Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card review: Earn unlimited cash back with no annual fee
| 1.5% | Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. |
Editor's Note
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card Overview
The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card offers simplified rewards where you'll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no annual fee. The card — and cash back — can become quite lucrative for anyone with a significant banking or investing relationship with Bank of America. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card has no annual fee and is the perfect solution for those who want simplicity in their credit card rewards. It earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. For existing Bank of America Preferred Reward® members, you'll earn up to an extra 75% more for up to 2.62% cash back on every purchase made.
Cash rewards don't expire as long as the account remains open. If you aren't a frequent traveler, having cash back in your pocket now versus waiting for the "right" redemption and having to worry about point valuations might sound appealing.
Cash back can be redeemed as a deposit into your Bank of America checking or savings accounts, a statement credit to your credit card and even a credit to an eligible Merrill® account, including 529 accounts.
TPG recommends you have a credit score of 670 or higher to increase your chances of getting approved for this card, but it is not uncommon to get approved with a lower score.
Let's examine if you should add the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards to your wallet.
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards pros and cons
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Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards welcome offer
With the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards card, you'll earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening. While there are better bonus offers out there, this is on par with many other offers available for a no-annual-fee credit card.
The fact that you'll receive cash back in your pocket allows you to use that money on any purchase you desire — even if it's not for travel purposes. And with a low minimum spend requirement, earning the cash rewards bonus shouldn't be difficult for most.
Related: Cash back versus points-and-miles credit cards
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards benefits
Similar to many other no-annual-fee credit cards, the perks on the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card are limited, especially on the travel front.
You won't find perks like automatic hotel status, airport lounge access or complimentary Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Instead, you'll have a card with a strong rewards structure and other Bank of America benefits, such as roadside dispatch and extended warranty.
Related: Best Bank of America cards
Earning cash back on the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards
The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card offers a strong cash back opportunity — especially for those who qualify for Bank of America's Preferred Rewards program.
Cardmembers earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, regardless of the category they fall into. There's also no cap on the amount of cash back you can earn, making this an ideal card for your everyday purchases.
Maximizing cash back with Preferred Rewards
Those eligible for Bank of America's Preferred Rewards® program will continue to earn even more cash back. To qualify, you'll need to have an eligible Bank of America personal checking account and a three-month average combined balance of $20,000 or more in a Bank of America account and/or Merrill investment account to enroll. The extra cash back earned depends on which tier you fall into based on your three-month average account balance.
| Regular cardholder | Tier 1 – Gold ($20,000 – $49,999) | Tier 2 – Platinum ($50,000 – $99,999) | Tier 3 – Platinum Honors ($100,000+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5% cash back on every purchase | 1.875% cash back
(25% bonus) | 2.25% cash back
(50% bonus) | 2.625% cash back
(75% bonus) |
So if you happen to be a Platinum Honors member within the program, that'll earn you 2.625% cash back — a higher cash back amount than any of the other cards you'll earn on your everyday non-category bonus purchases.
And if you pair this card with another Bank of America credit card, such as the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, you can earn even more on certain purchases throughout the year.
The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card earns 3% cash back on one category of your choice per quarter.
Choices include gas and EV charging stations, online shopping (including cable, streaming, internet and phone services), dining, travel, drugstore or home improvement furnishing. Earn 2% cash back at grocery and wholesale clubs and then 1% cash back on all other purchases — with a $2,500 cap on combined 3% and 2% cash-back purchases per quarter.
This means if you use your Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card on all 3% and 2% cash back categories and use your Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card on everything else — earning 1.5% cash back on those purchases — that'll allow you to earn even more rewards.
Bank of America Preferred Rewards members could earn anywhere between 1.875% and 5.25% cash back — depending on the purchase category and your tier level.
Related: Stop ignoring Bank of America Preferred Rewards
Redeeming cash back on the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards
The redemption options for Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards cardmembers are somewhat limited. You have three options:
- Deposit your cash back into your Bank of America checking or savings account
- Choose a statement credit to your credit card
- Credit your cash back to eligible Merrill accounts, including 529 accounts
This makes it easy to quickly access your cash back rewards, but you won't find any opportunities to redeem your rewards earned for travel opportunities.
Related: Cash back vs. travel rewards: How to choose a credit card
Which cards compete with the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards?
If you don't want to join the BOA ecosystem, there are many other low—or no-annual-fee cash back cards or flexible currency that can compete with the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards.
- If you prefer more cashback: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns unlimited 2% cashback and has no annual fee (see rates and fees). It also has a $200 welcome bonus after only spending $500 in the first three months. For more information, read our full review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card.
- If you prefer Chase: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has no annual fee and earns at least 1.5% cash back on all your purchases however, you'll also enjoy a few category bonuses as the card also earns 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and 3% back on drugstores. Through March 2025, you'll also earn 5% cash back on all Lyft rides. Plus, the cash back earned on this card can be converted to points if you have a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, meaning you can utilize Chase's impressive roster of transfer partners. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.
- If you prefer to earn transferable miles: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards credit card has no annual fee and earns 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases. Since the miles earned on this card are transferable, you will have access to Capital One's roster of 15-plus transfer partners. For more information, read our full review of the Capital One VentureOne credit card.
For additional options, please see our lists of the best cash-back cards and the best no-annual-fee cards.
Related: Chase Freedom Unlimited: A great card for beginners and pros alike
Is the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards worth it?
Since this is an unlimited flat cash back card with no annual fee, that alone justifies adding it to your wallet. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, it is even more justifiable, as you could earn up to 2.625% on all purchases with this card.
If you are not a Preferred Rewards member, there are other no-annual cash back cards that earn more cash back you might want to consider.
Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited
Bottom line
If you're currently a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member — or if you intend to be one — you should pay attention to the suite of Bank of America credit cards, especially this one.
And if you're looking for a simple no-annual-fee card offering unlimited rewards and the opportunity to increase the cash back rewards earned, you'll find a lot to like in the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card.
Apply here: Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card