Earn Unlimited Points With This Little-Known Travel Credit Card

Motley Fool
15 Oct 2024

KEY POINTS

  • The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers unlimited 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases.
  • There's also a generous welcome offer that's pretty easy to snag.
  • With no annual fee, this could be a good choice for people who travel on occasion, but not a ton.

There's a reason people who travel a lot tend to seek out travel rewards credit cards. Although these cards commonly charge an annual fee, they often include extra perks that make the fee worth paying.

But what if you're someone who travels on occasion, but not so often? You may not want to spend money on a credit card you only get modest benefits from.

If this sounds like you, then the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card could be a good choice. That's because the card not only allows you to earn unlimited 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases, but there's no annual fee to pay at all.

Ratings Methodology

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

OnBank of America'sSecure Website.

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5Circle with letter I in it.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5Circle with letter I in it.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it.Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

OnBank of America'sSecure Website.

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it.Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it.0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.74% - 28.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular APR

18.74% - 28.74% (Variable)

RewardsCircle with letter I in it.Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

1.5 points per dollar

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it.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

25,000 points

  • This is a good starter travel card thanks to its simplicity and no annual fee. It offers a strong welcome bonus worth $250, unlimited 1.5% points on all purchases, and no foreign transaction fee. Simply redeem points as a statement credit for travel or dining purchases. The generous 0% Intro APR on purchases for 15 billing cycles might come in handy if you want to pay-off an expensive trip over time without interest. It’s a particularly good fit for Bank of America Preferred Rewards members, who can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase (depending on your tier).

    • Big sign-up bonus
    • No annual fee
    • Competitive rewards rate on purchases
    • Great 0% intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers
    • Limited ways to use points
    • Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
    • 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.
    • Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
    • Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
    • 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.74% - 28.74% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
    • If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
    • Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
    • This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

The upside

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card has some key benefits. First, it's nice to earn 1.5 points on all purchases without having to keep tabs on revolving bonus categories. You just buy the things you normally would and swipe your card.

Also, the card has a pretty generous welcome offer that's fairly easy to snag. Right now, you can snag 25,000 points worth $250 in travel if you spend $1,000 within 90 days of opening an account. That threshold is well below the $3,000 or more many other travel cards impose.

You should also know that there are no foreign transaction fees to worry about with the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card. Given that plenty of cards charge an extra 3% or so on purchases abroad, that could be a big money-saver right there. Plus, there are opportunities to earn even more rewards through Bank of America's Preferred Rewards program, if you're a member.

The downside

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card is an affordable option for occasional travelers. But if you're a more frequent traveler, you may want to look elsewhere, like our best travel rewards credit cards list.

The reason? The card offers no bonus rewards for travel-related spending.

Sure, you'll still get the 1.5 points per dollar spent. But flight and hotel purchases don't snag you extra points, which isn't really what you'd expect from a travel rewards credit card.

Also, the process of redeeming points can be a little tricky. That alone is something you can probably learn to navigate once you do it the first time, but the lack of bonus points on travel purchases may be a turnoff.

It's also common for travel rewards credit cards to offer perks like an annual hotel credit or airport lounge access. But you won't find that here. To be fair, that's a more common benefit on cards with an annual fee.

That's why the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card is generally a good choice for people who travel a few times a year at most. If you're someone who's boarding a plane every month, you may want to look into other credit cards that offer superior perks. Granted, you might end up paying an annual fee for one of those cards. But that fee might more than make up for itself with the benefits you get.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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