Best Bank of America Cards of 2026
Ordinary cards that become extraordinary with Preferred Rewards.
Bank of America cards are average until Preferred Rewards makes them the best in the market. Keep $100,000 with BofA or Merrill and Platinum Honors boosts every card's earning by 75 percent, which turns a 2 percent card into 2.62 percent on everything. The application rule is 2/3/4: two new BofA cards per 2 months, three per 12, four per 24.
Updated 2026-06-09 · ratings independent of compensation
Best overall
2x Travel and dining
1.5x Everything else
Why we chose it
With Platinum Honors this earns 2.62 percent everywhere and 3.5 percent on travel and dining, and the airline incidental credit offsets the $95 fee. No transferable points, just a higher number than anyone else pays. For BofA loyalists it is the strongest everyday card in existence.
Best for cash back
3x Chosen category: gas/EV, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement
2x Grocery stores and wholesale clubs
1x Everything else
Why we chose it
Three percent in a category you choose, boosted past 5 percent with Platinum Honors, for no fee. Online shopping as the pick covers most modern spending. Few cards let you aim the bonus yourself.
Best flat rate
1.5x All purchases
Why we chose it
A plain 1.5 percent card that Preferred Rewards turns into 2.62 percent on everything with no fee. At that rate it beats every 2 percent card in the market. The card itself is boring, which is exactly the point.
Best no-fee travel
1.5x All purchases
Why we chose it
Flat travel earning, no annual fee, and no foreign transaction fee. Points erase any travel purchase, so there are no award charts to learn. With the relationship boost it becomes a 2.62x travel card that costs nothing.
Best airline card
3x Alaska Airlines purchases
2x Gas, EV charging, cable, streaming, local transit
1x All other purchases
Why we chose it
The Companion Fare brings a second passenger along for about $122 in taxes and fees. One use repays the $95 fee several times over. Alaska miles book oneworld partners, so the card reaches far beyond the West Coast.
The Bottom Line
The question with Bank of America is not which card, it is whether you will move the assets. With Platinum Honors, this lineup beats every flat-rate setup in the country. Without it, look elsewhere first.
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