Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card art from Bankrate
VISAVisa Traditional

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured

Earn up to 6% cash back while building credit with $0 annual fee

Build or rebuild your credit while earning 3% cash back in a category you choose — plus a first-year 3% bonus for 6% total. Automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% on everything else. $0 annual fee with a refundable $200-$5,000 security deposit and free monthly FICO score access.

Top Rate
3%

Terms checked against the issuer on October 10, 2026

At a Glance

Annual Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Network
Visa Traditional
Rewards Currency
Cash
Point Valuation
1¢ (cash back)
Credit Required
Fair

Earning Rates

  1. 3%

    Dining

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  2. 3%

    Drugstores

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  3. 3%

    Gas Stations

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  4. 3%

    Electric Vehicle Charging

    EV charging row: same tier and same cap as gas, per the issuer's wording: "gas and EV charging stations" (TASK-0714).

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  5. 3%

    Home Improvement

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  6. 3%

    Online Shopping

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  7. 3%

    Streaming

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  8. 3%

    Telecom

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  9. 3%

    Cable Tv

    3% cash back if online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming, is the chosen category

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  10. 3%

    Travel

    Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  11. 2%

    Grocery Stores

    Automatic 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  12. 2%

    Wholesale Clubs

    Automatic 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter.

    Cap: $2,500/quarterly

  13. 1%

    All Other

Earning Scenarios

3% on Your Choice Category (6% Year 1)

Select one of 6 categories each month to earn 3% cash back — doubled to 6% during your first year. Gas, dining, online shopping, travel, drug stores, and home improvement are all available options.

Spend $500/month on gas as your choice category: earn $180/year in cash back (at 3%), or $360 in year one (at 6%)

2% at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs

Automatic 2% cash back on groceries and wholesale club purchases. Combined with the 3% choice category, your first $2,500 per quarter earns bonus rates.

Spend $400/month on groceries: earn $96/year in cash back at 2%

1% on All Other Purchases

Every purchase earns at least 1% cash back with no caps or limits on the base rate. All purchases beyond the $2,500 quarterly cap also earn 1%.

Spend $1,000/month on miscellaneous purchases: earn $120/year at 1%

Benefits & Perks

Insurance & Protections

6 protections
  1. Monthly reporting to all 3 credit bureaus

    Account activity reported monthly to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to build your credit history.

  2. Monthly FICO score monitoring

    Access your updated FICO score monthly free in Mobile or Online Banking with key factors and credit health tips.

  3. 24/7 fraud monitoring on all transactions

    Active fraud monitoring detects suspicious activity with automatic alerts and FCUA fraud protection.

  4. Overdraft protection with Balance Connect

    Link a BofA checking account to prevent overdrafts with automatic transfers from your credit line.

  5. Zero Liability on unauthorized charges

    You won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made in store, online, or via mobile device.

Show all 6 protections
  1. 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide

    Emergency card replacement and cash disbursement services available 24/7 worldwide for lost or stolen cards.

Dining Out

3% cash back at restaurants

if dining is your chosen category · On up to $2,500 a quarter in dining, then the base rate

$3 back on a $100 dinner

No annual fee

Explore 5,512 New York restaurants with this card

Stack a dining program

Rakuten Dining

5% back at 20,618 participating restaurants, on top of this card's 3%, once you join and link this card.

How Rakuten Dining works

+$5

cash back, or ≈$5.50 as points

More on a $100 dinner

Details & Terms

Application Rules

RuleDetails
B of A 1/24You'll be declined for Alaska Airlines and B of A Premium Rewards cards if you have opened or CLOSED that card in the previous 24 months
B of A 2/3/4Bank of America limits the number of personal cards issued by the bank that you can get within a certain time frame

Payment Terms

Purchase APR27.74% (Variable)
Cash Advance APR28.74% (Variable)
Foreign Transaction Fee3%

Reviews & Analysis

Third-Party Rankings & Ratings

4 sources

Ranked #105 of 119

How It Compares

A secured card that actually earns competitive rewards. Choose your 3% category each month from 6 options, earn 6% in year one, and get 2% at grocery stores — all while building credit with $0 annual fee. The $2,500 quarterly cap on bonus categories limits heavy spenders.

Media & Resources

Video Reviews

8 videos

Third-Party Articles & Reviews

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured review: Earn cash back while building credit

Bankrate·Ana Staples·2026review

Comprehensive review covering rewards structure, credit-building features, pros/cons, and comparison to Discover it Secured and Capital One Platinum Secured.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card

Bank Of Americaguide

Official Bank of America product page with current rates, rewards details, and application.

Best secured credit cards for February 2026

Yahoo Financebest_of_list

Yahoo Finance names BofA Customized Cash Rewards Secured as 'Best for adjustable cash back' in their best secured credit cards roundup.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card Reviews

WalletHub·2026review

WalletHub's detailed card page with 4.3/5 rating, Q&A section covering credit limit increases, graduation, and deposit refunds.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card Review

Credit Karmareview

Credit Karma's review covering the 3-2-1 rewards structure and first-year 3% bonus bringing total to 6% in choice category.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card: A No-Annual-Fee Way to Build Credit

·Charlotte Zhang·2026review

LendingTree review highlighting cash back rewards, $5,000 max credit limit, and comparison to Discover it Secured and Chase Freedom Rise.

Bank Of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured Card

Help Me Build Creditreview

Credit-building focused review detailing the 6% first-year bonus and category options for the secured card.

My Frustrating Experience with a Bank of America Secured Credit Card

Redditreview

Reddit user discusses experience with BofA secured card including payment history, utilization management, and frustrations with the graduation process.

Card Design

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card art from Bankrate
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card art from WalletHub
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured card

Evidence Sources

SourceCitation
RewardsCC APIRewardsCC API
Issuer PageIssuer Page
Issuer PageIssuer Page: Earn rates
Bank of AmericaBank of America

Top brands for this card

Brands where this card's earn-rate structure makes it a strong choice. Open a brand for the full ranked list.

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.