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Getting an outsized return on a no-annual-fee card is one of the best moves you can make with your credit card portfolio. An excellent option to achieve this is the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, which offers valuable bonus categories that earn 6% cash back for the first year (then 3%) on up to $2,500 in spending per quarter.
If you unlock this card's full potential, you can earn up to 10.5% in a category of your choosing — all without an annual fee.
But the most important step is a simple one: Selecting your bonus category. Let us show you how.
Bank of America Customized Cash Card Earning Rates
The Bank of America Customized Cash Card gives you options to earn bonus cash back where you spend the most. This versatility can be very useful for filling gaps in your overall bonus earnings.
The card earns 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice (then 3%), automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%–75% more cash back on every purchase.
Bank of America Customized Cash Card bonus categories
You can pick from the following options for your top bonus category cash back:
- Online shopping (e.g., Amazon, Target, Walmart)
- Gas & EV charging stations
- Dining
- Drugstores
- Home improvement and furnishings
- Travel
Interestingly, some of these categories are broader than you'd expect. For instance, online shopping also includes streaming services, internet, phone plans, and cable. The full list of eligible categories and associated purchase types can be found on Bank of America's website (which we are forbidden to link to, but you can easily find in these Google Search results).
Changing your category will take effect the same day, based on Central Time. If you make a change to your 3% choice category and have already reached the spend cap for the quarter, you’ll earn 1% on your choice category until the next quarter starts.
Related: Expanded Earning Opportunities on the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
How to Select Your Bank of America Customized Cash Card 3% Bonus Category
The most important thing to remember is that you must actually select a category to earn your bonus cash back. This is a simple, but easily overlooked, detail. If you don't select a category, the default will be gas and EV charging stations.
To select your bonus category, log in to your Bank of America account, select your Bank of America Customized Cash Card, and look for the “3% choice” description. Under this, you'll see “View/Redeem.” Click on that.
On the next screen, click on “Change Category.”
The next page will show a list of options for the 3% category.
This is where you will select your 3% cash back category for the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. In this photo, online shopping is the currently selected category. Select whichever category you want to use. After that, select “OK,” and you are good to go.
You can change your category just once per month. Near the top of this page, you can see the date you last changed your category, and the amount you have spent in each category is listed separately. For each quarter, you get a total of $2500 in bonus category spending, regardless of how many times you change the category. After passing the $2,500 limit (which is shared by your 3% and 2% categories), you'll earn 1% cash back until the next quarter.
Related: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card full review
Supercharge Earnings to 10.5% With Preferred Rewards
The Bank of America Preferred Rewards program offers customers various bonuses and discounts based on the amount of money they keep in Bank of America or Merrill Lynch accounts. The most valuable benefit is the bonus multipliers on all eligible Bank of America credit cards, which increase your earnings each time you use your card.
If you have Platinum Honors status (achieved by holding $100,000 or more in funds and assets deposited with Bank of America and Merrill), your Bank of America Customized Cash Card will get 75% extra earnings. That equates to a supercharged earning rate of 10.5% cash back on purchases in your selected bonus category for the first year. This is one of the best returns you will find for a no-annual-fee card.
Gold and Platinum status will also increase bonus earnings to 7.5% and 9% in the bonus categories, respectively. Gold status is earned by holding $20,000 with Bank of America and Merrill accounts.
For another hoop to jump through, you must also enroll in the Preferred Rewards program once you have the required assets in order for these boosted rates to take effect.
And Preferred Rewards applies to more than just the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. For example, Preferred Rewards could help you earn 3.5% cash back on all purchases on a card with no annual fee or up to 2.62 points per dollar on a Bank of America travel card.
Bottom Line
The key to unlocking the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is remembering to do the little things. Make sure you choose your bonus category, and ensure it's active before you start spending. Additionally, make sure you track your spending on this card to maximize your $2,500 quarterly bonus in the bonus categories. You may want to switch the card you use for purchases after you pass this threshold.
If you are able, consider moving your assets to Bank of America and Merrill to get the Preferred Rewards bonus. If you qualify, this program could help you earn up to 10.5% cash back in your bonus category for an entire year.
If you don't like needing to remember little things like this, then this isn't the right card for you. But, if you don't mind a little extra work for a significant reward, then you can do very well with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card in your portfolio.
- 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.
