Consumer complaint received 2026-04-22 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I am filing a complaint regarding confusing and potentially misleading billing practices associated with my Bank of America credit card account. I use my Bank of America credit card regularly for purchases to earn a 2 % cash-back benefit. Recently, I accepted a promotional 0 % APR cash advance offer and obtained {$9000.00} under this promotion, which is valid through XX/XX/year>. Since that time, I have made substantial payments each billing cycleranging from {$1600.00} to $ XXXX above the minimum payment due of approximately {$120.00}. Despite these significant payments, I was charged interest across multiple billing cycles. I initially believed the 0 % promotional rate applied broadly to my account, since they did not offer any seperate payment options between my purchases and the cash advance. However, it has become apparent that the way payments are allocated between the promotional cash advance balance and standard purchase balances is not clearly disclosed or easy to understand. The billing statements and payment system do not transparently explain how payments are applied. There is no clear or accessible method for determining the exact payment amount required to avoid interest charges on purchases. Additionally, the auto-payment system does not allow consumers to direct payments specifically toward purchase balances versus promotional balances ; instead, payments can only be made as a fixed amount or toward the full balance. Since my orignial billing plan was to pay the full amount due each cycle, it was now declining the auto billing since I didn't have enough funds in my account. This lack of clarity creates a situation where consumers who are making good-faith, substantial payments may still incur unexpected interest charges. I believe this practice is misleading and insufficiently disclosed. When I contacted Bank of America to address this issue, I was advised to stop using the card for purchases. Had this limitation been clearly communicated upfront, I would have chosen to open a separate credit card instead. I requested a refund of approximately {$60.00} in interest charges resulting from this situation, but that request was denied. I am respectfully requesting the following : 1. A refund of the interest charges incurred under these circumstances 2. A clear, written explanation of how payments are applied across different balance types 3. Improved and transparent disclosure regarding the payment amount required to avoid interest charges 4. For Bank of America to establish 0 % for the entire credit card account for the remainder of the promotional period I believe these practices place an unreasonable burden on consumers and are not presented in a clear or understandable manner. Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation