Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card Overview
[2018.7 Update] A record high sign-up bonus of 25k has appeared!
Application Link
- BoA Travel Rewards Regular version.
- BoA Travel Rewards for Students Student version. Note: Except for the sign-up bonus, there is no difference in benefits between the student version and the regular version. Students are advised to apply for the student version, and non-students are advised to apply for the regular version.
feature
- 25k sign-up bonus: Earn 25,000 points (valued at $250) after spending $1,000 or more within 3 months of account opening.
- 1.5x points rebate on all purchases.
- Points can be redeemed for travel expenses at a fixed ratio of 1:1. They can also be exchanged for cash or gift cards, but the conversion rate is very low.
- BoA Preferred Rewards Account Tiers Bonus: If you have BoA checking account , and in a BoA bank account + Merrill Edge Investment Account If the asset size reaches a certain level, you can get a cashback bonus. Gold level (need assets over $20k) can get 25% more; Platinum level (need assets over $50k) can get 50% more; Platinum Honors level (need assets over $100k) can get 75% more.
- No Foreign Transaction Fee (FTF).
- No annual fee.
Recommended application time
- You can apply without SSN and zero credit record! If you have no credit record, it is recommended to apply at the bank counter.
- 【New】【2/3/4 Rule】A maximum of 2 BoA cards can be approved within 2 months; a maximum of 3 BoA cards can be approved within 12 months; a maximum of 4 BoA cards can be approved within 24 months. Currently, BoA’s IT system is still quite poor, so this rule may not reject you at the beginning, but it is possible that your application is approved at first, and then a few days later, you find that the card is closed because it is “approved in error”.
- 【New】If you are holding or have held this card within 24 months, you will not be able to apply for this card.BoA 24 Month Churn Card Rules.
- Theoretically, BoA’s credit card is only valid for US persons (seeIdentification of tax filing status》) can apply online. If you are a Non-Resident Alien (NRA), you need to call or go to the local branch to apply. In fact, the bank will not really verify whether you are a US Person. NRA online applications can also be approved, but at your own risk.
Summarize
The sign-up bonus of this card is quite generous for a card with no annual fee. This card has no annual fee and no Foreign Transaction Fee (FTF), which is suitable for people who do not want to hold an annual fee card but need to make purchases abroad. In addition, if you have assets of $100k or more in BoA or Merrill Edge, you can get a rebate bonus, which will eventually become a return rate of 1.5%*(1+75%)=2.625%! This is the highest return rate among all cards when there is no bonus category. It is worth considering for people with particularly large consumption. The money placed in BoA or Merrill Edge does not have to be in the form of cash. It can be bought into a very low-risk money fund (similar to Yu'e Bao in China), such as VMMXX, so there is no opportunity cost (if you already have enough funds). Note: Merrill Edge investment account can only be opened by green card holders or US citizens. If you don’t have so much money to deposit in BoA or Merill Edge, you can consider PayPal Cashback Mastercard Credit Card, 2% cash back on all purchases, no annual fee and no FTF (however, no sign-up bonus).
Related credit cards
- BoA Customized Cash
- BoA Unlimited Cash
- BoA Travel Rewards (this article)
- BoA Premium Rewards
- BoA Premium Elite Rewards
After applying
- BoA application status query can Click here.
- BoA reconsideration backdoor number: 877-383-0120 or 866-811-4108. It seems that BoA's phone number keeps changing... If the number is disconnected, please let us know immediately. BoA can directly contact the person who has the decision-making power.
Sign-up bonus trend chart
Application Link
- BoA Travel Rewards Regular Edition
- BoA Travel Rewards for Students Student version. Note: Except for the sign-up bonus, there is no difference in benefits between the student version and the regular version. Students are advised to apply for the student version, and non-students are advised to apply for the regular version.