Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card review: For the loyal guest wanting more
The elite status, discounts and chance to quickly rack up a lot of rewards make this card a winner for Wyndham loyalists.
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Snapshot
4.1
Bottom line
Wyndham’s top-tier hotel card for consumers gives you plenty of chances to earn discounted and free stays. You’ll earn impressive rewards on hotel stays and for gas purchases, as well as strong rates for dining and grocery purchases. Plus, anniversary bonus points and automatic elite status give Wyndham loyalists more reasons to give this card a try.
Intro offer
45,000 points
Rewards rate
1X - 6X
Annual fee
$75
Regular APR
20.49%, 24.74% or 29.74% variable
Bankrate Score
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Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card Overview
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card is Wyndham’s top-tier rewards card for consumers. It features generous rewards for Wyndham hotel spending and on everyday expenses like gas, groceries and eligible dining. It also comes with some nice perks, including anniversary bonus points and automatic Platinum status, which is Wyndham’s second-highest elite level, just behind Diamond status.
Frequent travelers who prefer Wyndham hotels can get plenty of value out of the Earner Plus card. But it won’t be a good fit for everyone. Other hotel credit cards come with higher sign-up bonuses and bonus rewards. Some even have perks that could be more appealing for seasoned travelers, like complimentary airport lounge access.
To see if the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card is the right fit for you, read more about it in our review below.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
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Great earnings potential for Wyndham hotels stays, gas, restaurants and more
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Offers numerous perks and discounts to help offset the $75 annual fee
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Generous welcome offer that could be worth up to six nights at a participating Wyndham hotel
Cons
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The best value for rewards redemption is limited to Wyndham hotel bookings
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High upper APR limit could mean high interest charges based on your creditworthiness
A deeper look into the current card offer
Quick highlights
- Rewards rate: 6X points per dollar on Hotels By Wyndham and gas purchases; 4X points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X point per dollar on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening, enough for up to six free night stays
- Annual fee: $75
- Purchase intro APR: N/A
- Balance transfer intro APR: 0 percent introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within the first 45 days
- Regular APR: 20.49%, 24.74% or 29.74% variable
Current welcome bonus
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card is currently offering 45,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. This is enough points to cover up to six free nights at a participating Wyndham hotel with award nights depending on location.
Bankrate estimates Wyndham Rewards points are currently worth an average of 0.9 cents each, so this sign-up bonus can be worth around $405. This is a decent offer, but it falls short of other hotel rewards cards with annual fees of less than $100.
For example, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card currently offers 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership (offer ends 1/8/25). We estimate Hilton Honors points are worth 0.6 cents each, so the points alone on this welcome offer are valued at an impressive $990. Even with a slightly higher $150 annual fee and a larger spending requirement, the Hilton Honors Surpass card’s welcome offer can provide greater short-term value if you’re able to justify spending requirement.
Rewards
The card has a rewards structure that benefits Wyndham loyalists and frequent travelers. It has a healthy balance of boosted rewards rates for Wyndham hotel stays, gas, eligible dining and grocery purchases.
Earning rewards
Cardholders earn 6X points for every $1 spent on Hotels By Wyndham and eligible gas purchases. You’ll rack up rewards quickly if you’re often on the road and prefer to stay at the brand’s hotels. The card also features 4X points per $1 spent on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart), as well as 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Redeeming rewards
There are several options when it comes to redeeming points using the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card, including using points for free hotel stays, discounted rates, shopping and activities.
The card has two options to redeem points when booking stays at Wyndham properties. Wyndham’s go free® redemption option allows cardholders to book award nights at participating hotels. Depending on the participating location, award nights can go for 7,500 points, 15,000 points or 30,000 points.
Cardholders can also redeem points for a discounted stay at a participating hotel, club resort or vacation rental. With Wyndham’s go fast® awards stay, you can redeem 1,500 to 6,000 points and get a discounted rate at participating hotels or 3,000 to 6,000 points for a discounted rate at a participating club resort or vacation rental.
