How to turn on autopay for your Bank of America credit card
Bank of America lets you set up automatic payments through their online banking portal, mobile app, or by phone. You choose a payment amount — minimum payment, statement balance, or a fixed dollar amount — and a due date each month. Once autopay is active, the payment pulls from your linked bank account on the date you select, and you receive a confirmation email after each transaction.
The setup takes about five minutes and requires your Bank of America login, a linked external bank account, and a routing and account number from that bank. You can change or cancel autopay at any time, and you can set up different autopay rules for different cards if you hold more than one.
Key Takeaways
- Autopay pulls money from an external bank account on a date you choose each month, so you need that account's routing and account number to set it up.
- You can pay your minimum, your full statement balance, or a fixed amount you decide, and you can change which option you use at any time.
- Bank of America sends a confirmation email after each autopay transaction, so you can track whether the payment went through.
- If your payment fails — usually because your linked bank account has insufficient funds — Bank of America will attempt to retry, but you remain responsible for any late fees or interest charges that accrue.
Setting up autopay through the Bank of America website
Log into your Bank of America account at bankofamerica.com and select the credit card you want to set up autopay for. Click on the card details or account summary, then look for a link labeled "Manage Autopay" or "Set Up Autopay" — the exact wording varies by account type. If you do not see it on the main card page, check under "Payments" or "Account Services."
Click the autopay option and select how much you want to pay each month. Bank of America offers three choices: minimum payment due, statement balance (the full amount you owe), or a fixed amount you enter yourself. Choose your preferred payment date — this should be before your card's due date to avoid late fees. Then link an external bank account by entering its routing number and account number. Bank of America will verify the account with two small deposits (usually under $1 each) that appear in 1 to 2 business days. Once verified, autopay activates on your next scheduled payment date.
Setting up autopay through the Bank of America mobile app
Open the Bank of America mobile app and tap on your credit card. Scroll down to find "Autopay" or "Manage Payments." Tap that option and follow the same steps as the website: select your payment amount, choose a payment date, and link your external bank account. The app will ask you to confirm the routing and account number. If this is your first time linking that bank account to Bank of America, you may need to wait for the verification deposits before autopay becomes active.
The mobile app shows your autopay status on the card's main screen once it is set up, so you can quickly see whether autopay is on or off. You can also pause or cancel autopay directly from the app if you need to make a one-time manual payment instead.
Setting up autopay by phone
Call Bank of America's customer service number on the back of your credit card. Tell the representative you want to set up autopay and have your external bank account's routing number and account number ready. The representative will walk you through the same choices: payment amount, payment date, and account verification. They will confirm your external bank account and tell you when autopay will start.
Phone setup is slower than online or app setup because you cannot complete verification deposits immediately, but it is useful if you prefer speaking to someone or if you are having trouble with the website or app. Keep the confirmation number the representative gives you for your records.
What happens if your autopay payment fails
If your linked bank account does not have enough money on your scheduled payment date, the payment will fail. Bank of America typically attempts to retry the payment one or more times over the next few days, but this is not may provide. If the payment ultimately fails, you remain responsible for the full amount owed, and your credit card account will show the payment as missed.
A missed payment triggers late fees (usually $25 to $35 for the first late payment) and may increase your interest rate. It also reports to the credit bureaus after 30 days of non-payment. To avoid this, make sure your linked bank account has enough balance before your autopay date, or set up autopay to pay only your minimum payment so you have a smaller amount to cover. You can also manually make a payment at any time to catch up if you realize your autopay will not go through.
Changing or canceling autopay
Log back into your Bank of America account online or through the app and navigate to your autopay settings for that card. You can change your payment amount (from minimum to statement balance, for example), change your payment date, or turn autopay off entirely. Changes take effect on your next scheduled payment date. If you cancel autopay, you will need to make manual payments going forward, and Bank of America will not remind you when your payment is due.
If you want to pause autopay for just one month — for example, because you are making a large manual payment that month — you can turn it off temporarily and turn it back on the following month. This is faster than canceling and re-setting up from scratch.
Choosing the right autopay payment amount
Paying your full statement balance each month means you carry no balance to the next month and pay no interest. This is the best option if you can afford it, because it keeps your credit utilization low and your account in good standing. However, if you cannot afford the full balance, autopay set to minimum payment ensures you never miss a due date — though you will pay interest on the remaining balance.
A fixed amount you choose yourself is useful if you want to pay more than the minimum but less than the full balance. For example, if your statement balance is $500 and your minimum is $25, you might set autopay to $100 per month. This lets you pay down your balance faster than the minimum while staying within your budget. You can always make an additional manual payment in months when you have extra money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set up autopay to pay from a credit card instead of a bank account?
No. Bank of America autopay only pulls from a linked bank account (checking or savings). You cannot set autopay to pay from another credit card. If you want to pay your Bank of America card from another bank account, you will need to make manual payments through your other bank's bill pay service or through Bank of America's one-time payment option.
What if I want to change my autopay date after I set it up?
Log into your Bank of America account, go to your autopay settings, and select a new payment date. The change takes effect on your next scheduled payment. If you need the date to change immediately, you can cancel autopay and set it up again with the new date, or make a one-time manual payment and restart autopay for the following month.
Does autopay work if my Bank of America card is closed?
No. If you close your credit card, autopay stops automatically. If you reopen the card later, you will need to set up autopay again from scratch. Closing a card does not erase your autopay settings, but they become inactive until the card is active again.
Will autopay protect me from late fees if I forget to check my account?
Autopay protects you from missing your due date, but only if your linked bank account has enough money. If your bank account is empty on your autopay date, the payment fails and you still owe the full amount plus late fees. Check your linked bank account balance regularly to make sure autopay can go through.
Can I set up different autopay amounts for different Bank of America credit cards?
Yes. If you hold multiple Bank of America credit cards, you can set up autopay separately for each one with different payment amounts and dates. Log into your account, select each card, and configure autopay independently. This lets you pay one card in full while paying only the minimum on another, for example.