Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
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It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
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Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Rosalie Murphy covers small business topics for NerdWallet. Previously, she led editorial strategy for a local news startup and covered business at The Desert Sun. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Overview
The bottom line:
This card offers straightforward cash back on all purchases. It’s an especially good choice for Bank of America® business checking customers, who can qualify for higher rewards rates with the bank’s Preferred Rewards for Business program.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.24%-27.24% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on Purchases for 9 billing cycles
Rewards rate
1.5%
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases everywhere, every time.
Cashback
Foreign transaction fee
3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each transaction
Intro offer
$300
Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in net purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
Pros & Cons
Pros
New cardholder bonus offer
High rewards rate
Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
Requires excellent credit
Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
More details from Bank of America
Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, or join Preferred Rewards for Business for no fee, and earn up to an unlimited 2.62% cash back on all purchases if you have a Bank of America® business checking account and qualify for Preferred Rewards for Business Platinum Honors tier.
No annual cap and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
No annual fee.
Choose how to redeem your cash rewards – as a deposit into your Bank of America® checking or savings account, as a card statement credit or as a check mailed to you.
0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 9 billing cycles. After the intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that's currently 17.24% to 27.24% will apply.
Contactless Cards - the security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card is a solid choice for business owners looking for simple, easy-to-manage cash back — especially if you use Bank of America® for business checking already.
This business credit card offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no limits or expiration dates.
But if you keep at least $20,000 in a Bank of America® business checking account and/or a linked Merrill business investment account, you can enroll in the Preferred Rewards for Business program. That ups you to as much as 2.62% cash back — which is tough to beat for a flat-rate card with no annual fee or rewards cap.
Key features of the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard credit card
Sign-up bonus: Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in net purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
Rewards: Earn 1.5% per dollar spent on all purchases. Preferred Rewards for Business members can earn an additional 25% to 75% in cash-back rewards.
APR: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 9 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-27.24% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fees: 3%.
Why you might want the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Simple cash back
This is a no-frills cash-back business credit card that offers a baseline of 1.5% back across the board. The rewards rate is the same on every purchase, there’s no annual cap and rewards never expire as long as your account remains open. If your spending doesn’t fall into the bonus categories rewarded by other cash-back cards — like office supplies or gas — that’s a competitive rewards rate.
Earn more points with Preferred Rewards for Business
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card is most valuable for businesses that keep at least $20,000 in combined balances in eligible Bank of America® and Merrill business accounts.
Those users can qualify for the Bank of America® Preferred Rewards for Business program, which offers Bank of America® business credit card holders extra cash back on top of the card’s basic 1.5%.
Gold tier members earn 25% more cash back, Platinum members earn 50% more and Platinum Honors members earn 75% more. Here’s what that means in terms of reward rate.
Preferred Rewards status
Rewards bonus
Cash back per dollar spent
None (no accounts, or combined balances below $20,000)
None.
1.5%.
Gold
(combined balances of $20,000 to $49,999)
25%.
1.87%.
Platinum
(combined balances of $50,000 to $99,999)
50%.
2.25%.
Platinum Honors
(combined balances of $100,000 or more)
75%.
2.62%.
Here’s what that means in the real world: If you were to spend $100,000 annually on your Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card, you’d earn $1,500 in cash back over the course of the year. But if your business had enough money in the bank to qualify for the Platinum Honors rewards rate, you’d get $2,620 back — more than $1,100 in extra rewards.
Why you might want a different card
Higher cash-back rewards rates
While the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card offers a competitive cash-back rate, there are other cards that offer greater rewards per dollar spent — without requiring you to jump through the hoops to become a Preferred Rewards for Business member.
For instance, take The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, which offers 2% cash back across the board on your first $50,000 in spending. Terms apply. If you plan to spend that amount or less, that’s a higher rewards rate than Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card offers. But after $50,000, the AmEx card’s rewards rate drops to 1% — so the more you plan to spend, the more competitive the Bank of America® option becomes.
Your spending aligns with bonus categories
If you use your business credit card on gas, office supplies, travel or business consulting services, consider the Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card instead. That card offers this cash-back system: Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas stations & EV charging stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom & wireless, computer services or business consulting services, 2% cash back on dining purchases on the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Preferred Rewards for Business members still get the rewards bonuses laid out in the table above — which means the highest possible rewards rate on your chosen category is 5.25%.
Also, take a look at the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. This card offers as much as 5% cash back in certain categories, which may make it a good choice for entrepreneurs who don't have other accounts at Bank of America®.
Larger sign-up bonuses
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card comes with a respectable sign-up bonus: Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in net purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
But some competitor cards come with larger perks for bigger spenders — like the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. Its offer is: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That card also has an intro APR period and no annual fee.
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card gives you 0% intro APR on Purchases for 9 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-27.24% Variable APR. That’s useful if your business wants to front a large expense and pay it off over time.
Should you get the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card?
This card is a solid choice for business owners looking for simple, easy-to-manage cash back. It comes with no annual fee, plus a decent sign-up bonus and intro APR period.
But you won’t realize the full power of this card unless you keep enough cash with Bank of America® to qualify for its Preferred Rewards for Business program — at least $20,000 on average over three months. The more cash you keep in the bank, the more your rewards rate rises, potentially peaking at 2.62% cash back.
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.