Key takeaways
- The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card offers a number of unique perks to cardholders, including unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases.
- The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card is another cash back card option, this one offering bonus cash back of up to 3 percent each quarter in select categories.
- While these cards have some similarities, it is important to compare rewards, bonuses, perks and more to understand which option is best suited to your spending habits and goals.
In 2021, Bank of America introduced the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card, offering an unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases. But how does this card compare to another of the bank’s cash back cards: the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card?
The better card for you depends on your spending habits and how involved you want to be when it comes to earning rewards. Read on to learn about how the Unlimited Cash compares to the Customized Cash in terms of rewards, bonuses, perks and more.
Main details
|
Cards |
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card |
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card |
|
Welcome bonus |
$200 online cash rewards after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening |
$200 online cash rewards after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening |
|
Rewards rate |
|
|
|
Intro APR |
|
|
|
Annual fee |
$0 |
$0 |
Bank of America Unlimited Cash vs. Bank of America Customized Cash highlights
Both the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards and the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards cards offer identical welcome bonuses, intro APR offers and no annual fee. Despite so many similarities, their rewards rates set them apart from one another. Let’s take a closer look at how these two cash back cards stack up.
Which card earns the most?
The amount of cash back you earn from either the Customized Cash Rewards card or the Unlimited Cash Rewards card depends on how you use each card. Here are a couple of examples showing which card could potentially earn you more in cash back rewards:
Bank of America Unlimited Cash vs. Bank of America Customized Cash spending example
Let’s say you eat out frequently, so you select dining as your 3 percent rewards category on your Customized Cash card. During one quarter, you spend $1,500 at restaurants and $1,000 at grocery stores, maxing out your 3 percent and 2 percent rewards categories. You’ll earn $45 in cash back for your restaurant spending and $20 back for your grocery store spending, for a total of $65 in cash back.
With the Customized Cash, say you also spend $1,500 during that quarter on miscellaneous purchases. This will earn you 1 percent cash back, or $15 in rewards. That brings your total cash back to $80 for $4,000 in spending.
In comparison, let’s assume you spend the exact same amounts using the Unlimited Cash. Since this card earns a flat rate of 1.5 percent, you’d earn $60 back after spending $4,000 — making the Customized Cash the clear winner in this scenario.
| Categories | Quarterly category spending | Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards cash back | Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards cash back |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dining |
$1,500 |
$45 |
$22.50 |
|
Grocery store purchases |
$1,000 |
$20 |
$15 |
|
Miscellaneous |
$1,500 |
$15 |
$22.50 |
|
Total |
$4,000 |
$80 |
$60 |
Now let’s assume that you charge an additional $6,000 in miscellaneous expenses over the same quarter. Our chart will now look like this:
| Categories | Quarterly category spending | Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards cash back | Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards cash back |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dining |
$1,500 |
$45 |
$22.5 |
|
Grocery store purchases |
$1,000 |
$20 |
$15 |
|
Miscellaneous |
$7,500 |
$75 |
$112.5 |
|
Total |
$10,000 |
$140 |
$150 |
In this instance, the Customized Cash would only earn 1 percent on the additional purchases. That would net you an additional $60 in cash back for a grand total of $140 in cash back for the quarter. Note that the quarterly cap applies to the first $2,500 of combined spending in the bonus categories. If you plan to spend more than $2,500 each month in the 3 percent and 2 percent categories combined, you’ll earn more rewards if you spend the 3 percent category first, so that you’ll earn more cash back on your purchases before you hit the bonus limit.
On the other hand, the Unlimited Cash card would continue earning 1.5 percent on all purchases — resulting in an additional $90 in cash back and a total of $150 for the quarter. So, in the second scenario, the Unlimited Cash would earn you more. Which card is right for you could simply come down to how much you tend to spend per quarter.
Bankrate’s take:
Even better, you could combine the benefits of both cards to earn an even higher cash back amount, especially if you’re a Preferred Rewards member. By using the Customized Cash for bonus category purchases and the Unlimited Cash on all other purchases, you could earn considerably more cash back each quarter than by using a single card alone.
Why should you get the Bank of America Unlimited Cash?
Unlike the Customized Cash card, the Unlimited Cash card doesn’t restrict how much cash back you can earn on certain spending, so you don’t have to worry about switching to a more rewarding card after hitting a certain spending threshold. Here are some other reasons to get this card:
Why should you get the Bank of America Customized Cash?
The flexibility of this card’s cash back program is difficult to beat. Many competitors’ cards offer high cash back rates for one or two preselected bonus categories, which can be useless if you don’t typically make those types of purchases. The Customized Cash Rewards card not only lets you choose your 3 percent category, but also lets you change it once per month. Some more reasons to choose this card include:
The bottom line
The Bank of America Unlimited Cash is as simple as it gets for a rewards card, but its flat rate doesn’t allow you to earn extra rewards in bonus categories. The Bank of America Customized Cash is more rewarding, but it has limits on its bonus category rewards. The better option for you depends on your spending habits and needs. You may even want to use these cards together, especially since neither imposes an annual fee.
In that case, use the Customized Cash for the 3 percent category that you spend the most in and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Then, use the Unlimited Cash for all other types of purchases and for category purchases after you reach the $2,500 quarterly limit.
The Bank of America content in this post was last updated on May 28, 2025.
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