Modest sign-up bonus
The card offers 30,000 bonus points after you make your first purchase. While this may seem like a large number of points, many other hotel loyalty programs offer double the number of bonus points for their premium cards. On the plus side, there is no spending requirement to get this bonus. And since Wyndham guarantees the same number of points to book a room at any property in the world, it is enough to get you two nights at one of their top-tier hotels, if you can find availability.
The annual bonus, on the other hand, is disappointing. While some hotel rewards cards offer free nights each year – or bonuses of 20,000 points or more – Wyndham offers a mere 6,000 points each year to loyal cardholders. This is less than 50 percent of the cost of a free night.
Good earning scheme
The card offers a better-than-average earning scheme. You get five points per dollar for your Wyndham bookings and two points for everything else. While the five-point bonus is average for a hotel rewards card, the double rewards rate on general purchases is great and should help the cardholder accumulate a large number of points.
Moderate annual fee
The card comes with a $69 annual fee. This rates on the high side in comparison to many hotel cards, which come with no annual fee. However, it is a pretty reasonable fee for a premium hotel rewards card.
Largest number of properties in the world
What the Wyndham hotel portfolio lacks in distinctive properties, it makes up for in sheer numbers. The Wyndham hotel network is a vast one, covering 14 brands and 7,800 properties in more than 70 countries around the world. This is nearly double the number of properties of other large brands, such as Hilton or Marriott. As mentioned above, many of these are budget or mid-level hotel brands. So if you are seeking a program with a large number of aspirational properties, the Wyndham card may not be the best choice. However, if you are looking for a hotel rewards program with many opportunities to earn and redeem rewards points, Wyndham has many options.
Points have a short shelf life
Wyndham has recently made many upgrades to its rewards program. This includes increasing the period before points expire. That said, the period before expiration is still drastically short – only four years long. Not only is this the shortest period of any of the cards that we’ve reviewed, but the majority of hotel rewards cards come with no expiration date as long as you maintain activity on your card.
Go fast and go free awards
Wyndham recently implemented a flat structure for its rewards program, which comes with some pros and cons. On the plus side, it’s a very simple rewards structure, with two categories: “go fast” and “go free” rewards. With “go free” rewards, Wyndham guarantees the same flat rate of 15,000 points at most Wyndham properties, with no blackout dates. With “go fast” rewards, you have the option to pay with 3,000 points plus cash at participating Wyndham properties.
The downside to this is that you need to find an upper-tier hotel in order to get a good value on your rewards points. Most of the budget brands in Wyndham’s portfolio aren’t worth 15,000 points for a night’s stay. However, if you can find availability at one of Wyndham’s prestige properties, 15,000 points is a very good deal.
Few other perks
The Wyndham rewards card sorely lacks hotel perks. Most premium hotel cards include some great additional benefits, including elite status, free room upgrades, free night stays and more. Aside from rewards points and the usual travel benefits that come with any Visa Signature card, the Wyndham card has nothing extra to offer to its loyal members.
Reasons to sign up for it:
- You frequently stay at Wyndham properties and look for opportunities to earn more points.
- You stay at hotels often enough to use the rewards points before they expire.
- You want to get the sign-up bonus redeemable for two free nights.
- You appreciate that there is no spending requirement to get the bonus.
- You value Visa Signature benefits.
How to use it:
- Always redeem Wyndham rewards points on more upscale properties and pay cash for budget hotels.
- If you don’t know how to use your points, consider Wyndham all-inclusive resorts that offer terrific values for two free nights.
- Do not get this card for the balance transfer opportunity, since you won’t be able to use the card if you consolidate debt (or pay huge interest).
- Avoid using this card abroad since it charges a 3 percent foreign-transaction fee.
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