Maximize 3% Cash Back with Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card and Monthly Category Hacks

Maximize monthly 3% cash back with a plan

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card gives you a built-in advantage: pick one 3% category and change it month to month. By matching the card’s bonus category to predictable, regular expenses you can routinely capture 3% cash back on higher-value purchases.

To make this work, track recurring costs like streaming, gas, or dining and calendar the month-to-month category switch. Combining the Customized Cash Rewards card with a simple spending log makes the 3% cash back feel automatic, not accidental.

Smart category choices and monthly hacks

Choose categories that align with spikes in your spending: plan holidays, road trips, or seasonal buys to fall inside months where you select Travel, Gas, or Home Improvement. Online Shopping is often underrated since it covers streaming, phone plans, and internet, items most households buy every month.

Remember the cap: 3% and 2% categories share a combined quarterly limit of $2,500. If you hit that cap, shift big purchases to a flat-rate card. For everyday use, rotate to squeezing the most out of 3% cash back while keeping incidental purchases on the Customized Cash Rewards card.

Stack with Preferred Rewards for bigger returns

If you bank with Bank of America or have Merrill accounts, enroll in Preferred Rewards and the math gets sweeter. Preferred Rewards boosts your cash back by 25% to 75%, turning a 3% rate effectively into 3.75% to 5.25% cash back for qualifying tiers.

That boost makes the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card one of the top picks for households who already keep balances with BoA or Merrill. Even modest account balances can push your effective 3% cash back into territory normally reserved for premium cards.

Apply, redeem, and practical tips for US cardholders

The card has no annual fee, a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles, and a $200 online cash rewards bonus after $1,000 spent in the first 90 days. Approval favors good-to-excellent credit, so check your score and prequalify when possible.

Redeem rewards as statement credits or direct deposits to your Bank of America accounts, with most redemptions starting at $25. Keep the card active and aligned with your preferred category rotation to compound 3% cash back plus Preferred Rewards multipliers over time.