Cardholders can change the category that earns 6% rewards (up to $2,500 per quarter in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) once every month customizing earnings where expenses are highest.
Eligible purchases cover six popular spending categories, including:
- Gas and EV charging stations
- Online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming
- Dining
- Travel
- Drug stores and pharmacies
- Home improvement and furniture stores
Some of these categories are pretty straightforward, and a few are worth digging into, like online shopping, travel and home improvement/furniture stores.
Bonus Rewards for Online Shopping
Cardholders can earn 6% in the first year for shopping with online giants like Amazon, Walmart, Nordstrom and others. Most utility bills like electricity, gas and water are excluded, but services like Comcast and Netflix earn 6% when online shopping is selected for bonus rewards.
Bonus Rewards for Travel
Any travel purchased in the first year can earn 6% as your choice category, and the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards has a generous definition of travel, including:
- Airlines
- Cruises
- Hotels and resorts
- Amusement parks
- Aquariums
- Tourist attractions
- Travel agencies
- Buses
- Rideshares
- Taxis
- Passenger railways
- Tolls
- Car rentals
- RV and truck rentals
- Boat rentals
Pay close attention to the timing of transactions if travel is your choice bonus category. Some purchases, like flights, are charged at the time of booking for travel in the future, while hotels and car rentals are often charged to your card at the end of the stay or rental.
Other travel purchases, like cruises, often allow payment over time. This means you could stretch the full price of a cruise over several months with the travel category selected for bonus rewards, which could help you avoid exceeding the spending cap for the 6% cash back.
Bonus Rewards for Home Improvement and Furniture Stores
If you have a home improvement project you’ve been planning for, getting a new card to pay for expenses can be a smart way to save on the cost. Similarly, if you move or just want to redecorate your home, putting new furniture on the card can earn up to $150 cash back in a quarter.
The types of merchants that qualify for bonus rewards in this category include
- Home supply warehouse stores
- Lumber and building materials stores
- Paint and wallpaper stores
- Hardware stores
- Nurseries
- Lawn and garden supply stores
- Contractors like plumbers, electricians, landscapers and carpenters
Payments to general contractors and popular stores like Home Depot, Ikea, Pottery Barn and others are also eligible to earn bonus rewards.
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