On June 17, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced updates to its suite of Wyndham Rewards credit cards, co-branded with Barclays, including the addition of a new premium credit card.
Updates to the three existing cards include the addition of new bonus categories, expanded free night discounts and the ability to redeem your points for statement credits.
Updated Wyndham Rewards cards
New premium card: Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card
Wyndham has made its first foray into the premium credit card space with the launch of the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card.
The card charges a $395 annual fee and earns 8X points on Wyndham hotels, plus 4X points on eligible dining, grocery store purchases and travel. (The travel category includes gas, EV charging, airfare, car rentals and more.) While these rewards rates are solid, they’re similar to the Wyndham Rewards Earner®Plus Card, which only earns 2X fewer points on Wyndham purchases.
The card comes with two redemption options: a 25% discount on free night redemptions via Wyndham and a new Points Payback feature, which lets you redeem points for statement credit. What might attract people a little more to this card is the number of additional benefits and perks offered:
- 30,000 anniversary bonus points (after annual fee)
- Wyndham Rewards Diamond membership
- Booking discounts on Hotels by Wyndham
- Stay five nights and receive a free night annually (30,000 points)
- Emerald Club® Executive status with National® Car Rental
- Complimentary Wyndham Rewards Insider membership ($95 annual value)
- $100 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts credit (valid with select brands)
- Up to a $120 meal delivery credit (in $10 monthly credits) for services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub and more
- Up to $100 streaming credit for eligible services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock and more
- $65 warehouse membership credit on qualifying wholesale club membership purchases and membership renewals
- Up to $125 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit, once every four years
The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card is a solid hotel card for those interested in the Wyndham Hotels ecosystem, offering a mixture of Wyndham-focused rewards and credits while still providing value on everyday purchases.
- 25% discount on free night redemptions
- Earn 4X Wyndham points on dining, grocery and travel
- Wyndham Rewards Diamond membership
- Higher annual fee for hotel cards
- The welcome bonus has two different tiers to unlock the full value
- Limited statement credits
Rewards
- 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham
- 4x points on eligible dining, grocery and travel (gas, EV charging, air, car rental, rideshare, tolls and trains)
- 1x point on all other purchases (excluding Vacation Club payments)
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
These perks are split fairly evenly between providing direct value with Wyndham brands and offering opportunities for everyday value. The complimentary Diamond membership comes with all the benefits of the previous three tiers, plus suite upgrades, a complimentary snack or beverage at check-in and the ability to gift one Gold-level membership to a family member or friend.
This card is also the first Wyndham card to earn points that don’t expire, as Wyndham Rewards points typically expire four years after you earn them.
Updates to existing Wyndham cards
The three existing Wyndham cards have also undergone changes, and while most are positive, there are some downsides. One of the biggest trends across the lineup is changes to gas rewards, with some cards gaining new bonus categories and others losing value.
Three cards in Wyndham’s newly expanded four-card lineup now include a Points Payback feature, as well, which allows you to redeem points for statement credits.
Lastly, the cards have introduced unique, tiered welcome bonuses, with the first half unlocked after hitting a general spending threshold and the second requiring you to spend a certain amount on Hotels by Wyndham purchases.
Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card
If you’re looking for the lowest-cost way into the Wyndham ecosystem, the $0 annual fee Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is likely the best fit. Some positive changes to the card include boosted earnings on dining and grocery store purchases, from 2X points to 3X points, but it comes at the cost of gas redemptions. The card previously earned 5X points on gas purchases, now reduced to 3X.
The Wyndham Rewards Earner is the only Wyndham card that doesn’t include the Points Payback feature, but it still offers a 10% discount on free night redemptions.
