First-year winner
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
$296 Year 1 edge
$687 vs $392
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Preferred Rewards Upside
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible Bank of America relationship customers can unlock higher effective earnings through the issuer’s relationship-based rewards boost programs.
Perk
No Annual Fee
Other · No listed cash value
You can keep the card long term without paying a recurring annual fee.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Perk
Travel Rewards Ecosystem
Other · No listed cash value
The card is designed to fit into a broader travel-rewards setup through issuer redemptions, hotel stays, flights, or travel-portal bookings.
Card B
Bilt Blue Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Rewards on Eligible Housing Payments
Other · No listed cash value
The current no-annual-fee Bilt card can earn rewards on eligible rent or mortgage payments made through the Bilt app or website without a transaction fee.
Perk
Flexible Rewards Options
Other · No listed cash value
Cardholders can choose between a Housing-only Option that earns Bilt Points on eligible housing payments or a Flexible Bilt Cash Option that earns Bilt Cash on everyday spend.
Perk
Bilt Partner Rewards
Other · No listed cash value
The broader Bilt Rewards ecosystem includes additional partner earning opportunities across Lyft, Bilt Dining, Bilt Travel, Bilt Fitness, Walgreens, Metropolis parking, and home delivery offers.
Verdict
Bank of America Travel wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
$146 ongoing edge
$437 vs $292
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $0 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Bank of America
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Year One
$687
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$437
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$437
1.50% effective return
Welcome Offer
$250
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$1,000
3 mo window · $333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Bilt
Bilt Blue Card
Year One
$392
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$292
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$292
1.00% effective return
Welcome Offer
$100
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
No listed offer
No spend threshold in dataset
Why it wins
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
1.5x
$5,400
Bank of America Travel
$81
1.50%
Bilt Blue
$54
1.00%
Groceries
1.5x
$7,800
Bank of America Travel
$117
1.50%
Bilt Blue
$78
1.00%
Travel
1.5x
$3,000
Bank of America Travel
$45
1.50%
Bilt Blue
$30
1.00%
Gas
1.5x
$1,920
Bank of America Travel
$29
1.50%
Bilt Blue
$19
1.00%
General
1.5x
$11,040
Bank of America Travel
$166
1.50%
Bilt Blue
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Bank of America Travel$437
Bilt Blue$292
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card | Bilt Blue Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | Free | Free |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Other rewards | — | 1.25x Up to 1.25x Bilt Points on eligible housing payments under the Housing-only Option, based on Everyday Spend Ratio thresholds, with a monthly floor of 250 points. |
| All rewards | 1.5x | 1x 1x Bilt Points on other eligible purchases. |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | 25,000 online bonus points Spend $1,000 in 3 mo | $100 Bilt Cash Earn $100 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 4 listed | 3 listed |
| Benefit highlights | Preferred Rewards Upside · No Annual Fee · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more | Rewards on Eligible Housing Payments · Flexible Rewards Options · Bilt Partner Rewards |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | visa | visa |
| Reward type | Points | Points |
Costs
Annual fee
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Free
Bilt Blue Card
Free
Foreign transaction fee
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
None
Bilt Blue Card
None
Rewards
Other rewards
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
—
Bilt Blue Card
1.25x
Up to 1.25x Bilt Points on eligible housing payments under the Housing-only Option, based on Everyday Spend Ratio thresholds, with a monthly floor of 250 points.
All rewards
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
1.5x
Bilt Blue Card
1x
1x Bilt Points on other eligible purchases.
Offer
Welcome offer
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
25,000 online bonus points
Spend $1,000 in 3 mo
Bilt Blue Card
$100 Bilt Cash
Earn $100 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
4 listed
Bilt Blue Card
3 listed
Benefit highlights
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Preferred Rewards Upside · No Annual Fee · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more
Bilt Blue Card
Rewards on Eligible Housing Payments · Flexible Rewards Options · Bilt Partner Rewards
Profile
Credit needed
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Good
Bilt Blue Card
Good
Network
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
visa
Bilt Blue Card
visa
Reward type
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Points
Bilt Blue Card
Points