What's the Best Cash Back Credit Card Now? My Pick for December 2025
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The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card wasn't always at the top of my list.
Then it added a first-year 6% cash back earning category you can switch every month, and everything changed.
The rare card that adapts to your life
What makes this card special is simple. You get 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice. Gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. You pick the category you need most.
You can also switch categories every month, which is almost unheard of with cash back cards. Planning a vacation. Renovating a room. Stocking up for the holidays. You can align your rewards with the season instead of the other way around.
Strong value on everyday spending
Beyond the first-year boost, you get 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases. That quarterly spending cap might be tough to hit, and it's still cash back you would have earned otherwise.
Everything else earns 1%. Simple, predictable, and easy to build into your routine.
The cash back potential doesn't end with year one, either. You'll still earn 3% cash back after the first year from account opening in your choice category.
If you're a Preferred Rewards member with Bank of America, the math gets even better. With the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program, members can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means the 3% choice category could go up to 3.75%-5.25%. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to the 3% first-year bonus.
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Earn 6% cash back in the category of your choice -- like dining, travel, or online shopping -- for the first year. Plus, score a $200 cash rewards bonus after qualifying purchases.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.74% - 27.74% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Regular APR
17.74% - 27.74% (Variable)
Rewards Earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. You’ll automatically earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. After the first year from account opening, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category. Earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
1% - 6% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
$200 cash back
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This card's wide range of extra cash back options speaks for itself, with a choice of six bonus categories you can change monthly for 6% earnings for the first year in the category of your choice. And you can earn 2% back automatically at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. No annual fee and a nice welcome bonus also make this one a winner. Plus, if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, this card will be even more valuable for you.
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- Competitive welcome bonus
- Bonus cash back in a category of your choice
- No annual fee
- Great intro & transfer APR offer
- Relationship rewards bonus
- Foreign transaction fee
- Limit on bonus cash back
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- Earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings. You’ll automatically earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. After the first year from account opening, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- Earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- With the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program, members can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means the 3% choice category could go up to 3.75%-5.25%. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to the 3% first-year bonus.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.74% - 27.74% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
A welcome offer that's truly attainable
Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. That's one of the lowest spending requirements for a no-annual-fee card with this much earning power.
Pair that with the 6% cash back category, and your first year becomes one of the most valuable in the cash back space.
If this sounds like a fit, you can apply from the tile above.
Helpful breathing room on interest
You also get a 0% intro APR offer for 15 billing cycles on purchases and on balance transfers made in the first 60 days. When the promo period ends, a 17.74% - 27.74% (Variable) applies.
It's not the longest intro APR out there, but it's a solid runway if you want to spread out the cost of a big purchase or clean up a balance without paying interest.
Why it's my top cash back pick this month
November is full of shifting spend. Travel plans. Holiday gifts. Grocery runs. Big online purchases. A card that adapts to all of it is the kind of tool most households actually use.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card meets people where they are. It pays well without gimmicks, gives you control over how you earn, and keeps the cost at zero. For a cash back card, that combination is rare.
If you want a flexible, high-value option heading into the end of the year, this is the one I'd start with. Read our full Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card review and apply here.
Our Research Expert
Jake FitzGerald is a full-time Editorial Strategist and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, leading content production and distribution while also writing about credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial products. He has more than a decade of experience editing and shaping financial content to give readers clear, trustworthy money advice. His work focuses on delivering practical insights that empower people to make smarter financial decisions. Off the clock, he’s a fan of college football tailgates and still loyal to his favorite putter -- despite what his short game suggests.