BankAmericard® review: A best intro APR credit card winner

BANKAMERICARD® BALANCE TRANSFER

The CardName is a no-frills credit card that allows card members to focus on the basics of card ownership: how to use a credit card and make timely payments each month.

An attractive perk of the BankAmericard® is its lengthy intro APR period for purchases and balance transfers. An offer of IntroAPRRate, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, is a solid feature, landing the BankAmericard® a spot on our editor's choice best credit cards for balance transfers list. After the introductory period, RegAPR will apply. (Note: each balance transfer carries a fee. BalanceTransferFees )

Other BankAmericard® best features include:

• No annual fee.
• No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate. Other account pricing and terms apply.
• Access your FICO® score for free within the Bank of America online banking app, or your mobile banking app.

POTENTIAL DOWNSIDE: NO BANKAMERICARD® CASH REWARDS

Perhaps the biggest drawback of the CardName is its lack of rewards. Once the introductory APR has run out, this card doesn't offer anything in the way of rewards earning. If you don't NEED the introductory balance transfer or purchase offer, you'd probably be better off with a card that offers you some rewards-earning opportunities.

Cardholders will be pleased to know though that Bank of America has been repeatedly recognized for its fraud prevention, detection and resolution by consumer advocacy groups. Plus, this card offers a $0 liability guarantee, so in the event someone steals your credit card, or uses your account information to make unauthorized purchases, you won’t be on the hook. Text banking also makes managing finances easier, especially if you’re new to using a credit card. Send a text message to Bank of America and you’ll get an immediate reply with details on account balances, recent transactions and a searchable transaction history. This is a great way to keep your spending in check.

These are great perks, but also are not super unique, so again, if you're not looking to transfer a large balance or for some extra time to pay off purchases and debts, you might want to consider a rewards-earning credit card. We compare a few notable options below.

BANKAMERICARD® CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW THE BANKAMERICARD® COMPARES TO OTHER CREDIT CARDS

BankAmericard® vs. Citi Double Cash® Card

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The CardName offers intro 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months (then RegAPR). Additionally, this card earns rewards on all purchases– unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% cash back when you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, just pay at least the minimum balance due on time.

If it's a balance transfer you're looking for, both of these cards are solid options as they both offer a lengthy introductory APR period. If you want to earn ongoing rewards though, the Citi Double Cash® Card might be a better choice since it offers ongoing rewards on purchases and encourages responsible use by offering extra rewards once you pay your credit card statement on time. Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.

BankAmericard® vs. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards

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Another solid option in the Bank of America family, but one that offers rewards (both a welcome bonus as well as ongoing rewards), is the CardName. This card offers a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, plus 3% cash back in the category of your choice. Yes— in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases. Beyond that, you'll earn 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club spending each quarter, then 1%. You'll also earn unlimited 1% on all other purchases falling outside of the bonus categories. You can update your choice category for future purchases once each calendar month using the mobile banking app or online banking, or do nothing and it stays the same. Plus, if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards client with the bank (based on your three-month average daily balance across qualifying accounts), you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase depending on your tier.

The CardName offers IntroAPRRate and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro period, a RegAPR will apply. A 3% intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open; after that the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.

BankAmericard® vs. Citi Simplicity® Card

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Citi is a CardRatings advertiser.

For a very similar no-frills balance transfer credit card, the CardName is worth considering. Like the BankAmericard®, the Simplicity® card has no annual fee so there are no out of pocket costs for holding either of these cards. Both the BankAmericard® and Citi Simplicity® cards are straightforward non rewards-earning credit cards. Where the Simplicity® card sets itself apart is that there are no late fees charged so you won’t be charged a penalty fee if you pay a bill late.

Both cards have generous intro 0% APR offers on purchases and balance transfers. The Simplicity® card also offers an introductory 0% APR period lasting 21 months (from the date of first transfer - all transfers must be completed within the first four months), though the period for purchases is quite a bit shorter than BankAmericard®, at 12 months (then RegAPR APR).

IS BANKAMERICARD® A GOOD CREDIT CARD?

The CardName is designed for people who need a quick balance transfer and time to pay off that balance interest-free rather than those who want to amass rewards. It's a great option if you're trying to avoid paying interest but had an unexpected expense that you need to make or have already made and now need to transfer. You'll get just the basics with this card, but that may be all you need.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.