BankAmericard® credit card review: Is it the missing piece to your debt repayment strategy?
Get one of the longest intro APR offers out there on both purchases and balance transfers.
The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for .
Snapshot
4.8
Bottom line
This card’s substantially long intro APR period can help you pay off debt while saving money on interest charges. However, if you can pay your debt off in 15 months or less, you might be more interested in cards with greater long-term rewards value.
Balance transfer intro APR
0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4% will apply.
Regular APR
15.74% - 25.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Rewards rate
N/A
Annual fee
$0
4.8
Bankrate score
Remove a card to add another to compare
Remove a card to add another to compare
BankAmericard® credit card overview
The BankAmericard credit card is a great choice to consolidate your credit card debt. The best balance transfer cards let you take advantage of special introductory APRs, and the BankAmericard has generous intro APR offers for both purchases and balance transfers. Depending on the ongoing APR (or interest rate) you qualify for, the BankAmericard could also be an excellent low-interest credit card.
If you need plenty of time to pay off debt without added interest, the BankAmericard may help you more than many other balance transfer cards. However, once your intro APR period ends, the card won’t have a lot of value. If you can pay your debt off in less time, a cash back card with a shorter intro APR period may have better long-term value.
-
Rewards
- The BankAmericard does not offer rewards
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis -
0% APR offer
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 billing cycles
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 billing cycles on transfers made in the first 60 days
- 3% intro Balance Transfer fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
- 16.24 percent to 26.24 percent variable APR
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- No annual fee
- 3 percent intro Balance Transfer fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
- 3 percent foreign transaction fee
- No penalty APR
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- BankAmeriDeals
- Free monthly FICO® Score
- Museums on Us®
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis
BankAmericard pros and cons
Pros
-
Intro APR offer applies to both purchases and balance transfers
-
Ongoing APR is lower than most rival cards’ rates
-
Does not charge a penalty APR
Cons
-
Doesn’t offer rewards or waive late fees, hampering its long-term value
-
Not ideal for purchases abroad due to foreign transaction fee
-
Limited benefits outside of standard Bank of America cardholder perks
Why you might want the BankAmericard
For anyone focused on securing the maximum amount of time to pay down debt, the BankAmericard is one of the best cards available. Its long intro offer applies to both purchases and balance transfers, and its ongoing interest rate is more forgiving than interest rates on many other cards on the market.
Intro APR offer: One of the longest intro APR offers available
The main draw for the BankAmericard is its stellar intro APR offers on both purchases and balance transfers. The longer an intro APR offer is, the more time you’ll have to pay off your balance without added interest — potentially saving you hundreds of dollars. If you need to finance a large purchase or manage a debt-payoff strategy, the BankAmericard gives you breathing room to handle what you need.
However, Bank of America recently reduced the BankAmericard’s intro APR offer for balance transfers. It’s still one of the longest, but a handful of other cards now have longer offers.
To maximize this benefit, you’ll want to pay off your balance before the intro APR period ends. To better understand how much you can save, Bankrate’s balance transfer calculator can help you nail down how much you must pay each month to meet your debt management goals.
Interest rate: Lower-than-average ongoing interest rate
As Fed rate hikes continue, credit card interest rates are reaching record highs. With the current average interest rate for credit cards hovering just over 20 percent, this card’s ongoing variable APR can be a welcome reprieve for some cardholders. Although the BankAmericard lacks overall rewards value, it could be an excellent low-interest credit card beyond its intro APR period.
Several low-interest credit cards have ongoing APRs slightly higher than the BankAmericard’s lowest possible APR. However, many of those cards also offer rewards or cash back. Although, the chance at a fraction of your spending back may not be worth the risk of accumulating credit card debt. If rewards tempt you to overspend, managing your debt with a card like the BankAmericard might be easier, especially if the APR on a more rewarding card is higher than the APR on the BankAmericard.
If you’re looking for a simple, no-frills way to save with low interest rates, the BankAmericard might be the right choice.
Why you might want a different balance transfer card
While the BankAmericard allows people to focus on paying down debt during the intro APR period, the value beyond that is limited to what you can save on interest relative to other cards. The BankAmericard doesn’t offer rewards and will cost you extra if you use it abroad, making it a poor choice for rewards enthusiasts and frequent travelers.
Rewards: No rewards or welcome offer
You won’t get cash back or points and miles for purchases with the BankAmericard. However, the BankAmericard isn’t trying to be your go-to option for rewards.
