Rewards & next steps

How to Apply for the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Card

★Here's how to get the most from this card. Follow the steps below, then apply on the issuer's official site.

Applying for the Unlimited Cash Rewards card is done entirely online through Bank of America's website and typically takes about ten minutes if you have your personal and financial information on hand. Because this card is generally geared toward applicants with good to excellent credit, it's worth checking your credit standing before you apply so you know roughly where you stand.

The steps below walk through what to expect from opening the application to activating the card after approval, plus what Bank of America usually asks for along the way.

Step by step

1. Check your credit and gather your information: Review your credit standing since this card is generally geared toward good-to-excellent credit applicants. Have your Social Security number, income, employment status, and housing payment information ready before starting the application.
2. Start the application on Bank of America's official site: Go directly to Bank of America's Unlimited Cash Rewards application page (not a third-party lookalike) and fill in your personal, contact, income, and identity details in the secure online form.
3. Review and submit your application: Double-check the information you entered, review the card's current rates and terms as disclosed on the application page, and submit. Many applicants receive an instant decision, though some are routed to manual review.
4. Activate the card and set up your account: Once approved and your physical card arrives, activate it through Bank of America's site or mobile app, set up online account access, and consider enabling autopay to avoid missing payments during and after the intro APR period.
5. Track your first-year bonus rate and welcome offer progress: Monitor your spending toward the welcome bonus minimum spend requirement in the specified window, and keep an eye on your promotional 2% first-year cash-back rate before it steps down to the standard 1.5%.

Tips & mistakes to avoid

• If you already bank with Bank of America or Merrill, check your Preferred Rewards tier before applying — a higher combined balance tier can meaningfully raise your effective cash-back rate on this card.
• Pay your statement balance in full each month once the introductory APR period ends; the ongoing variable APR can be considerably higher than the promotional rate and will quickly outweigh 1.5% cash back.
• Time a large planned purchase to take advantage of the roughly 15-billing-cycle 0% intro APR window if you need to finance it, but plan to have it paid off before the promotional rate expires.
• Avoid using this card for purchases abroad given the 3% foreign transaction fee; carry a no-foreign-fee card for travel instead.

FAQ

Will applying for this card hurt my credit score?

Yes, temporarily. Bank of America performs a hard inquiry when you submit a formal application, which can cause a small, short-term dip in your credit score. Prequalification tools that show your odds before you apply typically use a soft inquiry that does not affect your score.

How long does it take to get approved?

Many applicants get an instant decision online within about 60 seconds, though some applications are sent for manual review and can take a few days to a couple of weeks, especially if Bank of America needs to verify your income or identity.

Can I apply if I already have another Bank of America credit card?

You can apply, but Bank of America limits how many personal credit cards and how much total credit it will extend to one person, and internal issuance rules (sometimes discussed online as similar to other issuers' application-frequency limits) can affect approval odds if you've opened several BofA cards recently.

Advertiser disclosure: general information only, not financial advice. We are an independent publisher, not a card issuer or lender. Confirm current terms on the issuer's official site.