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Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Student Review 2024

If you are also a student and wondering how to control your travel expenses, then turn your attention to the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students. This card offers travel rewards to students who want to visit their parents while they are on vacation or who want to travel further away. With it, students can save money virtually on every purchase, whether they are in the United States or elsewhere. It has a decent list of opportunities to earn points and introductory offers like 0% APR. With no time limit, student cardholders are able to earn 1.5 points per $1 on all purchases made anywhere, anytime.

Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students Review by Experts

Bank of america travel rewards credit card for students

We would like to suggest the Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students Credit Card for those students who have to travel frequently, and as a result, their expenses are also high. 

This card is very appealing due to its long-term introductory offer of 0% APR and an amazing welcome bonus, especially if there is some spending coming up. 

However, this card offers a reward program that depends on the points, and makes it possible to earn points on per-day purchases and travel easily; you might not get good what you pay for if you don’t use your points in their Travel Center. 

Special Features: 

  • Annually Charges- 0% 
  • Purchase APR- 16.99 to 26.99%
  • Grade Period- 25 days 
  • Rewards Rate- 1.5 to 3%
  • Welcome Bonus- 25k points

Additional Free Benefits- 

  • Balance Connect® offers optional protection against overdrafts
  • Zero liability for fraud
  • FICO credit checks are free
  • Better Money Habits® access
  • Digital Wallet Technology 
  • Contactless Chip Technology

Benefits & Drawbacks 

Pros 

  • 0% APR for the first 18 billing cycles on all purchases
  • $25k welcome bonus
  • No annual fee
  • 1.5 to 3 points reward rate
  • No foreign transaction charges 

Cons

  • The value of points decreases when redeemed for cash.
  • High APR.
  • May necessitate a previous credit score.
  • There are a few additional rewards.

Features

Find out more about the main features of the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students card to see if it’s perfect for you.

Interest Rates 

A billing period for a Visa is somewhere in the range of 28 to 31 days, which means the offer of welcome purchase APR is for around a year and a half. Balance transfers made within the initial sixty days of owing the card are also subject to the introductory APR. 

The introductory APR implemented for all balance transfers runs within the first sixty days of card ownership.

However, your interest rate may highly rise once both the mentioned offers expire. As a result, it is imperative that you pay off all unpaid debts prior to the end of the introductory period. Otherwise, owing this card might end up costing a lot of money. 

  • Purchase APR- 16.99 to 26.99% (variable) 
  • Introductory Purchase APR- Free of charge on purchases for the initial 18 billing cycles 
  • Balance Transfer APR- 16.99 –26.99% (variable)
  • APR for the Welcome Balance Transfer- 0% on purchases for the initial 18 billing cycles
  • Cash Advance APR- 19.99%-29.99% (variable)

Rewards

The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students provides a number of opportunities to earn money without a cap. The process is as follows: 

  • Each $1 spent through the Travel Center earns you three points. 
  • 1.5 points for every $1 spent on other items. 

Other Details 

Both of your earning opportunities are limitless, so you can spend as much as you desire and save as much as you want. 

Here you shouldn’t be worried because the card has no annual fee, so you won’t have to spend a fixed amount to make ends meet. 

When attempting to expand earnings with the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, the most crucial platform to acclimatize yourself with is the Bank of America Travel Center. It offers more than 200,000 resort and hotel choices, 200+ airlines for booking, and phone support around the clock. 

Ways to Redeem Reward Points 

Whatever points you earn from Bank of America®, you can redeem them in two different ways: 

  • Travel Center 
  • Cash Statement 

The basic purpose of this card is to encourage the use of the Travel Center completely. If you redeem your 1 point through the travel center, then their worth will be applied as follows:

  • The value of one point will be equal to 1% or one cent. 
  • 1 point redeemed as cash is worth 0.6% or 0.6 of a cent.

There is a very small reason not to use the Travel Center entirely for redeeming all the points of the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students because all points that are redeemed for cash statements are subject to a 40% cut.

The Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students card may not assist you in getting the most out of it if you don’t frequently book airline tickets or hotel rooms.

Fees

  • Annual Fee- Chargeless
  • Fee for Cash Advance- Either 3% or $10, whichever is more
  • The fee to Transfer a Balance- Either 3% or $10, whichever is more
  • Fee for Late Payment- Up to $40 
  • Fee for Foreign Transactions- None 

Welcome Bonus

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is always ready to give a welcome bonus to all new borrowers. Here 25,000 bonus points are included as an introductory reward. When used as a credit statement through the Travel Center, this has a value of $250; however, if used as cash, its value is only $150. 

