Limited rewards program
Unlike many of its competitors, the Best Western Rewards MasterCard doesn’t give cardholders much incentive to use their card for anything other than booking a room. By itself, the card awards three points per dollar spent booking a Best Western hotel room and one point per dollar for every other purchase. Many competitors, by contrast, lure cardholders into using their card for everyday purchases by offering bonus points on gas, restaurants, groceries and other everyday spending categories.
The hotel card’s rewards program offers a decent amount of value for frequent Best Western guests. When you combine your points with Best Western’s rewards program, your point bonus for hotel stays will more than quadruple to 13 points per dollar spent. But if you stay at Best Western relatively frequently and are willing to pay a $59 annual fee, you could get a lot more value out of the card’s premium version.
Modest sign-up bonus
The sign-up bonus on the Best Western Rewards MasterCard isn’t that exciting — even for a card with no annual fee. Best Western fans get 10,000 bonus points — roughly worth around $100, depending on how they are redeemed – for spending $1,000 in the card’s first three billing cycles and an additional 10,000 bonus points for spending another $2,000 in the card’s first six billing cycles. That’s enough to buy up to two hotel stays and should please frequent Best Western guests who want maximum benefit without paying an annual fee.
But if you’re willing to spend up to $3,000 on your card to earn a $200 sign-up bonus, you can get a lot more value out of a card that offers a higher rewards rate on non-hotel purchases. The premium version of the Best Western Rewards MasterCard, for example, offers up to $700 in bonus points.
Some additional perks
Best Western also awards cardholders some additional perks through its hotel loyalty program, but the benefits aren’t as exciting as those offered by other hotel loyalty programs. Cardholders are automatically upgraded to gold status and receive an additional 10 percent point bonus when they use their card to book a room. They’re also eligible for a 10 percent discount on hotel stays. However, Best Western doesn’t offer any other money-saving perks until cardholders reach platinum status.
Few restrictions
On the plus side, the no fee-Best Western card is a good bet for cardholders who want as few restrictions on their rewards earnings as possible and don’t want to pay an annual fee.
This hotel card doesn’t impose any travel blackout dates, and you can redeem your points for hotel stays, airfare, merchandise, gift cards or other card rewards. Points never expire.
You also can earn as many points as you want, with no limits — a big perk for cardholders who travel frequently. Best Western does reserve the right to limit the number of rewards-funded rooms available, though, so you may have trouble finding a room during peak travel times. You also have to go directly through Best Western to reserve your rewards-funded room, so you may not get the best available rate.
Huge number of hotels
One of the best perks offered by the Best Western card is the hotel’s extensive network. Best Western operates 4,100 properties in more than 80 countries, so you should have no trouble booking a room.
You may have to wait to earn more points, though, if you want to travel in a pricier location. Unlike some competitors that charge a flat rate for every property, Best Western charges a tiered number of points, depending on the property. The least expensive rooms can be purchased for as little as 8,000 points a night, but pricier properties may cost as much as 36,000 points. You can also purchase a limited number of points if you’re short.
Reasons to get it:
- You’re a frequently traveler and prefer to stay at Best Western.
- You want a card with an extensive hotel network.
- You want to earn free hotel room stays, but don’t want to pay an annual fee.
How to use it:
- To earn the card’s largest sign-up bonus, temporarily use your card for all your everyday purchases. If you use your card for gas, groceries and other everyday purchases, you should have little trouble reaching $10,000 by the end of the card’s first year.
- Use your card when booking a reservation, and be sure to include your Best Western rewards details. If you book online or through a third-party site, mention your rewards membership to the front desk when you arrive and they’ll credit your account.
- Once you’ve reached the sign-up bonus threshold, consider limiting this card to hotel and travel purchases and using a card with a more generous rewards rate for everyday purchases.
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