Bank of America travel rewards guide

Bank of America’s travel rewards program isn’t as lucrative or extensive as what rivals like American Express or Chase offer, but you may find value in its simplicity, particularly if you are a Bank of America Preferred Rewards client.

If you’ve got one or more Bank of America credit cards that allow you to earn and redeem rewards for travel, or are interested in applying for one, here are the basics of the bank’s travel program, including how to earn and redeem travel rewards.

Bank of America travel rewards basics

Compared to other issuers, Bank of America has a smaller portfolio of travel credit cards, but there are some similarities in how you earn and redeem travel rewards with the cards.

Essentially, you can redeem the rewards you earn for statement credits to cover travel-related purchases. Some Bank of America travel cards also allow you to cover purchases like dining with your award statement credits.

With each card, and in fact with any Bank of America credit card, you also gain access to the Bank of America Travel Center, where you can search for travel deals and pay with cash or rewards. The site operates much like a travel search engine, similar to Expedia or Orbitz.

Bank of America credit card and debit card holders have access to a variety of partner offers and deals, but the travel rewards program still lacks travel transfer partners, which is where many travel rewards aficionados look for the best value.

However, being a member of Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program could increase the value of the rewards you earn by 25 to 75 percent, making Bank of America’s somewhat limited travel rewards program more valuable.

How to earn Bank of America travel rewards points

The only thing you need to do to earn rewards is use your Bank of America card for eligible purchases; you don’t need to keep track of rotating bonus categories or activate offers in your Bank of America account to earn rewards. For some of the travel cards, you’ll earn more rewards in travel and dining categories, but there’s no need to track or apply for your rewards.

Additionally, Bank of America’s travel and dining categories are more extensive than those of many travel rewards cards, so you’ll be able to redeem your points for statement credit for everything from flights to zoo tickets.

How to redeem Bank of America travel rewards points

You can redeem rewards for a statement credit to cover eligible travel purchases (or dining purchases with the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card). Other redemption options include: 

• Cash back as a check
• Cash back as a direct deposit into an eligible Bank of America checking or savings account or a Merrill Cash Management Account
• Gift cards

Travel credits and cash rewards redemptions require a minimum of 2,500 points and gift cards require at least 3,125 points to redeem.

How much are Bank of America travel rewards points worth?

The value of Bank of America travel rewards points varies depending on how they’re redeemed. Here’s a breakdown of those options:

Redeeming points as cash back or gift cards typically gets the least amount of value for your points, but this isn’t unique to Bank of America — many issuers make it so that redeeming points for cash back or gift cards is worth less than travel. 

Since there isn’t an opportunity to boost value with transfer partners, the best value you can aim for is 1 cent per point. While it isn’t a top redemption value, the tradeoff is the flexibility and simplicity it offers.

How do Bank of America travel rewards compare to other points’ values?

In most cases, your Bank of America travel rewards points are worth 1 cent per point. Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite cardholders can get a 20 percent boost for airfare bookings through the Travel Center when paying with points, which means a flight that costs 20,000 points will require about 16,700 points thanks to the 20 percent bonus.

The Premium Rewards Elite card charges a $550 annual fee, however, so that may feel like a hefty price for a 20 percent rewards bonus (although the card has other benefits, of course).

Issuers like Chase and American Express offer similar boosts with some cards for redeeming points through their travel portals — and on cards with lower annual fees. Additionally, those issuers also have transfer partners that can allow you to get more value for travel with partner airlines and hotels.

Bank of America doesn’t have transfer partners, so there isn’t an option for that extra redemption value. That said, if you’re a Preferred Rewards member, that may make up for the lack of travel partners, but it’s something you’d have to decide based on how often you travel and your current Preferred Rewards membership status.

Who are Bank of America travel cards best for?

As noted, this travel rewards program is best if you want simplicity and flexibility in earning and redeeming travel rewards. Bank of America travel cards allow you to use your rewards to cover eligible travel purchases or make purchases directly through the portal, but the redemption value isn’t stellar.

If you are a Bank of America Preferred Rewards program member, you’ll get much more value than other cardholders. This program gives you access to banking services discounts and rewards-earning boosts and membership is based on the combined balance of qualifying Bank of America or Merrill Investment accounts. Here’s a look at the five tiers offered:

Bank of America travel credit cards

Bank of America has a handful of cards that offer ongoing rewards and travel-focused perks. Here are the cards you can choose from:

Frequently asked questions about Bank of America travel rewards

• Do Bank of America travel rewards expire?

  As long as your account is active and in good standing, your rewards don’t expire.

• Can I share Bank of America points with friends and family members?

  No, you cannot transfer points to another person. You may be able to transfer rewards from one of your Bank of America accounts to another. You must call customer service to see if your account qualifies.

• Can you buy Bank of America Travel rewards points?

  No, you cannot buy Bank of America Travel rewards points.

The bottom line

Bank of America’s travel rewards program isn’t as extensive as those of some other major issuers. But if your primary goal with travel rewards is simplicity and flexibility as compared to getting the best possible redemption value, Bank of America’s travel rewards program can deliver.

That said, if you’re at least a semi-frequent traveler, you’ll likely find better value from travel credit cards with rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards.

*The information about the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.

The Bank of America content in this post was last updated on Dec 20, 2024.