To get your hands on the welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend a minimum of $1000 in your initial three months, which should be doable even for students with low budgets.

Balance Transfers

The process of transferring debt from one credit card to another is known as a balance transfer. Although balance transfers can be a useful tool for reducing debt and avoiding significant penalties for late payments, they typically appear with sky-high internet rates and fees.

  • For the beginning 60 days, balance transfers made with the Bank of America Travel Rewards for Student Card will incur 0% introductory interest. 
  • After the first two months, you shouldn’t use this card to transfer balances because the APR for transferring a normal balance is 16.99-26.99% (variable). 

Cash Advance

When you access your credit card to get a money order or withdraw an amount from an ATM, you get a cash advance. Despite their usefulness in times of need, cash advances are widely known to be expensive. 

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students card has a cash advance APR of 19.99% to 29.99% and a minimum cash advance fee of $10, both of which are extremely high. We recommend that you use your debit card instead if you need cash. 

Travel Benefits

Despite the fact that it is a travel credit card, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students card primarily lacks travel benefits. 

While travel purchases offer significantly more opportunities to earn and redeem points, the card does not include emergency card replacement, travel insurance, or some other essential benefits that can lessen the difficulty of traveling. 

If you are fond of traveling and because of this you are looking for travel benefits, consider other travel credit cards that meet your maximum requirements. 

Credit Reporting

Bank of America regularly reports to all the major credit agencies: Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion® because credit history is evaluated based on the mentioned details in the report. Thus, you can access this card with no doubt realizing that your credit report will be constantly refreshed. 

The information in your credit report is compiled from many facts. The most significant and outstanding data that shows up on your report are:

  • Personal Information 
  • History of Credit Repayment 
  • Credit Accounts 
  • Public Records by Law 
  • Requests for Credit Reports 

Authorized Person 

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students card is open to authorized users, and the Bank of America online banking platform makes it simple to add them quickly. Authorized User is known to be a primary account holder, this means that you are also reasonable for all the card charges, that too legally. So be careful when adding authorized users.

Other Benefits Offered by Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students 

  • Fraud Prevention:- It helps to block potential duplicitous activity. Fraudulent transactions are not the responsibility of cardholders.
  • Protect from over-drafting:- A free service that helps you avoid overdrafts, returned checks, and declined purchases when you connect your credit card to your Bank of America checking account. 
  • Paperless Statement:- Choose paperless credit card statements to improve account security and cut down on paper use.
  • FICO Score:- You can now free of charge access your monthly updated FICO® Score using the Mobile Banking app or Online Banking. 
  • Digital Wallet Technology:- Add your Bank of America Credit Card to your device so that you can learn many payment options. The most recent and cutting-edge technological features for increased technological comfort.
  • Account Alerts: Keep track of your balances and when they are due. Let your phone notify you when payments are due and paid by selecting from a variety of client emails or messages.  

Who Should Get a Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card?

bank of america travel rewards credit card for students

Students Who Study Abroad: 

This card is great for those students who are studying outside their country. If they use it, they will definitely get some of these benefits:

  • They will be able to reduce their travel expenses to a great extent.
  • You can also avoid the charges levied for any international transactions.
  • This credit card will give you different rewards from time to time keeping in view your travel.

Students Looking to Cut Costs on Hotels and Airplane Tickets:

Students who are in search of beneficial offers on travel purchases will love this Student credit card because the Travel Center provides a large selection of hotel, resort, and airline options. In point of fact, you will need to make all the travel purchases your top priority when using this card to maximize your earnings.

Top 3 Comparable Cards

Here, we have also discussed the features of the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students alternatives so that you get to know on this page what position this credit card deserves in comparison to other similar cards. 

Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

Deserve EDU MasterCard

The Deserve® EDU Mastercard, which is also made for students, makes it simple to build credit, travel, and save money. International students do not need a Social Security number (SSN) to be approved for it, and it does not require a credit score. You don’t have to spend the majority of your savings on a predetermined platform, giving you good flexibility so that you can save and spend as you see fit. 

Special Features: 

  • Annual Fee- $0 
  • Credit Score- 580 to 739 
  • Purchase APR- 22.49% (Variable) 
  • 1% cash back reward on all purchases that qualify
  • Referral bonus of $30
  • Spend $500 in the initial three months and get one year of Amazon Prime

Pros 

  • Redeeming rewards with more flexibility 
  • No high spending for the welcome bonus
  • Does not require an SSN
  • No credit score required 
  • No Foreign Transaction Fee 

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer cash on the welcome bonus 
  • No Zero APR duration
  • Reduce the maximum reward rate

Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card

Chase freedom Flex

Although the Chase Freedom FlexSM isn’t made specifically for students, college students who have had a chance to improve their credit history and are seeking a good number of other traveling benefits may still find this to be an excellent choice. 

