Bank of America lets you see your chances of credit card approval with a soft pull on your credit. This is known as prequalification and it doesn’t affect your credit score. However, even if you prequalify for a certain credit card, there’s no guarantee that your application will be approved. Show
Here’s how to prequalify for a Bank of America credit card:
Before you apply for a Bank of America credit card, check your credit score. For those with a good credit score of 670 or higher, most Bank of America credit cards are within reach. Those who have a poor credit score could apply for a secured credit card. Bank of America offers some of the best credit-building options you can currently get. Students with no credit score, don’t have to worry about qualifying for a solid credit card, because Bank of America offers excellent cards for students. Once you improve your credit score, Bank of America will either upgrade your card to the non-secured and non-student versions of the same cards, or you can apply for another card by yourself. Can I get preapproved for a Band of America credit card?No. Bank of America doesn’t offer credit card preapproval. What Bank of America does offer is something called customized offers, which are basically the same as prequalification. Some card providers use the words prequalification and preapproval interchangeably to refer to the same process. But some card providers use preapproval if the provider initiated the soft pull and prequalification if the card applicant initiated the soft pul. What both have in common is that you can only see your chances of approval for all or select credit cards, but they don’t guarantee approval.
Does prequalification include MLB cards and partner airline cards like Alaska Airlines?Yes, prequalification includes all credit cards that fall under the category you select under What kind of credit card are you interested in on the Bank of America prequalification page. Bank of America’s prequalification will show you cards you might like, and it’ll give you a better sense of your approval odds. If you’re not sure a Bank of America card is right for you, consider getting products from providers that prequalify such as Citi, Chase, American Express and Discover. Kevin Joey Chen was a credit cards, banking and investments writer for Finder. His work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Business.com, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com. More guides on Finder
Best Overall, Best Travel: Bank of America® Premium Rewards®Rating as a Bank of America Card Current Offer Earn 50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Recommended Credit Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application. 350 579 580 669 670 739 740 799 800 850 Good - Excellent
Why We Chose This Card: Bank of America Premium Rewards card is our choice for the best overall and best travel card from Bank of America due to its flexible redemption options, generous bonus points offer, and no foreign transaction fees. This card does charge a $95 annual fee, though that is in line with other popular travel rewards cards from competing issuers and should be easily justified with earnings from consistent use. Pros & Cons: Pros
Cons
Read the full Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card review Best Student: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards for StudentsRating as a Bank of America Card Current Offer $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Recommended Credit Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application. 350 579 580 669 670 739 740 799 800 850 Good - Excellent
Why We Chose This Card: Our winner for the best Bank of America student credit card is the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students because of its flexible cash back rewards program. This is a good card for students who want to build their credit while earning cash back on everyday items like gas, online shopping, and groceries. With no annual fee and a 18-month offer of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers, it’s worth checking out. Pros & Cons: Pros
Cons
Read the full Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Students credit card review Best No Annual Fee Travel: Bank of America Travel RewardsRating as a Bank of America Card Current Offer 25,000 bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening - which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel and dining purchases. Recommended Credit Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application. 350 579 580 669 670 739 740 799 800 850 Good - Excellent
Why We Chose This Card: We rate the Bank of America Travel Rewards card as the best no annual fee travel card because of its generous rewards on all purchases and excellent bonus opportunity. Its travel redemption options and its lack of annual fee or foreign transaction fees also helped it to earn this top spot. Pros & Cons: Pros
Cons
Read the full Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card review Best Cash Back: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit CardRating as a Bank of America Card Current Offer Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening. Recommended Credit Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application. 350 579 580 669 670 739 740 799 800 850 Good - Excellent
Why We Chose This Card: We selected the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card as the best cash back rewards option from Bank of America because of its lucrative cash back rate on purchases and simple statement credit, check, or gift card redemption options. The card offers bonus earnings on a category of choice as well as enhanced earnings on grocery purchases, with a base rate on all other purchases. Pros & Cons: Pros
Cons
Read the full Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card review Best Business: Business Advantage Travel RewardsRating as a Bank of America Card Current Offer 30,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. Recommended Credit Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application. 350 579 580 669 670 739 740 799 800 850 Good - Excellent
Why We Chose This Card: We chose the Business Advantage Travel Rewards as our top pick for Bank of America business cards because of its competitive earnings on all spending and the ability to earn 3 points per every dollar spent when you book your travel (car, hotel, airline) through the Bank of America Travel Center. Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases. Regular redemption is as simple as requesting points be applied to travel and dining purchases. The one-time bonus is valued at $300, which is excellent for a no annual fee business card. Pros & Cons: Pros
Cons
Read the full Business Advantage Travel Rewards credit card review Best for Bad Credit: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards SecuredRating as a Bank of America Card Recommended Credit Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application. 350 579 580 669 670 739 740 799 800 850 Good - Excellent
Why We Chose This Card: We chose the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card as the best Bank of America card for bad credit because of its competitive rewards rates. With no annual fee and the ability to upgrade to an unsecured card, this is a great option for those looking to build or repair their credit. Pros & Cons: Pros
Cons
Read the full Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured credit card review Final VerdictBank of America offers a variety of credit cards with different rewards and benefits programs to meet the specific wants and needs of consumers. Whether you are looking for a personal credit that offers travel rewards, a student credit card to help you begin building credit, or a business credit card, Bank of America has a credit card that can fit your needs. No matter your budget, Bank of America has a card for you with many cards that don’t require an annual fee. Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card is our top pick for the best overall credit card and the best travel credit card due to its flexible redemption options, generous bonus offer, and no foreign transaction fees. While it does come with a $95 annual fee, the rewards and benefits you get from this card can more than make up for the cost. Compare the Best Bank of America Credit Cards
