BofA PC network change from MC to Visa

[Anonymous]

Hey all. I called BofA in hopes to PC my Travel Rewards to a Customized Cash Rewards card. I was denied and told by the CSR upon questioning that it wasn't my profile/account but that it simply was not allowed. 

This was my FIRST attempt so it could have been the CSR. I explained that my BankAmeriCard couldn't be PC'd to the CCR card after many attempts. 

she told me that in her experience of 8 years at BofA she has yet to see a BankAmeriCard be PC'd and has yet to see a TR card be PC'd to another product.  She said I would need to apply unless I get an offer or call each month Incase things change. 

she did say that clients call in and ask to PC their cards from Visa to MC and vice versa (something they CAN do) which I found interesting. 

i submitted a request to change my BankAmeriCard MC to a visa and was approved instantly. I didn't know this was a thing for BofA! Sweet! As I have many MC's and could use a third Visa for comfort. CSR said it would be a new card/account number but the tradeline history would not be affected on my credit reports. 

what I dislike about the TR card is the 2,500 minimum point redemption ($200-250 statement credit on qualified purchases or ~$25 or so cash back) which equivalates to $1000-1500 spend per month including preferred reward status which I only get a 25% boost. Therefore at this time the CCR would better benefit me. I have other cards I spread my spend on than the TR BofA card. 

just a side note for those who don't know , you can change your BofA network to visa or MC or vice versa anytime Upon their approval which I know many lenders don't do. You WILL get a new card/account # but the tradeline itself will stay intact on your credit reports.

another note - I asked her why upon opening a checking account, in certain regions, decides whether you get a visa or MC debit card. She didn't know the answer. I have family in locations with Visa debits (where BofA branches are plenty) and everyone around me (where BofA branches are not as plenty in the STL area), including myself, here has MC debits. She said it isn't income, preferred status, or deposit amount related but must be geographically related. I tested the theory by going to the product page and acted as if I would open a new checking (not signed in) and my zip code shows MasterCard , my family a few states over shows visa in their zip code, and 90210 zip for reference shows visa. That's also interesting. 

food for thought. 

[cashorcharge]

Thanks for sharing. Interesting on the card type option if that interests you.  I've tried doing a different PC from another legacy card no longer offered for quite a while now and always told the same thing...I've since given up.

[Anonymous]

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@cashorcharge wrote:

Thanks for sharing. Interesting on the card type option if that interests you.  I've tried doing a different PC from another legacy card no longer offered for quite a while now and always told the same thing...I've since given up.

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Card type doesn't so much interest me. However , the other day I went to open a joint checking that includes my teenage son and the main page shows a visa debit card. Which I knew I'd only ever seen every so often. So, before applying it asks for zip code... entered , image changed immediately from debit visa to debit MC and showed the "already a BofA customer? Sign in ". So I did and we ended up with the same MC debit. That is what prompted my inquiry over the phone- after attempting to PC my TR visa signature. I have searched this forum endlessly and seems BofA PC's are far and FEW between. Rarely anything from a TR to an AmeriCard or CCR but have seen some variety to the TR. interesting to me. 

[Trini88]

My Bank of America debit card is a Visa, opened in Florida. Had no clue they had debit cards that were mastercards. I like the fact that the Americard can pc to a Visa, had no clue that was possible. I don't have a visa credit card and would love to change mine. I hope my experience is different and I would be able to pc my Americard into a Customized Cash Rewards. If I'm stuck having to app for a new card, I would 100% close my Americard, it's useless.

[Eyepinpools]

For additional DPs my BOA debit card is a visa (Oregon). I also have a bankamericard MC that I called last month to PC to any of their other rewards cards and wasn't able to. I already have a TR and CCR but even their new card wasn't an option. 

[csryang]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hey all. I called BofA in hopes to PC my Travel Rewards to a Customized Cash Rewards card. I was denied and told by the CSR upon questioning that it wasn't my profile/account but that it simply was not allowed. 

she told me that in her experience of 8 years at BofA she has yet to see a BankAmeriCard be PC'd and has yet to see a TR card be PC'd to another product.  She said I would need to apply unless I get an offer or call each month Incase things change. 

This is simply not true, perhaps a new policy? BOA phone agents are not reliable. I suggest that once you get your card, call again every couple of days during different times of the day to ask to product change to custom cash again. In my 7 years in "credit card game," it is possible to product change almost any cards to BOA's main branded cards or switch between main branded cards. I have three custom cash cards all are from product changes! 

They actually have MC to Visa conversion or vice versa for many years. I changed it once so that I can use it in Costco for 3.5% cash back (preferred reward status highest tier on 2% grocery = 3.5% cash back)

[coldfusion]

While it is true that individual CSRs can be ill-informed regarding what cards can be converted to other cards it is also true that they don't support all possible permutations of product changes between cards.  I also suspect that approval in some cases is tied to the amount of assets deposited or managed by the bank but that's only a suspicion without data to validate it.

[Namaste7]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hey all. I called BofA in hopes to PC my Travel Rewards to a Customized Cash Rewards card. I was denied and told by the CSR upon questioning that it wasn't my profile/account but that it simply was not allowed. 

This was my FIRST attempt so it could have been the CSR. I explained that my BankAmeriCard couldn't be PC'd to the CCR card after many attempts. 

she told me that in her experience of 8 years at BofA she has yet to see a BankAmeriCard be PC'd and has yet to see a TR card be PC'd to another product.  She said I would need to apply unless I get an offer or call each month Incase things change. 

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I have a long history with BofA and have PC'd to/from BankAmericard, TR and CCR. I'll note some of my PC requests were denied but ultimately I connected with CSRs that would process the request or transfer me to the department that could.

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@Anonymous wrote:

what I dislike about the TR card is the 2,500 minimum point redemption ($200-250 statement credit on qualified purchases or ~$25 or so cash back) which equivalates to $1000-1500 spend per month including preferred reward status which I only get a 25% boost. Therefore at this time the CCR would better benefit me. I have other cards I spread my spend on than the TR BofA card.

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Did you contact the dedicated line for Preferred Rewards when requesting the PC? If not, give it a shot. Good luck 👍 

[Taurus22]

Well that's extremely useful information. I didn't know you could change the issuer.  Didn't MC kill the purchase protection on their cards? This was one of the main factors for me wanting the BoA MC version when I applied. But it almost seems Visa would be a better option now, if that's the case.