Via Frequent Miler, we might see a valuable new credit card from Bank of America in the near future!
The card is rumored to come with great perks like a travel reimbursement (similar to the credits offered with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Citi Prestige® Card ), and a point value of 1.5 cents each toward travel. But it will also come with a big $450 annual fee!
We don’t have all the details yet. But I’ll tell you what we know so far!
New Bank of America Card Possibly Arriving in October
Bank of America doesn’t have many valuable credit cards for folks collecting miles & points. Their offerings include:
- Bank of America Alaska Airlines
- Bank of America Asiana
- Bank of America Virgin Atlantic
- Bank of America Amtrak Guest Rewards
But they may release an enticing new card in ~4 months! And it looks like it will be in direct competition with other top-notch cards, like Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve. That’s great news, because more cards means more options. And more opportunities for Big Travel!
Here’s what’s expected:
- Travel credit similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve (we don’t know the amount yet)
- Points will be worth 1.5 cents each towards travel
- $450 annual fee
This card will earn Bank of America points that do NOT transfer to any travel partners.
What We Don’t Know
We only know a few details so far. And there are likely plenty more benefits that will be announced in the coming months.
For example, we don’t yet know the card’s sign-up bonus. But with each point worth 1.5 cents towards travel, a sign-up bonus between 50,000 and 100,000 Bank of America points would be great news!
What I’d Like to See With This Card
For a card with a $450 annual fee, I expect perks similar to other cards with big annual fees, like a Global Entry credit, airport lounge access, and maybe a unique benefit that sets it apart from competitors (similar to the Citi Prestige 4th night free, or the $200 annual Uber credit with the AMEX Platinum.)
We also don’t know if folks with other Bank of America points-earning credit cards will be able to transfer their points to this new card to increase the value of their points from 1 cent to 1.5 cents, like you can do if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Note: If you’re a part of the Bank of America Preferred Rewards Program, you may be able to earn even more with your card. Based on the amount of money you have in your Bank of America account, or have invested with Bank of America or Merrill Lynch, you can earn between 25% and 75% more rewards with certain Bank of America credit cards.
We don’t know if this will apply to Bank of America’s upcoming card. But if it does, that makes this card even better. And I’ll let you know when I find out more details!
Bottom Line
Bank of America is rumored to have a new premium credit card this October. And it could be their answer to top-level credit cards from other banks, like Chase Sapphire Reserve and Citi Prestige.
We don’t have many details yet. But the leaks suggest the card will have a travel credit similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It will also earn points worth 1.5 cents each toward travel. And come with a $450 annual fee. My fingers are crossed for a big sign-up bonus!
What’s the qualifications and requirements in order to have one of this million miles secrets cards?
If it is earning 1.5 PPD and does not transfer, the benefits would have to differentiate itself to be different from their current Travel Rewards card. That is a no AF card that currently earns 1.5 PPD and you can participate in the same Preferred Rewards benefits already mentioned. Personally, I would need to see lounge access that is more than the Priority Pass every other card offers. What would be new to this card to make the $450 AF worth paying to expand the benefits already received if you have any of the other premium cards?
They need a transferable points program to go along with it to compete with Chase, Amex and Citi. It will be as bad as the new US Bank card otherwise.
Banks have to know that to get people to pay that fee they need to make the card worthwhile. Lounge access and transfer partners matter. I’m not going to apply for a card entering the space with light benefits. I’m not necessarily assuming that’s the case with BOA, but will withhold judgment until we see more details. The new US Bank product doesn’t interest me, and this one would need to be at least comparable to the existing cards in that price range to be worthy of that kind of premium price. Of course if they come out with a ridiculously high enrollment bonus, then you’d go for it for that alone, and cancel when the next fee comes due.
$200 Uber credit (not $300)