You also get assistance with travel and some emergencies, trip interruption insurance, insurance for trip cancellation, and a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) for rental cars. 

Special Features

  • Annual Fee- $0 
  • Credit Score- 670 to 850 
  • Purchase APR- 18.74–27.49% (variable
  • Zero APR Duration- 15 months 
  • 3% cash back on dining out and shopping at pharmacies
  • 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories 
  • When you spend $500 in the first three months, you get a $200 bonus
  • Benefits associated with HelloFresh, Shoprunner, Lyft, and Fandango
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

Pros 

  • Offer many rewards 
  • Great added benefits 
  • Not only for students
  • Access welcome bonus with lower spending 

Cons

  • High International transaction fee 
  • No introductory balance transfer APR 
  • Needs a higher credit score 

Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America travel rewards credit card

Both the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students card and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards card appears to be very similar. The only actual difference is that one is completely made for students, which probably means that it has lower requirements for credit scores. The rewards program based on points, additional conveniences, and other important features all remain the same.

The first is only open to students, while the second is open to everyone seeking a Bank of America Travel credit card.

Special Features: 

  • Annual Fee- $0 
  • Credit Score- 670 to 850 
  • Purchase APR- 16.99 to 26.99% (Variable) 
  • Zero APR Duration- 18 Months 
  • Points for Every Purchase- 1.5x  

Pros 

  • Earning points reward system 
  • Not only for students  

Cons 

  • High fees and interest rates 
  • Only a few benefits

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.1- How hard is it for someone with no credit to apply for a Bank of America Travel Rewards Student Card? 

You must have a high credit score in order to apply for Bank of America, otherwise, it will be very difficult to get approval. We are saying this because credit score has become a very important part of the selection process. Therefore, when the applications of people with low credit scores are not being accepted, then there should be no hope of approval for those with no credit score.

Q.2- How to be accepted for a Bank of America Student Rewards Travel Card?

The way of approval for the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students depends on many factors. By analyzing all of them, the lender decides whether the customer is eligible for the approval panel or not. The parameters on the basis of which the application is accepted are as follows:

  • You must have a minimum credit score 
  • Credit transaction history should be long
  • Credit card debt should be low  
  • You must have a stable source of income
  • Your income should not be less 

Q.3- Is the Bank of America Travel Rewards card good for students? 

The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is designed keeping the students in mind and combines the other wide advantages simultaneously. Students studying abroad and from other countries who want to improve their credit and get the most out of their reward points should consider applying for this credit card.

Q.4- What information is needed to apply for a Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students? 

If you want to apply for a Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, then you must know the details of the below-mentioned points in details:

  • Fees 
  • Rewards 
  • Interest Rates 
  • Introductory Offers 
  • Borrowing Terms 
  • Benefits 

You also need to find out about the type of applicants the lenders consider approving. Lenders will reject applications if your credit history is low, your income is low, your credit card debt is high, and you are unable to cover the minimum credit score. 

Q.5- What is the average credit score needed to get approved for a Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students? 

For now, Bank of America is looking for applicants who have a good credit history and at least cover the credit score. The credit score set should be in the range of 580 and 739.

Conclusion

The decision to get any card is a big one. Nowadays, there are many cards that give us an advantage in some features but rob us completely of some useless features. In order to determine whether or not the Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students card is a suitable borrowing option. 

As per the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students Review, the card also offers a great helpline service to its customers and other services like Contactless Chip Technology, Balance Connect® for overdraft protection, FICO® Score, Online & Mobile Banking, etc. It offers everything that can help a student with a busy schedule develop good spending and saving habits.

Author Profile

Elizabeth Jones
Elizabeth Jones is one of our editorial team’s leading authors on credit card offers, services & more. With over two decades of experience in the consumer credit industry and as a nationally recognized credit expert, Elizabeth provides in-depth analysis of both traditional & alternative forms of credit. Elizabeth regularly appears on many major media outlets including NBC Nightly News, Fox Business Network, CNBC & Yahoo! Finance. She is also a frequent contributor to Forbes Magazine. As a highly appreciated author for our exclusive Editorial Team, Elizabeth strives to provide readers with a trustworthy advice on how to manage their credit accounts while staying informed on the latest offers in the marketplace.

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