Aside from redeeming points when booking stays with Wyndham, cardholders have several other redemption options. They can use points to book tours and activities, purchase gift cards and merchandise and make charitable contributions. Cardholders can also transfer points to partner programs including Amtrak, American Airlines, United Airlines and more.
How much are points worth?
According to Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations, Wyndham Rewards are worth roughly 0.9 cents per point, which is a good value Compared to other major hotel brands, second only to Hyatt:
Rewards program | Bankrate value* | Estimated value of 50,000 points/miles |
---|---|---|
World of Hyatt | 2.1 cents | $1,050 |
Wyndham Rewards | 0.9 cents | $450 |
IHG One Rewards | 0.7 cents | $350 |
Marriott Bonvoy | 0.7 cents | $350 |
Best Western Rewards | 0.6 cents | $300 |
Hilton Honors | 0.6 cents | $300 |
*Based on median point values across budget, mid-tier and luxury hotel bookings.
Even though Wyndham points aren’t as valuable as Hyatt points, they’re still a great deal when booking stays with Wyndham as long as you’re able to get a baseline value of 0.9 cents when redeeming your award.
To figure out the value of your rewards at the time of redemption, divide the cash cost of your redemption option by the number of points needed. For example, if you book a room that costs $124 per night or 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, your points are worth 0.8 cents ($124 / 15,000 = $0.008 or 0.8 cents) This is close to our 0.9-cent valuation, so you’re getting a decent deal.
But if you redeem your rewards for a $100 gift card that costs 27,000 points, the value of your rewards drops to 0.4 cents ($100 / 27,000 = $0.0037 or 0.4 cents. This is well below the baseline 0.9-cent value you should look for when redeeming Wyndham Rewards, so you’re better off buying a gift card with cash and saving your points for a better deal.
Other cardholder perks
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card is a valuable card for travelers who book frequent stays with Wyndham. It also comes with a host of other benefits, including unlimited earning and perks like free Wi-Fi during qualified stays, late checkouts (subject to availability) and rental car upgrades at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Hotel discounts and perks
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card really shines when it comes to booking stays with Wyndham. It features both high rewards on qualified bookings, as well as the opportunity to redeem points for free nights and discounted stays.
For example, when redeeming points for go free® awards, you can redeem 10 percent fewer Wyndham rewards points when you book award nights. So instead of needing 7,500 points to earn an award night at Wyndham’s tier-1 level, you only need 6,750 points; at the 15,000-point level, you only need 13,500; and at the 30,000-point level, you only need 27,000 points for an award night.
Aside from the lucrative rewards, cardholders also gain access to Platinum member benefits when booking travel with Wyndham, including 15 percent more bonus points on eligible Wyndham spending, free Wi-Fi during qualified stays, preferred room choice during qualified stays, late check-out (subject to availability) and early check-in during qualified stays. Without the card, it takes nine nights to qualify for these perks.
Annual bonus
Cardholders receive 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year, which is enough for up to one free night at some participating Wyndham properties. While some other hotel credit cards offer members a free night flat out, Wyndham’s annual bonus is a similar alternative and can also be used with other redemption options.
Unlimited earnings potential
Unlike some other rewards cards, there’s no cap on your earnings for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card. This means that for every dollar you spend, you’ll earn points that can be redeemed on future purchases, with no upper limit.
Rental car upgrades
Cardholders who rent a car through Avis or Budget can receive a free upgrade on their car rental at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. This is a nice extra benefit for frequent travelers that isn’t widely available on other card options.
Balance transfer APR
The balance transfer APR for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card is also a pretty good offer for borrowers looking to transfer a balance from another card. Cardholders are eligible for a 0 percent introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within the first 45 days (20.49 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.74 percent variable APR after).
No foreign transactions fees
In keeping with its robust selection of benefits for frequent travelers, the card charges no foreign transaction fees. This is an appealing perk for cardholders who travel internationally with any regularity.