The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card is a good way for those interested in the Wyndham Hotels ecosystem, as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers ways to earn Wyndham rewards on everyday purchases
- No annual fee
- Earn Wyndham points on dining, grocery, gas and EV charging
- Complimentary Gold membership
- Potentially high APR
- Limited high-end Wyndham redemption options
- The welcome bonus has two different tiers to unlock the full value
Wyndham Rewards Earner®Plus Card
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card, the brand’s mid-tier option, saw some of the most substantial changes. The card added several additional benefits and doubled its anniversary bonus points to 15,000. It also now comes with Wyndham Rewards Diamond membership for one year, after which you’ll receive Platinum membership. Other additions include Emerald Club® Executive status with National® Car Rental and up to a $50 meal delivery credit (up to $25 every six months).
In terms of rewards categories, the card no longer earns 6X on gas; instead, it expanded its 4X categories to include purchases on gas and EV charging, airfare, car rentals and rideshare and more. While you earn less on gas and EV purchases specifically, you have more opportunities to earn points on other travel purchases.
All of this comes with a slight annual fee increase, from $75 to $95.
Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card
Information about the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
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Rewards
6X points on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham; 6X points on gas; 4X points on dining; 4X points at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X points on all other purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
0% introductory APR for the first 15 billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. 0% promotional APR for 6 billing cycles on all Wyndham Timeshare Purchases from the transaction date.
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Regular APR
19.99% to 29.99% variable
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Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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Foreign transaction fee
Pros
- Reasonable annual fee
- 7,500 anniversary bonus points
- Complimentary Platinum status
Cons
- Potentially high APR
- Limited high-end Wyndham redemption options
Wyndham Rewards Earner®Business Card
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card took the biggest loss from the gas rewards updates, dropping from 8X points to 5X points on gas and EV charging. But you can now earn 5X points on office supply stores and shipping, which could be a better fit for those making business-focused purchases.
The card also doubled its discount on award night redemptions from 10% to 20% and added over $100 in credits, including a $65 warehouse membership credit and up to $50 in accounting software credits.
In terms of an annual fee increase, the Wyndham Rewards EarnerBusiness now charges $149 per year, up from $95.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card
Information about the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
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Rewards
Earn 8X points on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham; 8X points on qualifying gas purchases; 5X points on eligible marketing, advertising and utilities purchases; 1X points on all other purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
0% promotional APR on all “Wyndham Timeshare Purchases” for 6 billing cycles from the transaction date
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Regular APR
20.49% to 29.49% variable
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Balance transfer fee
$5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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Foreign transaction fee
Pros
- 15,000-point anniversary bonus
- Free Diamond status
- Useful bonus categories
Cons
- High spending requirement for the full bonus
- Fewer valuable redemption options compared to other business cards
Alternative travel cards for hotels
If you’re fairly loyal to a specific hotel brand, odds are good that you’ll get the most value out of a co-branded hotel credit card. But if you’re a little more flexible or prioritize hotels based on availability, general travel credit cards may be a better fit.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is currently matching its best-ever welcome bonus of 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. It also offers a $100 Chase Travel Hotel Credit, which is more than enough to cover the card’s $95 annual fee.
Despite the transfer ratio to World of Hyatt dropping from 1:1 to 4:3 (existing cardholders have until Oct. 1, 2026, to access 1:1 Hyatt transfers), you still can transfer points 1:1 to Wyndham Rewards, IHG® One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy™.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 – a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Citi Strata Premier® Card
The Citi Strata Premier® Card is another great option for a $95. It offers a $100 Annual Hotel Benefit when booking a prepaid stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) through CitiTravel.com, and you’ll earn 10X points on hotels booked on CitiTravel.com and 3X points on generic hotel purchases outside Citi’s portal.
On top of the strong hotel rewards rates, the Citi ThankYou® Points you earn can be transferred to a number of hotels and airlines, including to Wyndham Rewards at a 1:1 ratio and Choice Privileges at a 1:1.5 ratio.
The Citi Strata Premier® Card has competitive rewards rates and unlocks access to all of the Citi ThankYou® transfer partners, which boosts the value of your points.
- Unlocks point transfers to all of the Citi ThankYou® partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges, Flying Blue and more
- Generous bonus spending categories include dining, supermarkets, hotels and flights
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Has an annual fee
- Car rental coverage is secondary, not primary
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
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