chase.
Read our full Chase Sapphire Preferred review
Annual fee
$95
Welcome offer
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Purchase APR
19.49% – 28.49% variable
Rewards rate
5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel2x miles on all other purchases
Benefits
Receive up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck® application feesReceive a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and early check-in at eligible hotelsAccess Hertz’s Five Star membership tier, offering free upgrades, a wider selection of vehicles, and more
Why we like it: The Capital One Venture Rewards beats the Bank of America Travel Rewards with its higher earning rate, more flexible redemption options, and additional travel perks. You can transfer your miles to over 15 travel partners and receive up to $120 in credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck applications.
Read our full Capital One Venture Rewards review
Rewards rate
10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel2x miles on all other purchases
Benefits
$300 annual credit for travel bookings through Capital One Travel10,000 annual bonus miles (worth $100 in travel spending; starts on your first account anniversary)Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass lounges, after enrollment
Why we like it: The Capital One Venture X is a premium travel card that offers multiple annual benefits and access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. This card is much better suited to frequent travelers than the Bank of America Travel Rewards card, and it also offers a higher base rewards rate.
Read our full Capital One Venture X review
It depends on your travel and spending habits. A general travel rewards card makes sense if you want to earn points or miles on everyday purchases that you can redeem toward your next vacation. However, you might consider an airline credit card or hotel credit card if you’re loyal to a specific airline or hotel loyalty program.
You get the highest redemption value by using your points for statement credits toward dining or travel purchases. This could include redeeming points toward flights, hotel stays, or dining at restaurants.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Yes, you can redeem points on your Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for cash back or gift cards. However, these redemption options provide less value compared to redeeming points for statement credits toward travel and dining purchases.
Related: Best cash-back credit cards
