Best Bank of America Cards of 2026
Ordinary cards that become extraordinary with Preferred Rewards.
Bank of America cards are average until Preferred Rewards makes them the best in the market. Keep $100,000 with BofA or Merrill and Platinum Honors boosts every card's earning by 75 percent, which turns a 2 percent card into 2.62 percent on everything. The application rule is 2/3/4: two new BofA cards per 2 months, three per 12, four per 24.
By Alex Compton · Updated
· ratings independent of compensation| Card | Annual fee | Bonus | Headline earn rate | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Bank of America Premium Rewards | $95 | 60,000 pts (≈$600) | 2x Travel and dining | ★ 7.9 |
| 2.Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards | $0 | $200 (≈$200) | 3x Chosen category: gas/EV, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement | ★ 7.6 |
| 3.Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards | $0 | $200 (≈$200) | 1.5x All purchases | ★ 7.2 |
| 4.Bank of America Travel Rewards | $0 | 25,000 pts (≈$250) | 1.5x All purchases | ★ 7.5 |
| 5.Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card | $95 | 50,000 pts (≈$725) | 3x Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases | ★ 8.3 |
Best overall
2x Travel and dining
1.5x Everything else
Why we chose it
With Platinum Honors this earns 2.62 percent everywhere and 3.5 percent on travel and dining, and the airline incidental credit offsets the $95 fee. No transferable points, just a higher number than anyone else pays. For BofA loyalists it is the strongest everyday card in existence.
Skip it if: Needs $100k at BofA/Merrill to unlock the magic · Points are fixed-value
Best for cash back
3x Chosen category: gas/EV, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement
2x Grocery stores and wholesale clubs
1x Everything else
Why we chose it
Three percent in a category you choose, boosted past 5 percent with Platinum Honors, for no fee. Online shopping as the pick covers most modern spending. Few cards let you aim the bonus yourself.
Skip it if: $2,500 quarterly cap on bonus earning · 3% FTF
Best flat rate
1.5x All purchases
Why we chose it
A plain 1.5 percent card that Preferred Rewards turns into 2.62 percent on everything with no fee. At that rate it beats every 2 percent card in the market. The card itself is boring, which is exactly the point.
Skip it if: Plain 1.5% without Preferred Rewards trails 2% cards · 3% FTF
Best no-fee travel
1.5x All purchases
Why we chose it
Flat travel earning, no annual fee, and no foreign transaction fee. Points erase any travel purchase, so there are no award charts to learn. With the relationship boost it becomes a 2.62x travel card that costs nothing.
Skip it if: Points are fixed value with no transfer partners · Plain 1.5x without Preferred Rewards status
Best airline card
3x Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
2x Gas, EV charging, cable, streaming, local transit
1x All other purchases
Why we chose it
The Companion Fare brings a second passenger along for about $122 in taxes and fees. One use repays the $95 fee several times over. Alaska miles book oneworld partners, so the card reaches far beyond the West Coast.
Skip it if: Companion Fare now requires $6,000 annual spend · Route network is West Coast centric
The Bottom Line
The question with Bank of America is not which card, it is whether you will move the assets. With Platinum Honors, this lineup beats every flat-rate setup in the country. Without it, look elsewhere first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card on the Best Bank of America Cards list has no annual fee?
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards, Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards, Bank of America Travel Rewards all have a $0 annual fee.
Which card on the Best Bank of America Cards list has the most valuable welcome bonus?
The Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card currently has the most valuable bonus on this list: 50,000 pts, worth roughly $725 by our valuations.
What is the highest-rated card on the Best Bank of America Cards list?
The Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card carries our highest rating on this list at 8.3/10, with a $95 annual fee.
How we rank: picks are ordered by our independent 0-10 ratings, current bonus value at our points valuations, annual fee, and earning structure. Compensation never changes an order or a rating. Read our full rating methodology.
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