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

If you spend a lot on business travel, but don’t want to invest in a travel card that carries an annual fee, the Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard from Bank of America is a good alternative.

This surprisingly generous business rewards card offers a solid three-point bonus on every dollar you spend on travel as long as you book your business trips through Bank of America’s travel center. Many cards that offer comparable travel bonuses, by contrast, typically charge annual fees as high as $95 or more.

Unlike many travel cards, the Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard also provides cardholders with ample opportunity to stock up on rewards points just by using the card for everyday expenses.

A solid bonus on travel

The Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard offers a substantial bonus on travel purchases, making it a good pick for companies that spend a sizable amount on airfare, hotel stays and other travel expenses. You get three points for every dollar you spend through Bank of America’s travel center.

So if your company typically spends around $10,000 a year on business travel, it will collect at least $300 worth of points. If you regularly send your employees off on business trips and have them use their company cards, you could potentially collect significantly more – especially since the card doesn’t limit your yearly earnings.

A high flat rate on other purchases

The Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard offers 1.5 points for every dollar on all other purchases, including common business expenses that don’t typically earn a rewards bonus, such as office supplies, shipping expenses, utilities and more.

You could earn more if you have a business checking account with Bank of America and can qualify for the Preferred Rewards for Business Platinum Honors Tier. Earn up to 75% more points on every purchase, meaning you could earn up to an unlimited 2.62 points per dollar spent on all purchases and up to 5.25 points per dollar spent at the Bank of America Travel Center.

The flat rewards rate not only makes it easier for your business to earn a large amount just by going about your usual day; it also takes the hassle out of rewards programs since you don’t have to keep track of a handful of bonus categories.

Unlimited earning potential

There’s no cap on the total amount you can earn either, so if your company uses the Business Advantage Travel Rewards card for most purchases, you could potentially collect a huge number of points that can later be converted into free travel.

For example, if your company typically charges around $6,000 a month on a wide range of expenses, you’ll collect more than $1,000 in free travel by the end of the year. Many cards, by contrast, only offer bonuses on a small fraction of expenses.

Save on interest for nine billing cycles

The Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard could also be helpful if you need to free up cash flow or finance a larger business purchase over time.  Thanks to the card’s intro APR, you can carry a 0% for 9 billing cycles for purchases from account opening, after which the card’s go-to rate kicks in (17.99% - 27.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers). As long as you pay off your balance in full before the end of the promotional period, you won’t be charged interest. Just be sure to pay at least the minimum due each month to avoid damaging your credit score and racking up late fees.

Few travel perks

This card doesn’t offer very many ancillary travel benefits, though, so if you’re looking for additional perks, such as airport lounge access, fee credits or priority boarding, you’re better off investing in an annual fee card. You won’t get upgraded insurance benefits, such as delayed baggage insurance, nor will you get other appealing freebies that are widely available on premium cards, such as free WiFi, complimentary room upgrades and other hotel privileges.

You will be able to use this card freely abroad, though, and use it to make international purchases online without incurring extra charges. Like most travel cards, the Business Advantage Travel Rewards card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.

A decent sign-up bonus

In addition to a generous rewards program, the Business Advantage Travel card also offers a pretty good sign-up bonus for a card with no annual fee. Cardholders are awarded 30,000 bonus points if they spend $3,000 in the first 90 days, redeemable for a $300 statement credit towards travel or dining purchases. Many no-annual-fee competitors, by contrast, offer just $200 worth of bonuses.

Limited redemption options

The biggest downside to the Business Advantage Travel card is its rigid redemption policy, which doesn’t allow you to transfer your points to other programs. Many travel card competitors let you transfer points to a wide range of frequent flier and hotel loyalty programs. For cardholders who travel often, that’s a big perk – especially since it gives you more flexibility with your travel choices and more buying power overall.

Bank of America also limits the amount of value you can get out of your travel points by requiring you to go through the issuer’s travel booking program to book rewards-funded flights. That negatively affects the value of the card’s travel rewards program: By booking all your travel through Bank of America, you may be missing out on cheaper reservations that are only available on other sites.

Why get the Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard?

• You spend a fair amount on travel, but don’t want to invest in an annual fee credit card.
• You want to earn a larger bonus on everyday business expenses.
• You don’t want to mess with a complicated rewards program.
• You prefer points instead of cash.

How to use the Business Advantage Travel Rewards Mastercard:

• To maximize your rewards spending, use your card for all or most of your travel and business expenses.
• Book your travel through Bank of America to earn a three-point bonus on every dollar you spend.
• Charge at least $3,000 in the card’s first 90 days to capture a sign-up bonus.
• Turbocharge your earnings by distributing free cards to employees and asking them to charge company expenses.

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