Cash back · Visa · No annual fee
Last verified 2026-09-09. Review issuer source
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students is a no-annual-fee cash back card from Bank of America. Its best everyday rates are 3% on dining, 3% on drugstores, and 3% on gas stations; everything else earns 1%. Dining is capped at $2,500 a quarter, then drops to the base rate. The top rate rotates through categories each quarter and needs activating.
On our reference budget of $24,600 a year it returns about $558, an effective 2.3% back. The welcome bonus, $200 after $1,000 in 90 days, is the strongest reason to open it in a given year.
Use it to start a file. Pay in full every month, keep the balance low, and move to a stronger rewards card once you have a year of history. It charges 3% on foreign purchases, so leave it home when you travel abroad.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Automatic 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Automatic 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Cap: $2,500 per quarterly
Choose which category you want to earn 3% cash back in: 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. Earn 3% 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.
Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
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Benefit descriptions are the issuer’s and network’s own wording, trimmed for length. Limits and exclusions are in the guide to benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards earned | Net after fee | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards for StudentsThis card · 3% on dining | None | $558 | +$558 | 19th of 1,291 |
| Bank of America® Unlimited Cash RewardsBank of America's most-held other card · 1.5% on everything | None | $369 | +$369 | 477th of 1,291 |
| Savor RewardsThe strongest no-fee card on this budget · 3% on dining | None | $642 | +$642 | 4th of 1,291 |
| Robinhood Gold CardHighest net return on this budget · 3% on everything | $50 | $798 | +$748 | 1st of 1,291 |
Reference budget: groceries $6,000, dining and restaurants $3,600, gas and ev charging $2,400, travel and transit $3,000, online shopping $2,400, entertainment and streaming $1,200, everything else $6,000. Points are valued at 1¢ unless the program is worth less; statement credits, welcome bonuses, and perks are left out. Run it with your own spending.
