Bank Of America^® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard^® Credit Card Review [2024]: A Great First Option for Business Owners

Card basics

The Bank of America^® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard^® credit card is a simple travel rewards credit card for small business owners. I like that you don’t have to consider specific categories to maximize your rewards and all purchases earn an unlimited 1.5X points. However, there are larger benefits for travel booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center(3X points).

The card has a $0 annual fee and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so it’s almost a no-brainer for small business owners. You can earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening, which for most business owners is easy to do, especially since you don’t have to spend in specific categories.

The card does get slightly more complicated if you want to earn up to 75% more points per dollar spent, which is where the true value of this card and most Bank of America credit cards reside. You’ll need a three-month combined average of at least $20,000 in Bank of America and Merrill business bank accounts to qualify for the Bank of America Preferred Rewards for Business. It’s not a deal breaker if you don’t earn these rewards, but if you already use Bank of America for your business banking needs, you might as well earn the higher bonuses.

Who should get this card?

The Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard makes sense if you want a travel credit card with a simple rewards rate and no foreign transaction fees.

I should mention that it doesn’t have many additional benefits, but you can earn a decent base earning rate on all your eligible purchases. You can then redeem your rewards for statement credits to cover the cost of travel and dining, pay for travel through the Bank of America Travel Center, gift cards, or cash.

However, this isn’t the card for you if you want premium travel benefits, such as:

• Airport lounge access
• Elite status with a branded loyalty program

Top features

• Generous welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
• Earning potential: Earn 3 points per $1 on travel booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center and 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases.
• $0 annual fee: Forget an annual cost with a $0 annual fee.
• Introductory APR offer: Receive 0% intro APR for 9 billing cycles on purchases (then 17.99 - 27.99% Variable).
• No foreign transaction fees: Avoid paying any foreign transaction fees and earn points while traveling.
• Travel insurance: This card offers travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, and trip cancellation coverage.
• Preferred Rewards for Business: Boost your earnings by 25% to 75% if you have an active and eligible Bank of America business checking account and at least a three-month combined average daily balance of $20,000 or more in qualifying Bank of America and/or Merrill accounts.
• Cash flow management: Includes access to helpful online services for businesses including automatic payments and transfers, and synchronized downloads to QuickBooks.
• Free business credit scores: Get free access to your Dun & Bradstreet business credit scores if you enroll in online Business Advantage 360 banking to view your accounts online.
• Security: Enjoy zero liability protection, fraud monitoring, and overdraft protection with a linked Bank of America business bank account.

Earning and redeeming rewards

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your earnings can add up with this card. To calculate these values, we used estimated spending by businesses in a variety of categories, including gas travel expenses, office supplies, and advertising.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $680

Year two earnings: $380

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

I think the earning rates on the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards are generally average compared to some of the best rewards credit cards. This doesn’t mean I think the earning potential is bad, especially since you don’t have to mess with specific categories. However, it doesn’t have many bonus categories, and you can find the same or better rates on different cards.

Where the card shines, however, is the boosted earnings potential through the Preferred Rewards for Business program, which pays 25% to 75% more rewards. That could mean earning up to a 2.62X base earning rate on all your eligible purchases.

This is honestly the best way to earn rewards with the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards credit card.

Check out how much more value you can get from this card through the Preferred Rewards for Business program:

For the same $10,000 in spending, you can earn $112.50 more in rewards with a 75% bonus from the Preferred Rewards for Business program. But there’s a catch. To earn the extra $112.50, you’d need a three-month combined average of $100k+ in your Bank of America business bank accounts. If that’s a stretch for your business, there are other best travel credit cards to consider.

Maximizing your redemptions

Maximizing your redemptions with the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards credit card requires using the points for travel through the Bank of America Travel Center. If you don’t travel often, another rewards credit card may be better.

Although the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards credit card offers several redemption options, the points are worth the most for the following:

• Statement credits toward travel and dining purchases
• Travel through the Bank of America Travel Center

When you redeem your points for statement credits for approved travel or dining expenses (airline, hotel, car rental, etc.), they are worth 1 cent per point. If you instead redeem points for a cash deposit, they are worth only $0.006 per point.

For example, redeeming 2,500 points would net you $25 toward a statement credit or travel redemption. However, it would only net you $15 if used for cash back, which includes mailed checks or deposits into eligible Bank of America checking or savings accounts or a credit to an eligible Merrill investment account.

There’s no set redemption value for gift cards, as it varies depending on the gift card. But the value could also be lower than 1 cent per point.

FAQ

Other cards to consider

If the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards doesn’t seem like the right fit for you, consider the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card as worthy alternatives.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles has a $95 (waived first year) annual fee, but its base earning rate beats the Business Advantage Travel Rewards. You can earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars and booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on every purchase, every day. You can also transfer your miles to over a dozen Capital One transfer partners and receive up to $120 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

When comparing the Capital One Spark Miles credit card to the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards card, it will cost you $95 (waived first year) after the first year, but you earn 0.5 more points per purchase than the Bank of America card. You also have the option to transfer your points to 15+ travel partners and may be eligible for room upgrades and a $50 experience credit when you stay at participating hotels.

Learn more in our Capital One Spark Miles for Business review.

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Unlimited has a $0 annual fee and offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. This isn’t a better earning rate than the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards card, but you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which is one of my favorite travel rewards currencies because of its flexibility and value. You can also combine Chase points between multiple Chase credit cards for more earning potential.

Just like the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards card, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card doesn’t have an annual fee, but you have more redemption options with the value varying between rewards. You get the highest value when you use points to book through Chase Travel, which I suggest if you’re looking for a valuable rewards credit card. The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card also includes free employee cards, which allows you to track employee spending, while also earning rewards on their purchases.

Check out our Chase Ink Business Unlimited review.

Get up to 3X points

Bank of America^® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard^® credit card

4.4

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Bank of America^® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard^® credit card

4.4

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening

See how these cards compare:

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

• Simple, competitive travel rewards program
• TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credits
• Complimentary employee cards
• Rates and fees

Bottom line

I think the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards is an excellent travel credit card if you’re a small business owner learning how credit card rewards work. There’s nothing flashy about this card, which means it’s simple for cardholders to use. But you also won’t find many additional perks or benefits.

While the primary benefit of the Business Advantage Travel Rewards is the Preferred Rewards for Business program where you can earn up to 75% more in rewards, I think it’s a great starter credit card for business owners.

Get up to 3X points

Bank of America^® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard^® credit card

4.4

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Bank of America^® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard^® credit card

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Current Offer

Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

3 points per $1 on travel booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center and 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• $0 annual fee
• Unlimited 1.5X points earned on purchases

Drawbacks

• No travel partners to maximize rewards
• Best rewards come from the Preferred Rewards program, but it’s hard to qualify for

Card Details

• Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
• 3 points per $1 on travel booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center and 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases