Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
45,000 points
$0
15.74%, 19.99, or 24.99% Variable
The Wyndham Rewards Earner card is a great no-annual-fee option for travelers who love Wyndham hotels.
(at Wyndham's secure site)
The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Getting elite benefits from a hotel credit card doesn’t have to come at a price, and the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card is a perfect example of that. This no annual fee card not only allows travelers to earn additional points on all of their Wyndham stays, but also offers automatic elite status, plus discounts on award and paid nights just for having the card!
The Wyndham Rewards Earner card is a compelling option for any traveler who visits Wyndham hotels a few times a year, wants to earn additional points on these stays, and benefits from Gold elite status, but does not want to pay an annual fee.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the top perks offered to Wyndham Rewards Earner cardholders:
Now that you’re earning Wyndham Rewards points for a variety of different purchases, how should you go about redeeming those points for maximum value?
Your best option when it comes to redeeming your Wyndham Rewards points probably comes at no surprise — redeeming for award night redemptions at Wyndham hotels.
Wyndham breaks down its properties into 3 categories with award prices at 7,500, 15,000, and 30,000 points per night. Fortunately for Wyndham Rewards Earner cardholders, you’ll receive a 10% discount off of these rates, bringing the number of points needed for a free night down to 6,750, 13,500, and 27,000 points for each category.
Not only does redeeming your points give you the highest return, but in our view, it is also the most fun! After all, what better excuse is there to travel than a free hotel stay?
Don’t have enough points for a full award stay? Wyndham also offers Go Fast rates, allowing you to redeem a small number of points in order to reduce the cash rate for your stay.
With this, instead of the standard award prices, you can redeem 1,500, 3,000, and 6,000 points per night, along with a reduced cash rate. This gives travelers more flexibility when it comes to stretching their points out for future stays, or for those who prefer to lower the amount of cash needed for their stay.
Similar to Marriott Bonvoy points, Wyndham allows members to transfer their points to about 10 airline partners. But unlike the 3:1 rate you receive for Marriott transfers, Wyndham transfers give you a rate of just 5:1.
Because of this, we generally advise against transferring your Wyndham points to airline partners unless you have no other option or have no use for Wyndham points.
Members can redeem their points through the Wyndham merchandise portal towards a variety of products, but doing so gives you a value of just 0.3 cents per point — which is just one-third of our 0.9 cents per point valuation of Wyndham points.
You can also redeem your Wyndham points for gift cards with dozens of different merchants, but we strongly advise against this as you’ll get just 0.3 cents per point in value.
Through Wyndham’s partnership with Marathon’s Makeitcount rewards, members can redeem their points for fuel discounts at Marathon gas stations. But you should think twice before redeeming points this way because, not only will you only get 0.3 cents per point in value, but you’ll also miss out on some of the 5x earnings you could have received for just paying for your gas with your Wyndham Rewards Earners card.
Finally, Wyndham members can redeem their points for unique activities like dining experiences, live entertainment, and more. But like many of the other redemption methods, your points will be worth 0.3 cents per point when you redeem them this way. So you’ll likely want to opt for a higher value option.
Bottom Line:Truthfully, when it comes to redeeming your Wyndham Rewards points, your best option is redeeming them for free nights at Wyndham hotels, and we strongly advise against any redemption option that will give you less than 0.9 cents per point in value.
Adding the Wyndham Rewards Earner card is a great way to help earn more Wyndham points on each stay, as the card earns you 5x points per $1 on your Wyndham stays.
Further, since you’ll have Wyndham Gold status, you’ll earn 11x points per $1 thanks to the 10% elite bonus on stays, and when you pay for your stay with the Wyndham Rewards Earner card, you’ll earn a total of 16x points per $1 on stays — a 14.4% return on your spend based on our valuation of Wyndham points.
Those who have long work commutes or who take a lot of road trips can rack up Wyndham Rewards points by earning 5x points per $1 on all of that gas spend with the Wyndham Rewards Earner card.
The Wyndham Rewards Earner card offers 2 more bonus categories to help reward you on your everyday spending on both dining and at grocery stores, allowing you to earn 2x points per $1 on all of these purchases.
Cardholders also earn 1x point per $1 on all other purchases outside of the card bonus categories. But unless you’re trying to earn as many Wyndham points as possible, you might want to choose to use a card that is more rewarding for non-bonus spending.
Fortunately for online shoppers, Wyndham offers the Wyndham Rewards Shopping site to help you earn more Wyndham points when you buy products online. Just like any other shopping portal, all you have to do is click through to the select merchant you want to purchase an item with, and then you’ll earn Wyndham Rewards points after you complete the purchase.
Depending on the merchant, this can earn you anywhere from 1x to 30x points per $1 on your purchases through the Wyndham Rewards Shopping site.
The Capital One Miles program is a flexible rewards currency, and miles earned from select Captial One credit cards can then be transferred to the Wyndham Rewards program at a 1:1 rate. This gives you the opportunity to use cards from each program, and pool your rewards together.
For instance, you could use the Capital One® Venture® Rewards card to earn 2x miles per $1 on all purchases made with the card, and your Wyndham Rewards Earner card to earn 5x points per $1 on purchases at Wyndham hotels and gas stations.
If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee hotel card and prefer Hilton hotels, the Hilton Honors card is a superb option (see rates and fees). Cardholders earn 7x points per $1 on Hilton stays, 5x points per $1 on dining, groceries, and gas, plus 3x points per $1 on all other purchases (terms apply). You’ll also receive complimentary Hilton Silver status as a free perk for holding the card.
Those who have Marriott as their hotel chain of choice and want a no-annual-fee card should consider adding the Marriott Bold card to their wallet. Cardholders earn 3x points per $1 on Marriott stays, 2x points per $1 on travel, and 1x point per $1 on all other purchases. Plus you’ll automatically receive 15 elite night credits for having the card, which is enough for Marriott Silver Elite status and puts you just 10 nights away from Gold Elite status.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, click here.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
0 comments
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.