Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card review: The card for Wyndham loyalists who want status perks and free nights

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card Overview

Card type: Hotel

For a relatively low annual fee of $75, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card offers cardmembers some Wyndham-property-specific benefits. Automatic Platinum status offers the opportunity to check in early when arriving at your destination and squeeze the most out of your stay with late check out, as well as enjoying free in-room WiFi and preferred room selection when available. 

For those able to hit the minimum spend required to earn the welcome bonus of 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, enough for up to six free night stays at participating Wyndham hotels already recoups the totality of the annual fee during your first year the card. Plus, you will receive 7,500 bonus points on your anniversary every year (enough for up to one free night), making sure this card retains some value past year one.

Cardholders who spend large sums at Wyndham hotels, gas stations, restaurants or at grocery stores can see their rewards balances grow relatively quickly as the card earns at elevated rates on those specific categories, helping them get closer to those coveted free stays faster.

Plus, for those in the market for a balance transfer card, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card offers a 0% intro APR for balance transfers made within 45 days from account opening, after which a APR of 20.49%–29.74% variable
will apply, so the card can help you consolidate debt and save on interest too. The balance transfer fee is $5 or 5%, whichever is greater. 

Just beware it’s typically wise to avoid putting new charges on a card you’re using for a balance transfer until you’ve paid off the transferred debt in full.

Who is the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card good for? 

The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card is a great choice for travelers who already make Wyndham hotels their go-to hotel chain when they’re on the road. Properties in the Wyndham portfolio range from upscale, such as those in the Dolce collection, to well-known budget brands such as Days Inn and Super 8.  

This card confers Platinum status, which is Wyndham’s middle-of-the-road status (above Gold and below Diamond), plus a welcome bonus that can translate into up to six free nights and 7,500 bonus points potentially worth up to one additional free night every year upon your card’s anniversary. 

If you already stay at Wyndham properties but would like to elevate your stays while also earning additional Wyndham Rewards with all your purchases, this card tends to make sense even with its $75 annual fee.

Who shouldn’t get the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card? 

Travelers who don’t see themselves being able to move their hotel stays into the Wyndham family of hotels — whether their travel takes them to destinations where Wyndham has no presence or because their jobs require them to stay elsewhere, for example — will not get much value from the perks offered by this card. 

That said, the savings from the free nights you could get with the welcome bonus points would most likely outweigh the annual fee in year one, so this card could be worth considering if you’re planning a vacation somewhere Wyndham has a presence. 

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card: How to earn rewards

This card can help you earn Wyndham Rewards on every purchase, with some common spending categories being more rewarding than others. The rates are:

• 6X points per dollar on Hotels By Wyndham and qualifying gas purchases.
• 4X points per dollar on eligible dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart).
• 1X point per dollar on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments).

Additionally, the card offers a welcome bonus of 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, enough for up to six free night stays at certain participating properties.

How to redeem Wyndham Rewards

You can use the Wyndham Rewards you earn with your card for free nights at plenty of participating properties with go free award redemptions. Go free awards come in three cost tiers, requiring 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points per night. Wyndham also offers go fast awards, letting you use a combination of points and cash, with options to redeem 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 points per night (plus the cash required to cover the remaining cost).

Wyndham operates a fixed award chart, and unlike the price in cash for the room, the amount of points required per night does not fluctuate based on demand, allowing you to maximize your redemptions on those properties where the price would be too expensive during high season.

Keep in mind that, just by holding the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card, you also get a 10% discount on your redemptions, making award stays an even better deal.

Your Wyndham Rewards can also be redeemed for stays with Vacasa rental properties, and even be transferred to a few airline loyalty programs, although at a less than advisable rates.

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card rates and fees

• Annual fee: $75.
• Foreign transaction fee: None.
• Purchase APR: 20.49%–29.74% variable
  depending upon review of your application and your credit history.
• 0% balance transfer offer: 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening, then 20.99%, 25.24%, 29.99% variable based on your creditworthiness. There is a balance transfer fee of 5% with a minimum $5.

