The Hotels.com Rewards Visa card doesn’t carry many extra perks, let alone the luxury travel features and annual credits several other hotel credit cards offer.
However, the card carries a handful of useful perks, including cellphone protection, complimentary mid-tier elite status and trip interruption and cancellation protection. These features stand out as particularly impressive compared to those you’ll find on many no-annual-fee rewards cards.
Cellphone protection
Cellphone protection is a signature Wells Fargo credit card benefit, and it’s especially handy to have on a card that you use for your everyday expenses. In fact, the Hotels.com Rewards Visa is one of the few hotel cards that offer this perk.
If you pay your cellphone bill with your card, you can get reimbursed up to $600 per claim if your phone was stolen, lost or accidentally damaged (maximum of $1,200 in reimbursement each 12 months, subject to a $25 deductible).
Silver membership status
Hotels.com Rewards Visa cardholders will receive Silver membership status. Silver status is helpful for a smoother booking experience, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of luxury. Nevertheless, select properties offer Silver members free breakfast, Wi-Fi, airport transfers and spa vouchers (at “VIP Access” hotels).
The biggest perks revolve around priority customer service, including the “Price Guarantee Plus” and the “Hassle-free Travel Guarantee.” These two benefits allow you to change or cancel your booking if you find a better deal, and Hotels.com will match the price and refund the difference with minimal cancellation fees.
Fortunately, the card’s high rewards rate on everyday spending should make it easier to earn stamps that take you to even higher membership status. After you’ve earned 30 stamps, you’ll qualify for Gold membership status, which comes with better benefits including free room upgrades, early check-in and guaranteed late check-out (when available).
Travel interruption and cancellation protection
Travel interruption and cancellation protection is one of the more valuable types of travel insurance that you normally see on higher-end travel cards. Generally, this perk on premium cards reimburses you for non-refundable travel tickets or activities in the case of an accident or other qualifying personal reasons — like if you decide it isn’t safe to travel.
It’s rare for a no-annual-fee credit card to carry this kind of insurance, so that’s a plus. But this card’s particular interruption and cancellation coverage comes with a few caveats that may make it less helpful in many travel cancellation cases.
For example, the Hotels.com Rewards card won’t reimburse your tickets (up to $2,000 or the ticket total per covered traveler per trip, if lower) if you change your mind or cancel your travel for reasons including personal scheduling issues, inclement weather or concerns developing about your destination. Your interruption and cancellation reimbursement won’t even cover accidents, injury or illness if a doctor doesn’t specifically tell you to return home.
Rates and fees
There are no annual fees or foreign currency conversion fees, which is great news if you’re a casual traveler. You can still count any vacation purchases toward your stamps without worrying about fees eating into any reward nights you earn while traveling overseas.
Unfortunately, the Hotels.com Rewards Visa doesn’t currently offer zero-interest periods for new purchases or balance transfers like several other no-annual-fee rewards cards provide. The ongoing APR is 17.99 percent to 25.99 percent variable, depending on your creditworthiness.