Bank of America Unveils Unlimited Cash Rewards Card: 1.5% Back, No Annual Fee

Funto Omojola
By Funto Omojola 
Published
Edited by Erica Corbin

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

» This page is out of date

The terms on the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card have changed since this article was published. See our review of the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card for up-to-date offer details.

Bank of America® has introduced a new player to the 1.5% cash-back arena: the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card. It earns 1.5% back on all purchases, offers a decent sign-up bonus and has no annual fee.

The cash-back card, which is available starting July 19, 2021, is a no-fuss option for consumers who prefer simplicity, particularly those who are already Bank of America® members. For non-members, however, there are better card options available.

Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card: Key details

  • Annual fee: $0

  • Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

  • Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 online cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

  • APR offer: 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 18.24% - 28.24% will apply (Updated Aug. 1, 2022).

  • Foreign transaction fee: 3%.

  • Balance transfer fee: 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%

  • Perks: Members of the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program can boost their rewards rates by 25%-75% more on every purchase. Depending on how much money you hold in an eligible Bank of America® or Merrill account, you could earn up to 2.62% cash back on every purchase.

  • Redemption options: Cash back can be redeemed for statement credits, as deposits made into a Bank of America® checking or savings account, or for credit to an eligible account with Merrill. There’s no limit to the amount of cash back cardholders can earn, and rewards don’t expire.

Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card vs. competitors

Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card is joining an already crowded field of no-annual-fee, 1.5% cash-back offers from other major issuers. And while it is on par with competitors in terms of key offerings, there are a couple of differences worth noting:

  • Pro: It has an interest-free balance transfer period. Unlike a card like the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, which only has an intro APR offer on purchases, the new Bank of America® card’s interest-free offer applies to balance transfers as well.

  • Con: It has a higher spending requirement than competitors. Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card's sign-up bonus is relatively as lucrative as competitor offers. However, it requires a slightly steeper spending requirement than its counterparts. (The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card features a lower spending requirement in the first three months of cardholding, for the same amount of bonus rewards.)

Other than these differences, Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card doesn't stand out among the already saturated 1.5% cash-back card space.

Further, while a 1.5% flat rate is still largely the industry standard, there’s a growing number of cards on the market that offer an elevated 2% back on all purchases with no strings attached. Compared to those,Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card credit card falls significantly short.

Should you get Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card?

Loyal Bank of America® customers who already have an account with the issuer will find the most value out of Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card. That’s because account holders who are part of the bank’s Preferred Rewards program can get a points boost of 25% to 75%, based on how much they have in an eligible account.

For example, if you have up to $20,000 in an account as a Gold member, you can earn 1.875% cash back rather than the standard 1.5%. Being a Platinum Honors member with ​​$100,000 or more in an eligible account can be especially lucrative — your cash back is bumped up to 2.625%.

But beyond this, non-Preferred Rewards members can find card offerings that are very similar to this new Bank of America® card, if not better.

Find the right credit card for you.

Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.

Get Started
Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.