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One key to earning as many rewards as possible is maximizing your returns on day-to-day spending. And if you want cash back, bonus categories can really help you here.

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is a solid no-annual-fee option because you can choose where you'll earn the most. You can get 6% cash back in the category of your choice for the first year, and that rate can climb as high as 8.25% if you qualify for the top tier of the BofA Rewards™ program.

Here’s how the card works and how you can get the most out of those bonus categories.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Welcome Bonus $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Welcome Bonus $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Annual Fee:$0
Show moreWhy We Like ItEarning Rates
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is a $0 annual fee card that offers a tiered cash back rewards system. Cardholders can earn 6% cash back for the first year in a category of their choice, including options like gas and EV charging stations, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases (then 3%). Additionally, the card offers 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. However, the 6% and 2% cash back rates apply only to the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter, after which the rate drops to 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).
  • 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.

Basics of the Bank of America Customized Cash Card

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers a welcome 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 17.74% - 27.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply if the balance is not paid off by the end of the period.

The card charges no annual fee, so you don't have to worry about that eating into your cash-back earnings.

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 Rewards credit 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 in to 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.

Keep in mind that the 6%/3% choice-category rate and 2% grocery store and wholesale club rate only apply to the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter. After that, your purchases will earn 1% cash back.

Hand inserts a Bank of America credit card into a payment terminal.
Credit: Bank of America

Related: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases

BofA Rewards Program

This card already offers outstanding cash-back earnings for a no-annual-fee credit card. However, the BofA Rewards program can dramatically increase those rates.

BofA Rewards replaced Bank of America's former Preferred Rewards program on May 27, 2026, and it works the same basic way: the more you keep on deposit or invested with Bank of America and Merrill, the bigger the boost to your credit card earning rate.

The boost applies across a variety of cards in the Bank of America portfolio, including many cash-back cards and fixed-value travel cards like the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card.

The BofA Rewards tiers are based on a three-month combined average daily balance between Bank of America and Merrill accounts. Here are the levels with the reward multiplier applied to your normal credit card earning rates:

  • Member (no minimum balance): 10% bonus on rewards.
  • Preferred Plus ($30,000 or more in accounts): 25% bonus on rewards.
  • Preferred Honors ($100,000 or more in accounts): 50% bonus on rewards.
  • Premier ($1 million or more in accounts): 75% bonus on rewards.

BofA Rewards also adds perks like subscription credits, cash-back merchant deals, and identity monitoring. For more details, see our full guide to BofA Rewards.

How To Earn up to 8.25% Cash Back in the Category of Your Choice

BofA Rewards bonuses apply to the card’s standard earning rates, but not the additional 3% first-year bonus. Here’s what the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card earns at each tier during the first year, followed by the rate after year one:

  • Member (10% bonus, no minimum balance):
    • 6.3% (3.3% after year one) on your choice category
    • 2.2% on grocery/warehouse
    • 1.1% on all other spend
  • Preferred Plus (25% bonus, $30,000–$99,999):
    • 6.75% (3.75% after year one) on select category spend
    • 2.5% on grocery/warehouse
    • 1.25% on all other spend
  • Preferred Honors (50% bonus, $100,000–$999,999):
    • 7.5% (4.5% after year one) on select category spend
    • 3% on grocery/warehouse
    • 1.5% on all other spend
  • Premier (75% bonus, $1 million or more):
    • 8.25% (5.25% after year one) on select category spend
    • 3.5% on grocery/warehouse
    • 1.75% on all other spend

Under the former Preferred Rewards program, the 75% bonus kicked in at $100,000. Now, you'll need at least $1 million in qualifying Bank of America and Merrill balances to reach the Premier tier. At that level, you'll earn up to 8.25% in your choice category during the first year and 5.25% after. Those with $100,000–$999,999 fall into Preferred Honors instead, earning 7.5% in year one and 4.5% after.

Two people looking at smart phone to read credit card information.
Credit: Bank of America

Redeeming Cash Back With The Bank of America Customized Cash Card

As a cash-back card, it has limited reward redemption options. 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.
  • Redeem cash back toward eligible purchases at Amazon.com or when checking out with PayPal.

Related: How To Redeem Cash Back From Bank of America Credit Cards

Application Restrictions

There are specific application rules for the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, as well as for Bank of America credit cards in general. The terms for this 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've held this card in the past 24 months, you likely won't qualify for the offer again right now. Beyond that, Bank of America limits how many of its own cards you can open within set time frames and separately tracks recent card openings at any bank through your credit report. For the full breakdown, see our Bank of America application rules guide.

A customer pays by credit card at a coffee shop.
Credit: Clay Banks/Unsplash

Related: Understanding Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions

Final Thoughts

If you want a great way to increase your cash-back earnings, especially in certain categories, don't sleep on the Customized Cash. Its flexible bonus category is already useful on its own, and the BofA Rewards program can make it even more rewarding for those with qualifying balances.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Welcome Bonus $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
Welcome Bonus $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Annual Fee:$0
Show moreWhy We Like ItEarning Rates
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is a $0 annual fee card that offers a tiered cash back rewards system. Cardholders can earn 6% cash back for the first year in a category of their choice, including options like gas and EV charging stations, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases (then 3%). Additionally, the card offers 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. However, the 6% and 2% cash back rates apply only to the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter, after which the rate drops to 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).
  • 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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