Once your intro APR offer ends, it could be hard to justify keeping the BankAmericard. Any balance transfers you make after the first 60 days are subject to the card’s ongoing APR, and you won’t have much incentive to use this card to make new purchases since you won’t get rewards.
Once your intro APR period ends, you have little to gain from this card. With this in mind, paying off your balance might prompt you to close a card like this, but you should leave it open even after you’ve paid off your debt. Closing a credit card impacts your credit profile, so it’d be better to hold onto the BankAmericard even if you’ve exhausted its best features — its intro APR offers. While it won’t earn rewards on any new purchases you make, it can still be a handy low-interest card for carrying a balance you can’t pay right away. However, even if you don’t use it, it will expand your overall credit limit and increase your credit history.
Fees: Foreign transaction fee
If you travel internationally and need a credit card to use when you’re abroad, the BankAmericard probably isn’t the best choice. The card’s 3 percent foreign transaction fee will add to the cost of any purchase you make.
If you frequently travel abroad, consider a travel card or a rewards card without foreign transaction fees. Cards in these categories might subject you to higher APRs than the generously low APR on the BankAmericard. However, skipping foreign transaction fees and earning rewards might help offset the difference between the interest accrued with the BankAmericard’s potentially low APR and the interest you accrue on a card with a higher APR, if you carry a balance.
Of course, if you consistently pay on time and keep your balance at $0, you’ll never worry about interest payments. In this case, a card without foreign transaction fees will be all about saving money on international purchases, something the BankAmericard cannot offer.
Perks: Limited useful benefits
There are only a few noteworthy cardholder perks on the BankAmericard. The most interesting is the Museums on Us® program, which grants you free general admission to museums during the first weekend of every month. All you have to do is show your Bank of America card and a valid photo ID at any of these 225 cultural institutions and save some money on a fun weekend trip.
Otherwise, Bank of America’s BankAmerideals (a standard credit card shopping portal) and free monthly FICO® score are both common credit card features that hardly standout.
We tried it: Here’s what our experts say
Our editor, Ashley Parks, recently got the BankAmericard to help pay off some of her travel card debt.
“I really wanted a card that would force me to focus solely on paying down debt. I didn’t want rewards or welcome offers to distract me, so the BankAmericard gave me exactly what I needed. I also already bank with Bank of America, so it’s easy to manage all of my accounts in one place with its mobile app. While I know the card won’t have much value once the intro period is over, I do intend to keep the card open to add a nice boost to my available credit and lengthen my credit history.”
How the BankAmericard compares to other balance transfer cards
The BankAmericard is a great option for paying off debt or financing a big purchase, but it’s not your only option. Depending on what you need, you may prefer a card without a foreign transaction fee or one that earns rewards. Here are a couple of different options to consider.
BankAmericard® credit card
Annual fee
Intro offer
Rewards rate
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Citi Simplicity® Card
Annual fee
Intro offer
Rewards rate
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Discover it® Balance Transfer
Annual fee
Intro offer
Rewards rate
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases-automatically.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Who is the BankAmericard right for?
There are a couple types of consumers who will benefit the most from the features offered by the BankAmericard.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the BankAmericard worth it?
The BankAmericard credit card is a strong choice if you need a long — but not the longest — intro APR periods available to pay down your balance. While it doesn’t earn rewards or carry many features that distinguish it from other balance transfer cards with similar intro APR offers, the BankAmericard could be worth keeping even after your balance is paid thanks to its potentially low ongoing APR.
Dig deeper: Why I love the BankAmericard
How we rated this card
Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring balance transfer and low-interest cards, including each card’s introductory APR, intro APR period length, ongoing APR, balance transfer fee, perks and more.
While balance transfer and low-interest cards share a similar ratings rubric, we weigh features differently based on how a card is categorized. We categorize cards that carry an especially long intro APR offer on balance transfers as dedicated balance transfer cards, while cards that offer an especially low ongoing APR are considered general low-interest cards.
Based on its features, we assigned this card a primary category of balance transfer and tailored our ratings accordingly.
We analyzed over 100 of the most popular balance transfer and low-interest cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up against those of other cards in its category.
Here’s a breakdown of what gave this card its score:
*The information about the BankAmericard® credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Frequently asked questions
What cardholders think
BankAmericard® credit card
In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.
Community Reviews
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.