Additional benefits

• 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, enough for up to six free night stays.
• Automatic Platinum status, which comes with benefits like free WiFi, early check-in and late checkout based on availability, Caesars Rewards status matches and upgrades when renting with Avis and Budget rental car agencies.
• 7,500 bonus points on your anniversary every yearafter renewal, potentially enough for another free night stay.
• 10% discount on go free award redemptions, so you can stretch your rewards further.
• Cardmember booking discounts for best available rates.

Credit cards similar to the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card

While enough points to receive multiple free nights make for an enticing welcome offer, Wyndham hotels might not be the best hotel chain for you. There are other competing hotel cards that offer free nights or the ability to earn multiple points per dollar on your hotel stays.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card vs. Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card

For those not married to the idea of Wyndham as their go-to hotel chain, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase offers a somewhat more rewarding proposition as long as you can make IHG properties your hotel destination. For a $99 annual fee, the welcome bonus points (if redeemed strategically) could be enough for as many as 10 nights. New cardholders can earn 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Plus, the earnings are a bit more generous at 26X for purchases at IHG Hotels and Resorts (10X for being a cardholder, 10X for being an IHG One Rewards member, and 6X for Platinum Elite status granted by the card). You’ll also earn 5X points on purchases on travel, dining and at gas stations, and 3X points on all other purchases

The card also helps you earn one anniversary free night for a redemption at a hotel priced at or below 40,000 points per night, plus a $100 statement credit and 10,000 additional bonus points for those who can spend at least $20,000 in a calendar year. The card also grants you Platinum Elite status with IHG and provides solid travel and consumer protections.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card vs. Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card

For those who enjoy the freedom of going with whatever hotel suits them best at the moment, whether in terms of location, cost or amenities, a general purpose travel card might be more up your alley. The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, with a $95 annual fee, offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. When redeemed to book travel through the Chase portal, points are worth 25% more, meaning you get $750 in value for 60,000 points redeemed that way.

The rewards are categories somewhat similar to the Wyndham card. Sapphire Preferred cardholders earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out, as well as online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2x points on travel purchasesnot booked through Chase, and 1x points on other purchases. There’s also a $50 annual hotel credit for stays booked through the Chase portal.

This card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to a myriad of airline and hotel programs at a 1:1 rate, including IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt — giving you the ultimate flexibility for your every trip. 

Is the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card right for you?

For a relatively low annual fee, this card can help you earn bonus points worth up to six free nights as long as you’re able to hit the minimum spend required for the welcome bonus. This could help you save a few hundred dollars in free stays when you’re on the road, and at a minimum should be worth more than enough to recoup the annual fee during year one.

If you are already planning on spending a few nights a year at any of Wyndham’s properties, this card is worth strong consideration for the opportunity to score free nights and the perks it offers to make your stays more comfortable. But if Wyndham properties aren’t convenient for your travel habits, consider a different hotel or travel card instead. 

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer my Wyndham Rewards to other hotels?

Wyndham Rewards points cannot be transferred to other hotel programs — with one exception being Caesars Rewards — but you can use them to redeem stays at numerous participating hotels across two dozen brands within the Wyndham portfolio. 

If you have linked your Caesars Rewards and Wyndham accounts, you will be able to move points between the two programs, allowing you the chance to snag some discounts while in Las Vegas and anywhere else that Caesars operates.

Points can, however, be transferred to airline programs although at a subpar rate.

How do I redeem my free nights?

To redeem your points towards a free night at a participating hotel, just go to the Wyndham booking site, check the “Book with points” checkbox and click “Search.” The website will show you all your hotel options along with the point prices for go free and go fast redemptions, if available. Once you’re satisfied with any specific result, just follow the website prompts to book your free stay.

Do my Wyndham Rewards points ever expire?

Wyndham Rewards points expire four years after being earned, but they will be forfeited if there is a period of inactivity longer than 18 months. Your account will not be considered inactive as long as you earn, redeem or transfer points. 

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.