Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card vs Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
Annual fees: Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card $95/yr, Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card on travel, Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students on travel.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit CardBank of America · $95/yr
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for StudentsBank of America · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card$95Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card60,000 pointsBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students25,000 points
- Rewards
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit CardBank of America pointsBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for StudentsBank of America points
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit CardNoneBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for StudentsNone
- Network
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit CardVisa SignatureBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for StudentsVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card2xHighestBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students1.5x
- Travel
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card2xHighestBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students1.5x
- Everything else
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card1.5xBank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students1.5x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
- $100 airline credit
- $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students— - Other credits
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card—Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
- 0% APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and transfers
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection access
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students— - Other perks
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- Visa Signature Concierge Service available 24/7
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students- Zero foreign transaction fees worldwide
- Tap to pay with contactless and digital wallets
- Free overdraft protection for BofA checking
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- $2,500 trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- $500 trip delay reimbursement coverage available
- Travel protections
- Evacuation and Transportation Cover when traveling
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students— - Baggage
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- $3,000 lost luggage reimbursement coverage available
- $500 baggage delay protection coverage available
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students— - Rental car
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- Automotive protections
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver coverage
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students— - Purchase & returns
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- $10,000 purchase protection for eligible items
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students- $10,000 purchase protection per claim
- Extended warranty
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- $10,000 extended warranty protection on eligible purchases
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students— - Other protections
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- Roadside Dispatch Program available 24/7 nationwide
- FICO® Score
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students- $0 liability for unauthorized transactions
- FICO® Score
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- Up to 75% rewards boost at the Premier tier (3.5X travel/dining, 2.625X base)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Strong 60,000 point welcome bonus after $4,000 spend
- $100 annual airline incidental credit
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit every 4 years
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students- 25,000 point welcome bonus after $1,000 spend ($250 travel value)
- Flat 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases
- No foreign transaction fee (ideal for study abroad)
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
- Cons
- Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card
- Base 2X/1.5X rates are mediocre without a higher BofA Rewards tier
- $95 annual fee with no first-year waiver
- Requires maintaining significant assets at Bank of America/Merrill for best rates
- No transfer partners - points only redeemable for cash back or travel booking
- The top 75% BofA Rewards bonus requires $1M+ in combined balances (50% at $100K+)
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students- Requires Bank of America relationship for best value (BofA Rewards)
- Points less flexible than cash back
- Lower earn rate than category-specific cards
- Higher credit requirement (Good/Excellent) than other student cards
- Missing good grades reward that Discover offers
Category-by-Category Winner
The Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card wins in 1 of 1 categories. The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students leads in 0. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.
Travel
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students earns 3X when conditions are met; Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Dining
Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card earns 2X vs 1.5X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card | Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $195 Credits (our usable estimate): $180 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $280 Year one: $880 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $430 | Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card | Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $780 Credits (our usable estimate): $180 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $865 Year one: $1,465 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $720 Year one: $970 | Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card | Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card includes travel credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $95 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and dining and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students means losing:
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card $95/yr, Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card also lists travel credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card or Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students?
- Both cards earn 1.5X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card have that the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students doesn't?
- The Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card offers travel credits. The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card or the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students has a lower $0/yr fee; the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.