If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card lets you build credit and earn lots of cash back rewards along the way. There's no annual fee for this card, which also offers free credit score monitoring so you can watch your credit improve. Check out our Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card review to find out if it's the right option for you.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card
Great for: Secured card with rewards
Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
28.24% (Variable)
Rewards Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%
1% - 3% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
One of the most competitive secured credit cards we've come across. The rewards program and $0 annual fee are standout features that beat many similar offers.
This credit card is a good fit for: Consumers who are new to credit cards or rebuilding credit and want to earn cash back while raising their credit score.
You get several great benefits from this secured credit card.
This is one of the few cash back credit cards you can get with a poor credit score. It offers 3% back in your choice of the following categories:
You'll also get 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. The 3% and 2% cash back rates apply to your first $2,500 in combined purchases per quarter. Other purchases earn 1% back.
Building your credit shouldn't be expensive. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card doesn't charge an annual fee, which is an important benefit with credit cards for bad credit.
SEE MORE: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
Since this is a secured credit card, you must pay a security deposit upfront to open it. The minimum deposit amount is $200 and the maximum is $5,000. Your starting credit limit will be based on your deposit amount, your income, and other financial information.
This gives you some control over your card's credit limit. If you want more spending power, and you have some money saved, you can make a larger security deposit.
LEARN MORE: What Is a Secured Credit Card?
As a cardholder, you can view your FICO® Score through your online account or the mobile app. Your FICO® Score is the type of credit score that's most widely used by lenders, so it's great to have access to this specific score.
This is a valuable tool when you're working on your credit. You can monitor your progress and find out the exact steps needed to increase your credit score.
Bank of America will periodically review your account to see if you qualify for graduation to an unsecured credit card. If so, you'll get a refund of your security deposit. You can improve your chances of this by always paying your credit card bill on time and keeping your balance low (aim to use no more than 20% of your credit limit).
This is a crucial feature for secured credit cards. When you graduate from a secured card, it means you get your deposit back and keep the credit card account open, which is good for your credit score.
RELATED: Best Rewards Credit Cards
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card |
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card | Discover it® Secured Credit Card |
Rating image, 4.25 out of 5 stars.
4.25 stars
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00 stars
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
|
Apply Now for Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
|
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Fair/New to Credit Under(669) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Fair/New to Credit Under(669) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: New/Rebuilding Under(579)
New/Rebuilding Under(579) |
Welcome Offer: N/A |
Welcome Offer: N/A N/A |
Welcome Offer: Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Cashback Match |
Rewards Program: Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1% 1% - 3% cash back |
Rewards Program: N/A |
Rewards Program: 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically 1% - 2% Cashback |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months |
Regular APR: 28.24% (Variable) |
Regular APR: 30.74% (Variable) |
Regular APR: 28.24% Variable APR |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
Apply Now for Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
On Capital One's Secure Website. |
||
Show More
|
Although there are no major problems with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card, it does have a couple minor issues.
You need to deposit at least $200 to open the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card. That could be on the expensive side for some. While this is a normal minimum amount for secured cards, there are cards with lower minimums out there. If you need a more affordable deposit, check out credit card reviews for different secured cards.
This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. The fee applies to both transactions in foreign currencies and transactions that are made or processed outside the United States. If you decide to do any international traveling, you may want to look at other credit cards to save money.
LEARN MORE: What Are Foreign Transaction Fees?
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
There isn't a minimum credit score required for the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card. Because it's a secured card, you could get approved if you have no credit history yet or if you have a low credit score due to previous issues. That doesn't mean an approval is guaranteed, though. Bank of America will decide after evaluating your application.
During the application process, you'll need to choose a deposit amount and provide a bank account to fund it. If your application is approved, Bank of America will deduct the security deposit from that bank account.
MORE OPTIONS: Best Starter Credit Cards for No Credit
You're trying to increase your credit score and you can afford a deposit of $200 or more. In terms of value, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card is tough to beat.
It offers enough cash back to compete with the top credit cards. It also gets you all the features needed in a secured card, including credit score monitoring and no pesky annual fee. You'll be able to make progress on your credit, earn lots of bonus cash back, and eventually get your deposit back.
The starting credit limit for the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card generally ranges from $200 to $5,000. Your credit limit is determined by the amount of your security deposit, your income, and Bank of America's assessment of your creditworthiness.
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card usually isn't hard to get. Since it's a secured credit card and requires a security deposit upfront, it has much more relaxed approval requirements than other credit cards.
Yes, you can use the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card internationally. However, it charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Our Credit Cards Experts
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa.