BankAmericard® review: A best 0% 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 membership: 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:

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.

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! (Between these six categories: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvement/furnishings.) 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 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. (Note: each balance transfer carries a fee. BalanceTransferFees)

BankAmericard® vs. CardName

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The CardName offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a RegAPR APR. The BankAmericard® has a slight advantage here offering IntroAPRRate on balance transfers made within the first 60 days (then RegAPR).

The Freedom Flex℠ card from Chase also offers a number of benefits that the BankAmericard® does not, including uncapped cash-back rewards earning potential. With the Flex℠ card you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in rotating bonus categories each quarter you activate; 5% back on travel purchased through Chase; 3% back on dining out and takeout; 3% at drugstores; and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Additionally CardName is also offering new cardholders a $200 cash-back bonus for spending $500 within the first three months of account opening.

Information related to Chase Freedom Flex^SM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer

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 and October 2022 to conduct surveys among 1,554 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2022-Aug. 31, 2022 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 (2022); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2021 survey.