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Not every card in your wallet needs to be a big annual fee travel card. Sometimes the workhorse card is the one that quietly earns cash back everywhere, and the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card does exactly that, with no annual fee and a bonus spending category you get to pick for yourself based on your spending. Then you can use that cash back to cover travel expenses that are otherwise hard to cover with points.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Details

Welcome offer: $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of opening your account.

Annual fee: $0

Card Benefits

The Customized Cash Rewards card earns:

• 6% cash back in the category of your choice for the first year from account opening (3% standard rate plus a 3% first-year bonus), then 3%
• 2% cash back automatically at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases

The choice-category and grocery store/wholesale club rates apply to the first $2,500 in combined purchases each calendar quarter, then those purchases earn 1% cash back.

Here are the perks I like:

• 0% intro APR for your first 15 billing cycles on purchases; afterward, a variable APR of 17.49%–27.49% applies
• No annual fee
• Cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account stays open
• Museums on Us access (more on this below!)

How to Choose and Change Your Category

This is the feature that makes this card worth a second look. You get to choose from six categories to earn 6% cash back for the first year from account opening, then 3%:

• Gas and EV charging stations
• Online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans, and streaming
• Dining
• Travel
• Drug stores and pharmacies
• Home improvement and furnishings

You can change your category once per calendar month through Online Banking or the mobile app. If your spending shifts month to month- for example, you spend more on home improvement in the spring and more on travel in the summer- you can adjust your category to match.

Just keep an eye on that $2,500 quarterly cap. It applies to your choice category and grocery/wholesale club spending combined, not separately, so heavy spenders can hit it faster than expected.

The Museums on Us Perk

Another easy-to-miss benefit on this card is Bank of America’s Museums on Us program. This perk gives cardholders free general admission to more than 225 museums and cultural institutions nationwide on the first full weekend of every month.

Just bring your card and a matching government-issued photo ID to participating locations.

A tip for families: authorized users also qualify for free admission as long as their name is on a card and they have a matching photo ID. Adding a spouse and/or older kid as an authorized user can turn one free museum day into a free day for potentially the whole family (each person must qualify individually; the benefit is only available to the cardholder and is not transferable).

Redeeming Your Cash Back

Cash rewards on this card are flexible. You can redeem for:

• A statement credit
• A deposit into an eligible Bank of America checking or savings account
• A credit to an eligible Merrill account
• Purchases at Amazon.com or through PayPal checkout
• A contribution to a qualifying Merrill 529 account (starts at $25)

Statement credits are how we’d use this card to cover travel expenses like AirBnb/VRBO, food while we travel, and more.

Why Cash Back Matters for Travel

If your family leans heavily on points and miles to book trips (same!), it’s easy to overlook cash back as a travel tool, but it fills in the gaps that points don’t always cover. These can include Airbnb/VRBO stays, rental cars, trains, parking, and the food and incidentals that add up on every trip. Redeeming this card’s cash back as a statement credit against those charges helps offset real travel costs with money you were already going to earn on everyday spending.

Who This Card Is Best For

Consider the Customized Cash Rewards card if you:

• Want a no annual fee card that earns a solid amount of cash back on popular spending categories
• Have spending that shifts month to month and want the flexibility to match your category to it
• Want to earn extra cash back to cover travel expenses that are harder to offset with points
• Are already a Bank of America customer and want to layer in the Museums on Us perk for family outings
• Want an easy on-ramp into building a Bank of America relationship before considering a bigger annual fee travel card

Card Recap: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the annual fee on the Customized Cash Rewards card? $0.

What is the current welcome offer? $200 online cash rewards bonus after $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

How often can I change my choice category? Once per calendar month, through Online Banking or the mobile app.

Is there a cap on the first year 6% category? Yes. The first year 6% rate (and the 2% grocery/wholesale club rate) applies to the first $2,500 in combined quarterly spending across both, then drops to 1%.

Do cash rewards expire? No, as long as your account remains open.

Does this card work with Museums on Us? Yes. Customized Cash Rewards cardholders get free admission to 225+ participating museums on the first full weekend of every month.

Wrapping It Up

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card isn’t talked about as much as the big travel cards, but it’s worth a look to see if it deserves a spot in your wallet. It has no annual fee, a bonus spending category you choose, and a free museum day every month, plus it earns cash back on popular categories and can offset big travel costs.