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Wyndham Rewards Earner℠ Card review a simple budget-friendly travel card

A simple, straightforward travel rewards card great for Wyndham loyalist looking for a budget-friendly credit card. Written by Personal Finance Writer Joe Cortez is a personal finance journalist contributing to Bankrate with a decade of experience as a financial journalist and over a decade of experience in the financial Aug. 30, 2021 Aug. 30, 2021

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Snapshot

2.6 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bottom line The simplicity and lack of annual fee make the Wyndham Rewards Earner card a good choice for family vacations. You also have unlimited earning potential with no caps on bonus categories. However, the higher-than-average interest and award nights being difficult to find, simple doesn’t always equal ideal. often promise big rewards, the reality of complex reward charts and finding dates can make those dreams evaporate quickly. This is where the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card excels. With a three-tier award chart, a generous sign-up bonus and practical bonus categories, this card seeks to make travel accessible for families. With Wyndham's focus on resort and vacation destinations, this card can help you get the right-size room at a price you can afford. The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is a Barclays credit card, which means you will need good to excellent credit to qualify for this good credit card offer. But with no annual fee and the potential to earn unlimited points every year, this is a very worthwhile card.

What are the pros and cons

Pros

No annual fee Unlimited points earning in bonus categories Easy-to-understand award chart with two reward options

Cons

Welcome bonus is smaller than other cards in the category Award nights can be difficult to find, depending on the destination Wyndham Rewards points don’t cover resort fees

A deeper look at the current card offer

Quick highlights

Rewards rate: Earn 5X points per dollar on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases; 2X points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X point per dollar on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments) Welcome offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points, enough for up to 4 free nights after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days Annual fee: $0 Balance transfer intro APR: Enjoy a 0 percent introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening Regular APR: 15.74 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent (variable) based on your credit worthiness

Current welcome offer

Under the current Wyndham Rewards Earner Card welcome bonus, qualified cardholders can earn 30,000 bonus Wyndham Rewards points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. Compared to other hotel cards, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card offers one of the lowest spending requirements to earn a sign-up bonus. The value in the sign-up bonus depends on where you use those points. The Wyndham Rewards reward chart has three tiers, with free rooms available at 7,500 points per night, 15,000 points per night or 30,000 points per night. If you are traveling with family and staying at a lower-tier hotel-think Days Inn, Howard Johnson, TraveLodge, or Super 8-the sign-up bonus points can extend to up to four free nights. Although this is a generous bonus, one of the noted downsides of Wyndham Rewards is the lack of reward night availability across their properties. One way to get around this is to use their cash-and-points Go Fast rewards, which only requires one-fifth of the points to get a discount on room nights.

Rewards rate

With refreshed bonus categories to reflect where families spend the most, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card offers regular opportunities to earn a lot of points for routine spending.

How you earn

Spending on the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card earns 5 points per $1 on hotels by Wyndham and qualifying gas purchases. The card also earns 2 points per $1 spent on dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1 point per $1 everywhere else. The bonus category is generously skewed to families looking to earn points toward a future vacation. What makes it even better is that there is no limit to the points you can earn in each category throughout the year.

How to redeem

Wyndham Rewards points are arguably the easiest to use, because there are only three award categories: 7,500 points per night, 15,000 points per night and 30,000 points per night. To redeem points, log in to your Wyndham Rewards account, search for the hotel you want and pay with points or a combination of points and cash. The 30,000-point category includes some of Wyndham's best properties, including suites at Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Grand resorts or the Trademark Collection by Wyndham. For families who need extra room for traveling with little ones, Wyndham Rewards points can be an easy gateway to stress-free hotel nights.

How much are points worth

On average, Wyndham Rewards points are worth 0.6 cents per point. However, your ultimate value is determined by how you use the points. If you use points for large rooms or suites at resort properties, your per-point value will be significantly greater compared to the lesser award categories. At a top-tier category of 30,000 points per night, it's relatively easy to find good rewards options when award space is available.

Other cardholder perks

are valuable for their benefits, and the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is no different. Cardholders immediately get upgraded to Gold elite status by holding the card and get a discount when they use their points for award nights.

Automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold level benefits

Normally given after members stay three nights, Wyndham Rewards Earner cardholders get Gold status for free just by opening the card. Benefits of Gold elite membership include a dedicated member service line, preferred room choice at check-in (subject to availability) and a late checkout where available during qualified stays.

Annual cardmember bonus

Cardholders can earn an additional 7,500 bonus points on their anniversary every year when they spend $15,000 on eligible purchases. That's enough for one free night at a low-tier hotel or it can go toward one night at a high-tier hotel with a cash-and-points award.

Cardmember booking discounts

At select hotels, cardmembers can take advantage of a better price than their published "Best Available Rate." The discount varies between properties.

10 percent discount on Go Free Award Nights

When booking award travel, cardholders get a 10 percent Wyndham Rewards points discount when redeeming Wyndham Rewards Points for Go Free awards. This means low-tier hotels cost 6,750 points per night, mid-tier hotels cost 13,500 points per night and high-tier hotels cost 27,000 points per night.

