The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offer the same big draws: bonus rewards on groceries and gas, similar 0% introductory APR periods and welcome offers for new cardholders, and no annual fee.
With this in mind, which card you should choose depends less on those features and more on where you bank.
How the cards compare
Annual fee
$0
$0
Welcome offer
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Rewards
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
3% cash back on the category of your choice, from a list (including gas/EV charging; online shopping, including cable, streaming, internet and phone plans; dining; travel; drugstores; or home improvement/furnishings), and 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on up to $2,500 per quarter in combined spending; 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- 3% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year.*
- 3% back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 spent per year.
- 3% back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 spent per year.
- 1% back on other purchases.
(terms apply — see rates and fees).
Relationship bonus
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Higher reward rates are possible through the Bank of America BofA Rewards® program. (See below for more.)
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
None.
APR
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
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 17.49%-27.49% will apply.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 19.49%-28.49% Variable APR. Terms apply.
Still not sure?
What's the same for both
- An annual fee of $0.
- Bonus rewards for spending on groceries and gas (see below for specifics).
- The welcome offers for new cardholders are comparable.
- Both require good to excellent credit for approval (learn about the range of credit scores, or get your free credit score on NerdWallet).
Rewards rate
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 a year in spending per category, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases (terms apply — see rates and fees).
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: 3% cash back on the category of your choice (including gas/EV charging; online shopping, including cable, streaming, internet and phone plans; dining; travel; drugstores; or home improvement/furnishings) and 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on up to $2,500 per quarter in combined spending; 1% cash back on all other purchases.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students currently earn elevated rewards during the first year you have either card. Rather than earning 3% on the category you choose, you'll earn 6% back. After the first year, this reverts back to 3%. (You'll earn these elevated rewards, plus 2% back on groceries and wholesale clubs up to $2,500 in combined spending per quarter.) Which is better?
If you spend a big chunk of your budget on groceries, you’ll probably earn more rewards with the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. While both cards impose spending caps on popular categories, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns 3% (up to $6,000 spent) on groceries, whereas the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card tops out at 2%.
There are some important caveats here, though. For one thing, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers far more customization, so it might be the better choice if your budget is unpredictable from month to month, and if you're a relatively low spender generally. Plus, if you're already a Bank of America® customer, you could come out significantly ahead because of loyalty bonuses available on the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.
If you have a Bank of America® checking account, you could earn higher reward rates through the BofA Rewards® program. The bonus starts at 10% for members, but can grow to as high as 75%, depending on the combined balances in your Bank of America® accounts.
Bonus for new cardholders
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Which is better?
It's a draw.
Interest rates
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 19.49%-28.49% Variable APR.
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: 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 17.49%-27.49% will apply.
Which is better?
Interest rates and introductory APR offers can change frequently. Choose the one that fits your goals.
If you're looking to save money on existing debt, you should know that some of the best balance transfer cards may offer a $0 balance transfer fee or a lengthier interest-free period than either of these cards.
Extra statement credits
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express:
- A Disney Bundle streaming credit after you enroll and use the card to pay for the subscription service.
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card:
- None.
Which should you get?
- If you're not a Bank of America® customer: For most people, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express will deliver more rewards than the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.
- If you qualify for BofA Rewards®: The bonuses for those with big account balances can supercharge your rewards, earning effective rates as high as 5.25% for gas (or your preferred choice in that category) and 3.5% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs.
*Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