Editorial Picks of the Best Bank of American Credit CardsBank of America Premium Rewards Credit CardBest Overall, Best for Travel Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases everywhere. Use the 12-month 0% APR promotion on purchases. Read the full Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card Review. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for StudentsBest Student Students can enjoy a $200 cash rewards bonus offer after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of opening an account. Read the full Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students Review. Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit CardBest No Annual Fee Travel Take advantage of the generous bonus offer of 25,000 points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening. This can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel and dining purchases. Read the full Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card Review. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit CardBest Cash Back Offers 3% cash back in the category of your choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores, or home improvement/furnishings) as well as 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Read the full Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card Review. Business Advantage Travel Rewards Credit CardBest Business Business owners can earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases as well as 3 points per $1 spent on travel booked through the Bank of America Travel center. Read the full Business Advantage Travel Rewards Credit Card Review. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards SecuredBest for Bad Credit Start rebuilding or repairing your credit while you earn cash back. Earn competitive rewards with a secured card and work toward being upgraded to an unsecured card with responsible use. Read the full Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card Review. Types of Bank of America CardsBank of America issues Mastercard and Visa cards but does not issue cards on the American Express or Discover networks. Its cards include points and cash back rewards options for consumers and small businesses, along with cards for college students and those who want to transfer balances or build credit. The different types of credit cards offered by Bank of America include:
How Bank of America's Rewards Program WorksBank of America's rewards points are earned at various levels based on the card product. They can be redeemed for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, or for travel through Bank of America's travel center. As with many issuers' rewards platforms, earned points generally have the greatest value when they're redeemed for travel through the travel portal. Is a Bank of America Credit Card Worth Getting?Whether you are looking for a personal credit card or a business credit card, Bank of America offers a variety of credit cards to meet an array of wants and needs. Credit Card Benefits Those interested in earning cash back rewards, travel rewards, or points rewards can benefit from a Bank of America credit card. Students looking to build their credit while also earning cash back or travel rewards can benefit from a Bank of America Student credit card. Credit Card Interest Rate If you want a credit card that will help you to save on interest, Bank of America offers credit cards with 0% APR intro offers for purchases and balance transfers for a certain number of months. Credit Card Fees Bank of America offers many credit cards with no annual fee. Some credit cards, including the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card, do have a $95 annual fee but are worth it for those who take advantage of the generous bonus offer and solid reward points program. What Credit Score Is Needed for a Bank of America Credit Card?Bank of America generally requires good or excellent credit for the majority of its consumer and business cards. A good to excellent FICO credit score ranges from 670 to 850. Bank of America does consider those with no credit history for its student card options and those with lower scores for its non-rewards and secured card options. To apply for a Bank of America credit card, you can complete an online application and get a response in as little as 60 seconds. You will be asked to fill in some demographic information (name, address), information about your citizenship (including Social Security number), as well as employment information including your total annual income and primary source of income. Once you have submitted all of your information, you will receive one of four decision messages. One is that your application has been approved. In this case, you can expect to receive your credit card within 10 days. You might also receive a message saying your application has been approved, but for a different card. It’s also possible to receive a message saying more time is needed to review your information. Finally, you may receive a notice saying you have been declined. Before applying for a Bank of America credit card, it’s a good idea to check your credit score so you have a good understanding of your current creditworthiness. Bank of America uses all three of the major credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. How Good Is Bank of America Customer Service?Bank of America received a score of 805 out of 1,000 points in the 2021 J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study and ranked fifth out of 11 major national credit card issuers. The average score among major issuers was 809. Its mobile app scored first in a 2021 J.D. Power survey for customer satisfaction. As another of its services, Bank of America offers customers access to their FICO credit score. What Is the History of Bank of America?Bank of America Corporation was formed through the merger of San Francisco, CA-based BankAmerica and Charlotte, NC-based NationsBank in 1998, creating one of the country's largest banking organizations. Bank of America can trace its roots to the Bank of Italy, started by an Italian immigrant to serve his community in 1904. Bank of America launched the BankAmericard in 1958, which was the second universal credit card ever offered, with Diners Club being the first. The card network behind the BankAmericard eventually evolved into Visa after being spun off from the bank in the 1970s. Bank of America dramatically grew its credit card portfolio when it acquired MBNA in 2005. MethodologyTo choose the best Bank of America credit cards, we filtered our list of nearly 300 credit cards. We looked at credit card features including rewards, bonus offers, interest rates, fees, and benefits. We also considered the security of the card and the level of customer service provided. A weighted algorithm was used to determine which cards would be included in our final list. MEET OUR CREDIT CARDS EXPERTBen Woolsey is Investopedia's Associate Editorial Director of Financial Products and Services, including credit cards. He has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, including marketing for banking and financial institutions such as Associates First Capital and Bank One. Prior to Investopedia, he managed credit card content for CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com. Does Bank of America have a pre approval?Prequalifying at Bank of America is a quick process that can be done online, and you may get results within an hour. For mortgage preapproval, you'll need to supply more information so the application is likely to take more time.
What credit score is needed for Bank of America credit card?Unlike some other small-business credit cards, which accept good credit scores (690 to 719 FICO), Bank of America® business credit cards generally require excellent credit scores (720+) to qualify.
Does Bank of America do a hard pull for prequalification?But if you then decide to apply for a card, Bank of America will perform a hard inquiry, which can cause a short-term drop in your credit score. Keep in mindthat being pre-approved indicates that you have good odds, but doesn't guarantee that you will get the card.
Which FICO score does Bank of America use?What score model was used to calculate my score? Your score in Online Banking is a FICO® Score 8 based on TransUnion Data to manage your account and that is what Bank of America shares with you.
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