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One of the keys to earning as many rewards as possible is to maximize your point and cash back earnings on your day-to-day spending. Certain cards offer spending bonus categories that provide a lot of points or a healthy amount of cash back. How does earning 6% up to as much as 10.5% cash back on a specific category every quarter sound? And what if we told you that you can get that on a card without an annual fee?
- 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy purchase, or home improvement/furnishing purchases, then 3% after the first year of card membership*
- 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs*
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- * You'll earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
Enter the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card — an excellent card with many benefits. Especially when combined with the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program, this card can greatly increase your cash-back earnings!
Here's what you need to know about the card and how its earning rates can help you boost your return on spending.
Page Contents
- Basics of the Bank of America Customized Cash Card
- Earning Cash Back With the Bank of America Customized Cash Card
- Bank of America Preferred Rewards Program
- How to Earn Up to 10.5% Cash Back in the Category of Your Choice
- Redeeming Cash Back With the Bank of America Customized Cash Card
- Application Restrictions
- Final Thoughts
Basics of the Bank of America Customized Cash Card
The Bank of America Customized Cash Card provides a sign-up bonus of $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, plus earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice.
The card also offers 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. However, a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply if the balance is not paid off by the end of the period.
And you don't have to worry about annual fees eating into your cashback earnings. The Bank of America Customized Cash Card charges $0 annual fee.
Related: Bank of America Customized Cash Card Full Review
Earning Cash Back With the Bank of America Customized Cash Card
The Bank of America Customized Cash Card can be a lucrative cash-back card if you leverage its unique spending categories. Here's a breakdown of the card's earning rates:
- 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy purchase, or home improvement/furnishing purchases, then 3% after the first year of card membership*
- 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs*
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- * You'll earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
You can change your 6%/3% bonus category once per month. To do so, log into your online Bank of America account or open the mobile app. Until you make your first category selection, you'll earn 6% cash back at gas stations and on EV charging.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases
Bank of America Preferred Rewards Program
The Bank of America Customized Cash Card already offers excellent cashback earnings for a $0 annual fee credit card. However, the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program can dramatically increase the cashback rate.
The Bank of America Preferred Rewards program provides several benefits to customers who meet certain deposit and investment thresholds with Bank of America and Merrill, respectively. Most notably, Bank of America boosts the credit card reward earnings for those who achieve status in the program. The more money you have deposited and/or invested with Bank of America, the higher the rewards multiplier will be.
The boost in earnings from the Preferred Rewards program applies across a variety of cards in the Bank of America portfolio, including cashback cards like the Bank of America Customized Cash Card and also fixed-value travel cards like the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card.
The Bank of America Preferred Rewards tier levels are based on a three-month combined average daily balance between Bank of America and Merrill accounts. Here are the four levels with the reward multiplier applied to your normal credit card earning rates:
- Gold level ($20,000 to $50,000 in accounts): 25% bonus on rewards.
- Platinum level ($50,000 to $100,000 in accounts): 50% bonus on rewards.
- Platinum Honors level ($100,000 to $1 million in accounts): 75% bonus on rewards.
- Diamond level ($1 million to $10 million in accounts): 75% bonus on rewards.
How to Earn Up to 10.5% Cash Back in the Category of Your Choice
Bank of America Preferred Rewards multipliers are added to what you already get with your Bank of America credit card. In other words, here's what the Bank of America Customized Cash Card will net based on your Preferred Rewards tier:
- Gold Tier (25% Bonus):
- 7.5% on select category spend
- 2.5% on grocery/warehouse
- 1.25% on all other spend
- Platinum Tier (50% Bonus):
- 9% on select category spend
- 3% on grocery/warehouse
- 1.5% on all other spend
- Platinum Honors & Diamond (75% Bonus):
- 10.5% on select category spend
- 3.5% on grocery/warehouse
- 1.75% on all other spend
To hammer the point home, holding a minimum average of $100,000 in Bank of America/Merrill accounts will yield you a maximum of 10.5% cash back in the category of your choice, 3.5% on grocery/warehouse purchases, and 1.75% on everything else — all for a $0 annual fee card. That's brilliant! Remember, after the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum, so the maximum earnings drop to 5.25% on your chosen category.
Redeeming Cash Back With the Bank of America Customized Cash Card
The Bank of America Customized Cash Card is a cash-back card, so it has limited redemption options for your rewards. Here are the ways you can receive your cash-back earnings:
- Redeem as a statement credit at any time in any amount.
- Redeem for a deposit at any time or amount to a Bank of America checking or savings account or an eligible Merrill account.
- Redeem for a check in the mail or a contribution to a qualifying 529 account with Merrill. The minimum amount to redeem using this option is $25.
- Set up automatic redemptions into an eligible Bank of America or Merrill account. The minimum amount to redeem using this option is $25.
Related: How To Redeem Cash Back From Bank of America Credit Cards
Application Restrictions
There are application rules specific to the Bank of America Customized Cash Card, and also applicable to Bank of America credit cards in general. The terms for the Bank of America Customized Cash Card state:
“This card may not be available to you if you currently have or have had the card in the preceding 24-month period.”
If you have this card right now or have earned a bonus on the card in the past 24 months(and have closed the card), you likely aren't eligible for the bonus at present. Also, Bank of America has a 2/3/4 rule which limits potential new cardholders to the following:
- Two new cards in a 2-month period.
- Three new cards in a 12-month period.
- Four new cards in a 24-month period.
These numbers are specific to Bank of America's own credit cards. Also, Bank of America has another set of credit card application rules related to how many credit cards you've opened recently. These rules apply to cards from all banks that are visible on your credit report — not just Bank of America-issued ones:
- If you have accounts with Bank of America: Your application will be denied if you've opened seven new cards in the past 12 months.
- If you don't have accounts with Bank of America: Your application will be denied if you've opened three new cards in the past 12 months.
Related: Understanding Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Final Thoughts
If you want a great way to increase your cashback earnings — especially in certain categories — don't sleep on the Bank of America Customized Cash Card. In combination with the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program, this card provides great cashback options for specific categories and everyday spending!
- 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy purchase, or home improvement/furnishing purchases, then 3% after the first year of card membership*
- 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs*
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- * You'll earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
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