Fraud liability protection
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card comes with $0 fraud liability protection. Cardholders aren’t responsible for any charge they didn’t authorize, which can give borrowers peace of mind when it comes to stolen cards and potential fraudulent charges.
Rates and fees
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card does come with a few fees. These include:
- Annual fee: The card comes with an annual fee of $75, although in practice this is almost entirely canceled out by the 7,500-point annual bonus.
- APR: The variable APR for this card is 20.49 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.74 percent depending on the creditworthiness of the borrower. While the lower end of this spectrum is in line with industry averages, the steep upper limit may deter borrowers with less-than-perfect credit.
- Balance transfer fee: The card charges a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5 percent of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Cash advance fee: The card charges a cash advance fee of $10 or 5 percent of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
- Late payment fee: If you make a late payment, you may be charged a late payment fee of up to $40.
- Returned payment fee: The card comes with a returned payment fee of up to $40.
How the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card compares to other hotel rewards cards
There are lots of other hotel credit cards besides Wyndham, and part of your decision will ultimately come down to personal preference and brand loyalty. That said, some cards do offer standout benefits when it comes to welcome offers, rates and extra perks.
Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
Rewards rate
Earn 6X points on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases. Earn 4X points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®). Earn 1X points on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Vacation Club down payments).
Recommended Credit Score
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
Annual fee
Intro offer
Special offer: Earn 45,000 bonus points (enough for up to six free nights) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 180 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 store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®). Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Vacation Club down payments).
Recommended Credit Score
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.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
Rewards rate
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Recommended Credit Score
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® Plus Card vs. Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is the entry-level Wyndham card and holds up well against its bigger sibling, making it an appealing option for budget travelers. While the Earner Plus card offers more bonus points for Wyndham stays, eligible dining and grocery purchases, the Earner card comes with no annual fee to offset with your earnings.
The Earner Plus comes with Platinum elite status and automatic anniversary bonus points without having to meet a spending requirement. These added benefits bring value to the Earner Plus you won’t find on the entry-level Earner card, which only provides Gold elite status and discounts for Wyndham stays.
Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
The Hilton Honors Surpass card comes with a higher welcome offer and even though you have to spend $15,000 in a calendar year to qualify for a Free Night Award, some travelers will find these perks more appealing than the automatic anniversary points and other benefits offered by the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card.
Both cards come with generous rewards programs that offer bonus rewards for more than just hotel stays, giving you a chance to rack up points on everyday purchases as well. While Wyndham Rewards carry a higher value, the Hilton Honors card offers higher bonus points in multiple areas, including an impressive flat rate of 3X points for general purchases that fall outside of bonus categories. And thanks to the automatic Gold elite status that comes with this Hilton card, your spending for Hilton visits will earn an 80-percent bonus on top of the Hilton Honors base points. Depending on your spending habits, these higher rates can help the Hilton Honors Surpass match or even eclipse the value of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card.
Best cards to pair with this card
The Wyndham rewards credit card excels at a very specific function: generous hotel rewards and travel perks for customers loyal to the Wyndham brand. While this card might not have the versatility of a more general rewards credit card, it pays dividends for committed customers who frequently stay with Wyndham.
That said, there are a few other cards that pair especially well with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card. For frequent travelers interested in this card, an additional travel rewards credit card for flights and other traveling expenses is a good idea. A robust travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a nice complement, and earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit.
Bankrate’s take — Is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card worth it?
If you travel frequently and prefer to book your stays with Wyndham properties, this card is a clear winner. With up to 6X points per $1 for qualifying hotel stays as a loyalty member, a wide array of travel-related perks and benefits and redemption options for free and discounted stays, the card is well worth the annual fee for Wyndham loyalists.
On the other hand, if you travel infrequently or don’t want to limit your options to Wyndham properties, there are other more lucrative rewards credit cards that could better suit your needs. With a $75 annual fee, the card also isn’t the best option for borrowers looking for a truly fee-free card.
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.