Best Bank of America Credit Cards

Using a Bank of America student credit card is a great way to save money and begin building credit during college. There are several Bank of America student credit card offers to choose from, and none of them charge annual fees. Yet all are available to college students, even those with no credit history (Note: Bank of America is a WalletHub partner). Most BofA student credit cards also offer rewards on every purchase, 0% APRs or both. And perhaps most importantly, all of these cards will report account information to the major credit bureaus on a monthly basis. Basically, that means you’ll build credit if you pay your monthly bills on time.

Bank of America student credit cards aren’t all equally well-suited for everyone’s needs, however. You need to choose wisely if you want to maximize your savings.

Best Bank of America Student Credit Cards

Bank of America’s credit cards for students are very good, but limiting yourself to offers from a single issuer never is the best idea. You don’t know what else is out there until you look. And WalletHub’s editors’ picks for the best overall student credit cards are a great place to start. 

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The best credit cards can save cardholders $300 to $650+ per year, compared to the average offer, thanks to uniquely valuable rewards, low rates and fees, and various special features. The key to finding the best credit card is to determine which features are most important to you, then compare offers in search of the best deal.

6 Best Credit Cards of May 2022

This content is not provided or commissioned by any issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of an issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by an issuer. Please keep in mind that while some offers may come from WalletHub advertising partners, sponsorship status played no role in card selection.

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The easiest credit cards to get approved for with no credit or bad credit are secured credit cards. These cards have annual fees as low as $0 and report monthly to the 3 major credit bureaus. Some even give rewards of 1% or more. To help people with no credit or bad credit maximize their odds of approval for a credit card, WalletHub’s editors compared the approval requirements for more than 1,500 credit card offers, along with their fees, rates and rewards.

Easiest Credit Cards to Get Approved For

This content is not provided or commissioned by any issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of an issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by an issuer. Please keep in mind that while some offers may come from WalletHub advertising partners, sponsorship status played no role in card selection. 

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Instant approval credit cards are cards that evaluate your application in real time. While most applicants are able to get a decision – either approved or denied – right away, that depends on the credit card company’s ability to validate your identity (some offers are from WalletHub partners). If the issuer is unable to validate your identity, they may request some additional information and take a few days to process the application.

If you want to increase your odds of getting instant approval, focus on cards that are suitable for your credit standing. That means the higher your credit score is, the more instant approval credit cards there will be.

The cards listed below offer high approval odds for people with bad credit, in addition to instant approval for some applicants. After all, people typically search for instant approval credit cards when they’re having trouble getting other offers due to damaged credit. And using a credit card responsibly is the key to rebuilding credit.

Best Instant Approval Credit Cards

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The best Bank of America credit card with a $200 bonus is the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. It offers $200 for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days after opening the account. That’s one of the best cash back credit card bonuses currently available, and it’s made even better by the fact that the card has a $0 annual fee. In addition, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers extensive ongoing bonus cash back rewards on purchases: 3% cash back in a category of your choice and 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 spent quarterly), plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Best Bank of America Credit Cards With a $200 Bonus

• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: Online offer of $200 for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
• Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card: Online offer of $200 online cash rewards for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
• Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card for Students: Online offer of $200 after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students: Online offer of $200 for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days

Aside from initial bonuses, Bank of America cash back credit cards also offer attractive ongoing spending rewards. Lastly, there are a few Bank of America credit cards with a bonus valued at $200 or more, but they offer points rather than cash back. Some options to consider include the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card (25,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days), the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students (25,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days) and the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card (50,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first 90 days). The value of Bank of America rewards points will vary depending on how you redeem them and the card you have. 

If you’re not tied to Bank of America as an issuer, feel free to also check out some of the best cash back credit cards on the market.

The Bank of America credit card customer service phone number is (800) 732-9194. To speak with a live Bank of America credit card customer service representative, enter the last four digits of your SSN or account number, then press 0 to skip the intro menu, and say “Service” when asked to describe your reason for calling. Say “Service” again if asked twice, then press “4,” and you’ll get to a live person.  

The standard menu options when calling Bank of America credit card customer service are 1 for fee-related questions, 2 for disputing charges, 3 for reporting suspicious account activity, and 4 for all other inquiries. If you don’t press anything after entering your account info, the automated system will list the most recent payment received, balance activity, available credit for purchases and cash advances, and rewards balance. Offers for new credit cards or balance transfers will be listed as well. Press 0 at any time to skip this info.

Live customer service is available 24/7 for lost or stolen credit cards. Automated customer service is available 24/7 for existing Bank of America credit card accounts.

