You can use your Bank of America debit and credit cards with digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay to make contactless payments in stores, within apps, and even at Bank of America ATMs. Setting it up takes about two minutes, and there are two ways to do it: through the Bank of America mobile app or through your device’s built-in wallet app.
Which Cards Work With Digital Wallets
Most Bank of America consumer debit and credit cards are eligible, but the account needs to be open and in good standing. If your account is delinquent or flagged for fraud, you won’t be able to add it. There’s one other requirement that catches some people off guard: the account must have a physical chip card associated with it. Virtual-only accounts, meaning accounts that were never issued a plastic card, aren’t currently eligible for digital wallet enrollment.
If you have both a debit card and a credit card with Bank of America, you can add them both. Once they’re loaded into your wallet, you choose which card to pay with at the point of sale.
Adding Your Card Through the Bank of America App
This is the most straightforward method, especially if you already use the Bank of America mobile banking app. Here’s the process:
- Log in to the Bank of America mobile app.
- Tap the Menu option in the navigation bar.
- Tap Manage Debit/Credit Card.
- Find the card you want to add, then tap Digital Wallets.
- In the Add to Wallet section, select Add next to your preferred wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay).
The app will walk you through a quick verification step. This might involve a text message code, an email confirmation, or a call from the bank. Once verified, your card appears in your device’s digital wallet and is ready to use immediately.
Adding Your Card Through Your Device’s Wallet App
You don’t have to use the Bank of America app at all if you’d rather go directly through your phone. On an iPhone, open the Wallet app (or go to Settings, then Wallet & Apple Pay) and tap the plus icon to add a new card. On Android devices, open Google Wallet and follow the prompts to add a payment method. Samsung users can use either Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet.
Your phone’s camera will scan the card number from your physical card, or you can type it in manually. Bank of America will then verify the card the same way it would through its own app. Either method gets you to the same result, so use whichever feels easier.
Paying in Stores
Once your card is loaded, paying at a store is simple. Look for the contactless payment symbol at checkout, which looks like a sideways Wi-Fi icon. On an iPhone, double-click the side button to pull up Apple Pay, authenticate with Face ID or your fingerprint, and hold the phone near the terminal. On Android, unlock your phone and hold it near the reader. Most transactions complete in one or two seconds.
Your actual card number is never shared with the merchant. Instead, the wallet creates a unique token, a stand-in number, for each transaction. This means even if a retailer’s payment system gets hacked, your real card details aren’t exposed. You’ll still earn any rewards or cash back on your Bank of America card exactly as you would swiping the physical card.
Using Your Digital Wallet at Bank of America ATMs
Bank of America’s ATMs support contactless transactions, so you can leave your debit card at home and withdraw cash using just your phone. The steps are slightly different from a store purchase:
- Select your Bank of America debit card in your digital wallet before approaching the ATM.
- Hold your phone over the contactless symbol on the ATM (usually near the card slot area).
- When the ATM prompts you, enter your debit card PIN on the ATM keypad.
This only works with debit cards, not credit cards, since ATM withdrawals on credit cards are treated as cash advances. The PIN requirement adds a layer of security: even if someone had your unlocked phone, they still couldn’t withdraw money without knowing your PIN.
Paying in Apps and Online
Many apps and websites accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay at checkout. When you see the digital wallet button during an online purchase, tapping it pulls up your saved Bank of America card. You authenticate with your fingerprint, face, or device passcode, and the payment goes through without typing in your card number. This is especially useful on mobile, where entering a 16-digit card number on a small screen is tedious.
Managing Your Cards in the Wallet
You can set any of your added cards as the default payment method in your device’s wallet settings. The default card is the one that comes up automatically when you tap to pay. If you carry both a Bank of America debit and credit card in your wallet, set the one you use most often as the default, and switch to the other at the terminal when needed.
If you lose your phone or it’s stolen, you can remotely disable your digital wallet cards. On iPhone, use Find My to mark the device as lost, which suspends Apple Pay. On Android, you can lock the device through Google’s Find My Device. You can also call Bank of America directly to remove your cards from the wallet. Since transactions require biometric authentication or a passcode, an unauthorized person can’t simply pick up your phone and start spending.
If you get a replacement card from Bank of America because your physical card expired or was compromised, the digital wallet version usually updates automatically with the new card number. If it doesn’t, just remove the old card from your wallet and add the new one using the steps above.