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Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card Review

Sean Lapointe
Nov. 01, 2024
3 min read
LaPointe
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card Summary
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,700 retail financial centers, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users.

Pros

  • 2x earning rate on travel and dining
  • Sign-up bonus

Cons

  • Annual fee
  • Best rewards reserved for specific customers

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card at a glance

9.6
Editorial score

Fees

$95 annual fee
10.0

APR

20.74% - 28.74% Variable APR on balance transfers
10.0

Security

FDIC insured, SSL encryption, biometrics and two-factor authentication
10.0

Customer service

24/7 customer support for lost and stolen credit cards on the phone, and live chat
9.0

Online experience

User-friendly online platform and app with a comprehensive FAQ section and help center on the website
9.0

Overview

Bank of America is the second-biggest bank in the US, with around 69 million consumer and small business clients, approximately 3,700 financial centers, and 15,000 ATMs.

The Premium Rewards credit card is one of the bank’s top reward cards. Each $1 spent on dining and travel with this card earns you 2x points, while all other purchases earn 1.5x points. You can redeem points for various rewards, including cash back, travel purchases, and gift cards. 

Suitable For?

The BofA Premium Rewards credit card is best for people who spend significantly on travel and dining. It’s a great option for the bank’s Preferred Rewards program members, who can get up to 75% more rewards.

Interest Rate and Fees

The BofA Premium Rewards credit card has a variable APR of 20.74% - 28.74% variable for purchases. It also carries an annual fee of $95. However, it doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees.

Rewards and Cash Back

With this card, you earn 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. 

Cardholders who are also members of the Preferred Rewards program earn 25%-75% more points on each purchase, depending on your tier in the program. This means each $1 spent on travel and dining gets you 2.5 to 3.5 points and 1.87 to 2.62 points on all other purchases.

The value of points remains constant regardless of how you redeem them. There’s no upper limit for points, and they don’t expire as long as your account remains open.

Moreover, the bank will automatically give you $100 in statement credit for any airline incidental purchases you make with your card—for example, seat upgrades, airline lounges, and inflight services. You’ll also get another similar amount of credit every four years when you use your card to pay TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees.

BofA has a huge welcome offer for this card whereby you receive 60,000 bonus points (worth $600) when you spend $4,000 in the first 90 days of account opening.

The Application Process

You can apply for the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card online. The bank will respond in as few as 30 seconds, whether it has approved you. 

Help and Support

Bank of America offers 24/7 phone support for lost or stolen credit cards. You can reach its customer service team by calling 800-732-9194 or 1-757-677-4701 if you’re outside the US.

Online chat support is also available for certain services. To confirm whether you can get assistance this way, log into your online bank account, go to the “Help and Support” tab, and select "Contact us." From the drop-down menu, choose a topic and click "Go." A "Chat now" link will appear if online chat is available.

You can also explore the bank’s comprehensive FAQ section or Help Center on its website for quick answers to common queries. 

Feedback about the quality of BofA customer service is mixed. Some customers praise the bank for its quick response times and immediate plus effective assistance. Others report long wait times and difficulties getting their issues resolved. 

Security

Bank of America has implemented various security measures to safeguard your information and account.  For example, it lets you enable features like fingerprint sign-in and two-factor authentication to increase the safety of your account. 

Furthermore, the bank uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect any information you send over the internet from being intercepted or tampered with.

Data privacy is also a top priority for Bank of America. Only employees providing you with a service can access your financial data. For a detailed understanding of how the bank handles your personal information, refer to the comprehensive privacy policy on its website.

Finally, Bank of America offers all eligible customers a $0 Liability Guarantee. This policy offers protection against fraudulent transactions made through your account, ensuring you aren’t held responsible for unauthorized charges.

FAQs

Is the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card hard to get?

The minimum requirement for this card is Good Credit. 

How do I redeem my Bank of America rewards?

You can redeem your rewards online on the BofA website, through its mobile banking app, or by phone at 800-434-8313. On the bank’s website, log in to your online banking account, search for your credit card, and then click the “Rewards” tab. To redeem via the mobile app, log into the app and tap “View My Rewards.”

Conclusion

For a modest annual fee of $95, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card provides a decent selection of perks, including a rewards rate of 2 points per dollar on travel and dining experiences and 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases.

You also get a generous welcome bonus worth $600 if you spend $4,000 on the card in the first 90 days of account opening. You don’t have to worry about racking up currency conversion fees when abroad, as there are no foreign transaction charges with this card.

If you’re looking for rewards cards with a healthy balance of benefits and costs, the BofA  Premium Rewards card is worth looking into.

Methodology

This review was compiled using information from Bank of America’s website and online review sites.

Editorial Note

This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.


LaPointe
Written by
Sean Lapointe
Sean LaPointe is a freelance personal finance writer with a passion for helping readers make informed financial decisions. With over 8 years of personal finance writing experience, Sean has written for a wide variety of top publications, including The Motley Fool, Angi, Top10.com, and BestMoney. Sean’s commitment to providing readers with the most up-to-date information means he’s always researching the latest financial products.
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