1. Live Customer Service: (800) 732-9194. After entering your account info, press 0 and say “Service” when prompted to describe your reason for calling. You might be asked a second time—just say “Service” again and another menu will be prompted. Press 4 for “all other inquiries.”
2. Automated Customer Service: (800) 732-9194. Enter last 4 digits of SSN or account number. The menu will automatically list recent payment info, balance, available credit, rewards balance and more. Press 0 at any time to skip.​​​​​​​
3. In-Person Credit Card Support: Schedule an in-person appointment online by logging into your account and selecting “Schedule an appointment” on the right side under “Activity Center.” Choose the bank branch, date, time, and discussion topic. ​​​​​​​
4. Secure Message Center: Log in to your account online and select “Help & Support.” Then click “Contact Us” and select the topic you wish to discuss. If email is an option, you can select the “Email” button and receive a response within 2 days.​​​​​​​
5. Lost or Stolen Credit Card: (800) 732-9194. Say “lost or stolen credit card” when prompted to describe your reason for calling. The most recent charges will be listed so you can confirm which are valid. You’ll be transferred to a live representative to reissue your card or close the account.​​​​​​​
6. Fraudulent Charges on Credit Card: (800) 432-1000. Call if you suspect fraudulent activity on your credit card account.​​​​​​​
7. Customer Service on Social Media: You can send them a direct message using @BofA_Help on Twitter. Or, select the “Send Message” button on their FB page. Hours are 8am-9pm M-F, 8am-8pm Sat, and 8am-5pm Sun (ET). Just don’t include your SSN or account number.​​​​​​​
8. Credit Card Activation: (800) 276-9939. You’ll be asked to say or enter your account number, SSN, zip code, or the phone number connected with your account.

As you can see, there are several ways to get in touch with Bank of America for credit card customer service. You can also access FAQs through BofA’s mobile app. And BofA tends to score high in customer satisfaction, so it’s likely you’ll have a positive experience.  

You can check your Bank of America credit card status either online or over the phone, by calling customer service at (866) 422-8089.

In order to see whether your application is approved, denied or still pending, you’ll need to give some basic personal information like your zip code and the last four digits of your Social Security number. This ensures that Bank of America can match you to your application. You can check your application status as often as you like, as it’s free and quick.

How to check your Bank of America credit card status online:

1. Go to Bank of America’s application status page.
2. Enter your last name, date of birth, last four digits of your Social Security number and zip code.
3. Click “Submit.”

You’ll now be able to see any applications you’ve submitted and whether they have been approved or denied yet. If your application is still pending, don’t worry. It may take up to 30 days from when you submitted your application to receive a decision. If you are approved, you can expect your card in 7-10 business days. But if you’re denied and think you can justify why you should be approved, you can call customer service and ask for reconsideration.

You can make a Bank of America credit card payment online, by phone, through the Bank of America mobile app, by mail or at a branch. To pay a Bank of America credit card bill online, log in to your online account and click on “Bill Pay.” Then, choose how much to pay, when to pay it, and where the payment is coming from. Bank of America does allow cardholders to set up automatic payments, too.

Ways to Make a Bank of America Credit Card Payment

• By phone: Call 1-800-236-6497 and enter your card information when prompted.
• Online: Log in to your online account and click on “Bill Pay.”
• Through the mobile app: Log in to your account and select your card, then tap “Make a payment.”
• By mail: Send a check or money order (but not cash) to Consumer card payments / PO Box 15019/ Wilmington, DE 19850-5019. Make sure to send it early enough that it will arrive by the due date. Write your credit card number on the check, too.
• At a branch: You can make a payment at any Bank of America branch during normal business hours.

You can easily check if Bank of America will pre-qualify you for a credit card online. All you have to do is provide your name, birth date and Social Security number, and Bank of America’s pre-qualify tool will show you any BofA credit cards for which you have good approval odds. You might also receive a pre-qualified offer in the mail, which will only be for a single card.

Pre-qualification doesn’t guarantee you approval. But pre-qualified applicants end up being approved in the vast majority of cases. Pre-qualification doesn’t affect your credit at all since it uses a soft inquiry. But if you want to apply for a card, Bank of America will do a hard inquiry, which will cause a temporary score dip. This decrease is easily fixed with a few months of responsible card use, though. If you’d like to check for pre-qualification, you can do it in minutes.

If you already have a Bank of America account, all you have to do is log in on the pre-qualification page and you’ll be able to see your offers right away without inputting any extra information. If you don’t have an account, you just need to follow five simple steps.

Here’s how to get Bank of America to pre-qualify you for a credit card:

1. Go to Bank of America’s pre-qualification page. 
2. Click “Continue without signing in.”
3. Enter your full name, birth date and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Click “Continue.”
4. Enter your address and select what type of credit card you’re interested in (you can also select that you don’t have a preference). 
5. Click “Show me my offers.”

You’ll now be able to see any cards that Bank of America thinks you’d be a good candidate for. If you got a pre-qualification letter in the mail, you can either fill out the enclosed application, or use the special code provided when you apply online to flag your application as pre-qualified.

The Bank of America foreign transaction fee is either 3% or 0% of all international transactions, depending on the BofA card. Bank of America credit cards with 0% foreign transaction fees include the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card.

No foreign fee Bank of America cards clearly are a better choice for international spending than the ones with a 3% surcharge for everything you buy abroad. That’s actually one of the highest foreign fees on the market. So international shoppers need to be careful when picking a Bank of America credit card and perhaps consider cards from other issuers too.

Bank of America foreign transaction fees info:

• Some Bank of America credit cards have 3% foreign transaction fees.
• Other Bank of America credit cards have 0% foreign transaction fees.
• Foreign transaction fees can apply when you travel abroad or make online purchases from foreign merchants.

At 3%, the Bank of America foreign transaction fee is too steep for anyone planning to make international purchases. But the cards that charge it are meant more for everyday spending than travel. The good news is there are a handful of foreign fee-less alternatives.

Best Bank of America credit cards with no foreign transaction fees:

Keep in mind that more and more cards from other issuers are shedding their foreign fees. So,  if you’re not loyal to Bank of America, you can check out our editors’ latest picks for the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards to weigh your options.