Kudos to you for being an early bird: Holiday travel is on the horizon and whether you’re road tripping to Grandma’s house or jet-setting somewhere (anywhere) that gives you a festive change of scenery, booking everything ahead of schedule is smart. Even smarter? Using a rewards credit card that will make your purchase go further throughout the holiday season.
With the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, new cardholders can choose from one of six choice categories and earn 6% cash back in that category during the first year from account opening. Each month, simply select the category of choice for future purchases you want to earn cash back in. You can change it once per calendar month (or make no change and it stays the same) so you’re tailoring it to your spending needs. (Bonus cash back rewards are capped on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter.)
Included as a category and particularly relevant to the holiday season? Travel. Whether you’re booking a flight home to see family, reserving a hotel for a seasonal getaway or covering everyday travel expenses like rideshares, parking or tolls, the travel category of choice can help you maximize rewards while spending on purchases you already planned to make. And after the first year, cardholders still earn 3% cash back on qualifying purchases made within their choice category up to the quarterly maximum.
The timing couldn’t be better. Let’s say you need to book a flight from New York to San Francisco to visit family (‘tis the season). By selecting travel as your choice category for the month, it’s easier to maximize those rewards. And because airfare is only one part of your holiday plans, it’s a good idea to look at your budget before selecting your choice category. Yes, the flight, hotel stay and Uber to the airport can add up fast, but what happens when your spending priorities change as the season unfolds? This is where the opportunity to pivot your category of choice each month comes in handy. (In other words, not every month is a travel month.)
After all, this time of year, flexibility is key. Once your travel is booked and your focus shifts to gift-giving (or even treating yourself if that’s your thing), you can select online shopping as your choice category the following month and earn 6% cash back as you get into the holiday spirit.
There are other choice categories to choose from, too (including dining, gas & EV charging stations, drugstores & pharmacies and home improvement & furnishings). And this is exactly what’s so nice about this card—it covers multiple bases, so you can earn cash back on your travel purchases one month and tackle the rest of your holiday shopping the next. (It’s a win-win for holiday purchases you were already planning to make.)
Also of note for new cardholders: There is a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you spend at least $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of opening the card.
Bottom line: For those who want to maximize their holiday budget, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers a flexible way to make your purchases even more rewarding.
