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Offers for the Free Spirit® Travel
Spirit Airlines ceased operations for good on May 2, 2026. Things unraveled very quickly, and there was very little information surrounding what would happen to the Bank of America-issued Free Spirit® Travel More MasterCard® or Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® — at least at first.
Finally, this week, we have a bit more clarity. Free Spirit cardholders have started receiving details of what's next for their cards. And we reached out to Bank of America to ask clarifying questions.
Here's everything we know so far.
What Will Happen to My Spirit Airlines Credit or Debit Cards?
Now, with one fewer airline in the skies, there’s also one fewer
If you were more invested in Spirit Airlines than most — say, you had a Spirit Travel More Mastercard or kept funds in a Free Spirit Debit Card account — you likely have a lot of questions about what comes next.
First and foremost, your account and credit line aren’t going anywhere. Beyond that, though, there are a few things you should know about how Bank of America and Cross River Bank plan to handle these accounts. So, let’s go card by card.
What's happening to the Free Spirit Travel More MasterCard and Free Spirit Travel Mastercard?
To Spirit’s credit, it was pretty relentless in trying to make the Bank of America-issued Spirit Travel More Mastercard a must-have. In its prime, the card offered perks like free checked bags, complimentary upgrades (yes!), and more. All that to say, there were real reasons to carry this card. And we know plenty of readers still have it and/or its no-annual-fee counterpart, the Spirit Travel Mastercard.
Now, we finally have clarity about what's happening to these cards. Bank of America confirmed to AwardWallet that most cardholders will transition to the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.
This is actually the best-case scenario. Why? Well, the Bank of America Customized Cash 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 BofA Rewards™ program member, you can earn 10%–75% more cash back on every purchase. That's better than what either Spirit credit card offered.
Plus, the Bank of America Customized Cash Card card normally charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. However, since your Spirit card didn't charge a foreign transaction fee, neither will your converted Bank of America Customized Cash Card.
And even though your Spirit Travel More Mastercard charged a $79 (waived for the first year) annual fee, you won't pay an annual fee with your new Bank of America Customized Cash Card.
- 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.
If you already have a Bank of America Customized Cash Card, your card will be transitioned to a Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card. You also won't pay an annual fee, nor will you pay foreign transaction fees.
What we haven't been able to confirm
That's about where our knowledge ends. There are lots of reports circulating online with the following information:
- Spirit points earned on transactions after April 28, 2026, will automatically be converted to cash rewards.
- Annual fees charged just before Spirit shut down will be refunded.
- Anyone who was working toward a welcome bonus will have an opportunity to earn it on their new Bank of America card.
- Credit lines, APRs, and account numbers will stay the same.
Unfortunately, we can't confirm this information. Bank of America declined to comment, and no one on the AwardWallet team had a Spirit credit card.
As Spirit works through the bankruptcy process, the courts will ultimately determine what happens to outstanding loyalty balances. Hopefully there's good news that'll come from that, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. If you have specific questions about the Free Spirit program, Bank of America is directing inquiries to SpiritAirlinesInfo@epiqglobal.com.
Free Spirit Debit Card
Beyond its
But if you did sign up to earn Free Spirit points on debit card transactions, there is some clarity. Cross River Bank, the card’s issuer, published a handy FAQ on the card’s landing page.
In short, your funds are safe. Your balance is held separately from Spirit Airlines’ assets, and the airline’s bankruptcy has no impact on your money. You can even withdraw your funds now if you’d like.
What’s more, your card will continue to work, but it will no longer earn rewards. So, as with the Spirit credit cards above, you may want to switch to a different card for everyday spending. There are a couple of other debit cards that earn travel rewards, so you have options.
I’d expect Cross River Bank to communicate with cardholders as more information becomes available. But since Free Spirit points are no longer redeemable, it’s probably wise to transfer your funds out of your Free Spirit Debit Card account and turn over a new leaf somewhere else.
Bottom Line
It’s truly unfortunate that Spirit Airlines shut down on May 2, 2026, leaving around 17,000 employees out of a job, complicating countless trips, and rendering worthless an unknown amount of trip credits and Free Spirit points.
The good news is that if you have a Spirit Airlines credit card or funds in a Free Spirit Debit Card account, there’s no immediate reason to worry. Your card will soon be converted to a Bank of America Customized Cash Card if it hasn't happened already. Unfortunately, we don't know for sure whether you'll be able to get your annual fee refunded, earn a welcome bonus, or convert your Spirit rewards into cash back.
If you were a Spirit credit card holder and your card has already been converted, let us know about your experience in the comments.
