[Expired] Bank of America Credit Cards, $175 Sign Up Bonus After $500 In Spend & Why They Are Worth A Look

Unfortunately it looks like this offer expired on or around March 10th. You can view all of the current sign up bonuses for all cards here.

The Offer

• Bank of America is offering a sign up bonus of $175 after making $500 in purchases within three months on a range of their co-branded BankAmericard Cash Rewards cards. Below is a list of the co-branded partners. I don’t think it really matters which one you pick, but the organization you pick might receive some sort of financial incentive. It’s my understanding you DON’T need to be a member of these organizations to apply.
  • AICPA
  • Alumni Association of the University of Michigan
  • American Academy of Family Physicians
  • American Bar Association
  • American Psychological Association
  • American Student Dental Association
  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Auburn University
  • Arkansas Alumni Association
  • Cal Alumni Association
  • Clemson Alumni Association
  • Indiana University Alumni Association
  • The Florida Bar
  • Penn State Alumni Association
  • State Bar of California
  • Texas Exes
  • University of Central Florida Alumni Association
  • University of Miami

The Fine Print

• No annual fee
• Card earns at the following rate:
  • 1% cash back on purchases
  • 2% at grocery stores*
  • 3% on gas*
• 10% customer bonus when you redeem into a Bank of America checking account

*for the first $1,500 in combined grocery store and gas purchases each quarter

Our Verdict

I think these cards are worth considering for two main reasons:

• Bank of America combines hard pulls. This means you could apply for this as well as an Alaska Airlines credit card and only ding your credit once.
• It’s possible to downgrade these cards to Better Balance Rewards Cards (BBR). BBR cards earn $25 per quarter when you make your payments on time ($30 if you have a checking account), which could net you another $100 a year. Although it’s worth noting that for a time BofA disallowed downgrading to this card.

I’ve got enough BofA cards for the moment I think, so I’ll probably be giving these cards a miss. For those looking for credit cards with a cash sign up bonus, these cards might not be such a bad option.

Key posts you might find helpful:

• Bank of America will usually match higher sign up bonuses
• Bank of America credit cards are churnable
• Bank of America will overnight your new credit card if you have a valid reason
• Bank of America does a hard credit pull for a credit limit increase 
• View what pre-approved credit cards you have with Bank of America here
• Click here for the BofA credit card reconsideration number
• Rules for reallocating your credit limit with Bank of America

Appreciate reddit user mk712 showing me how to easily search google for these cards.