Rates and fees

What makes the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card an anomaly among travel is the lack of fees. This translates to even more gains for cardholders over time. The card features a $0 annual fee. If you can pay off the balance each month, your spending will turn into pure gains toward a future hotel stay. Depending on your creditworthiness, you will be charged one of three variable APR rates for purchases: 15.74 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent. If you decide to buy into a Wyndham Timeshare, you can get a 0 percent intro promotional APR for six billing cycles. One of the key benefits of the Wyndham Rewards card is that there are no foreign transaction fees. Another major advantage of this card is the introductory balance transfer promotion. New cardholders can get a 0 percent introductory APR for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers made within 45 days of opening the account (15.74 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent variable APR thereafter). Each transfer fee is the greater of $5 or 3 percent of the transfer amount.

How the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card compares to other hotel credit cards

While the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card may be among the best deals for hotel credit cards, there are other options with no annual fee to consider. Other cards in the category may offer a higher sign-up bonus or more points per dollar in bonus categories.

Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bankrate Score Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Annual fee Intro offer Earn 30,000 bonus points, enough for up to 4 free nights at participating properties after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. Rewards rate Earn 5 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases made at Hotels By Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

on American Express's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Rewards rate Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card

Annual fee Intro offer Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, enough for up to 6 free nights at select Choice hotels. Rewards rate 5 points per eligible $1 spent on the purchase of Choice Privileges points or Choice Hotels gift card purchases. 2 points per eligible $1 spent on everyday purchases everywhere Visa is accepted. Earn 15 points per $1 spent at eligible Choice Hotels. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card vs Hilton Honors American Express Card

In some ways, the mirrors the Wyndham Rewards Earners card. Both have no annual fee and similar interest rates. Both rewards programs have points worth 0.6 cents each. However, this is where the similarities end. With the Hilton Honors, your rewards stretch farther. For one, it's much easier to redeem free nights and you have more choices. Your options are also enhanced by the automatic Silver Elite status you receive by being cardholders. With these perks, every vacation gets an automatic upgrade. One advantage that the Wyndham Rewards Earner has over the Hilton Honors Amex is the balance transfer APR offer for 15 months (then ongoing APR for 15.74 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent within 45 days of account opening). If you're looking to move over a balance and get a break from interest, this card is still a good choice.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card vs Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card

The is a good option if you want a travel rewards card geared towards budget-friendly hotels. The rewards rate is incredibly high, a rarity for cards with no annual fee, at 15X points on eligible Choice Hotel locations. It also comes with a similar intro balance transfer offer as the Wyndham Rewards Earner card of 0 interest for 15 months then ongoing APR for 15.74 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent within 45 days of account opening. Paired with its flexibility when redeeming free hotel nights, the Choice Privilege Visa Signature is a better overall choice.

Best cards to pair with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

The best pair to the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is the , because of the flexibility cardholders get from the bonus miles. Earn 2X miles on all purchases, which can be used in a couple of different ways. You can also transfer your miles to Wyndham Rewards for Wyndham Rewards points. The Capital One Venture Rewards comes with a $95 annual fee, but this could be offset quickly with a free stay at a Wyndham hotel or resort. Those who want to avoid paying annual fees entirely can also consider the . Although you will only earn 1.25X miles on all purchases, the lack of an annual fee means cardholders can take advantage of pure gains for all their spending. The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card can easily pair with any airline rewards or cash back credit card to cover all of your potential travel costs. The , for example, earns 5 percent cash back (after activation) on rotating categories each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1 percent), allowing you to build rewards in even more areas toward your next trip.

Bankrate s Take-Is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card worth it

With a footprint focused on vacation destinations and resort cities, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is a great option for families who want to spend toward their next vacation. Wyndham Rewards has an easy-to-understand award chart and multiple ways to turn points into discounted nights, making this a prime contender among travel cards with no annual fee. The information about the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card and Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express card, please click .

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issues the Wyndham Rewards Earner card

The Wyndham Rewards Earners card is issued through . As this is a company founded in London make sure that you use their international customer service should you need assistance. It also may be a bit limited as far as ATM locations or other products so keep this in mind when signing up.

Do Wyndham points expire

Wyndham Rewards points expire after 18 months. If you don’t have enough for a free or discounted night at a Wyndham property, you can also redeem for experiences, gift cards, merchandise, charitable donations, and more.

How many points do you need to earn a free night

For a free night at the Wyndham hotel and partners, you need to earn 7,500 points and up per room. If you want discounted rates, you need 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 points per room. This means that if you receive the welcome bonus, you will receive 6 free nights. Also, with the rewards rate being 5X points per qualifying purchases of gas and Wyndham hotels, frequent drivers and Wyndham loyalists will earn points pretty quickly.

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Written by Joe Cortez Personal Finance Writer Joe Cortez is a personal finance journalist contributing to Bankrate with a decade of experience as a financial journalist and over a decade of experience in the financial industry as a whole.

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