Best western credit cards
$59, waived first year
50,000 Best Western points
$1,000 initial spend
($280 net value, .28/$)
10x Best Western Purchases (≈6%)
2x Everything Else (≈1.2%)
No Foreign Transaction Fee
Getting the Best Western card is unlikely to be a high-priority for most people. However, the personal and business version of the cards have pretty generous signup bonuses, and the added benefit of letting you spread your applications to an additional bank.
If you sign up for the business version, to take advantage of the signup bonus, it is worthwhile to hold onto it. You'll maintain your Platinum elite status, which gives you 10% off the normal number of points for award reservations. The personal no-annual-fee version gives you Gold status benefits instead.
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Best Western Credit Card Options
There are three different versions of the Best Western card.
- Regular version. This is the only version of the card that earns high rewards on Best Western purchases, and that offers a worthwhile annual bonus point opportunity. But, it is also the only version with an annual fee (waived the first year). It has a slightly better signup bonus than the business version of the card.
- No-annual-fee version. Comes with Gold elite status, rather than Platinum, a substantially lower reward rate on Best Western purchases, and no annual bonus point opportunity. It has a 32,000 point signup bonus—half on first purchase, and half on your first stay. No annual fee. Official Webpage
- Business version. Still provides Platinum status, but only offers the lower reward rate on Best Western purchases. The annual point bonus requires too much spending to be worthwhile. This is probably the version you want, if you are able to get small business cards. No annual fee. Official Webpage
Collecting the Signup Bonus
Our base value for Best Western points is .6 cents per point. How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
- It is worth signing up for this card, just to collect the signup bonus. The typical signup bonus is 50,000 points, valued at $300 (at .6 cents per point). After subtracting the opportunity cost of using the card for $1,000 of spending, the calculated net value for the initial year is $280 (28 cents per dollar spent). Your value may be higher or lower, depending on how much you value the the points. How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
- You may be able to earn the signup bonuses from both the personal and business version of the card. If you have any kind of side business, you are entitled to apply for business cards. If so, you can earn the signups from either or both versions. Unlock Extra Reward Points with Business Credit Cards.
Other Notable Benefits
- Best Western Platinum elite status. This entitles you to a room upgrade (upon availability), a beverage and snack at North American hotels, and a 10% discount on award redemptions. Best Western Status Benefits.
- 20,000 annual bonus points, (with a $5,000 spending requirement). If you are planning on holding onto the card, it is worthwhile to try to use it for $5,000 of purchases each year. You'll earn about $140 worth of extra points. The business version of the card provides 32,000 bonus points, with a $25,000 spending requirement, which is probably not worth it.
- Access to a special cardholder rate on room reservations. You'll get 10% off the flexible rate, similar to what you'd likely get from a AAA discount.
The no-annual-fee version gives you Best Western Gold status instead, which doesn't entitle you to the 10% discount on award redemptions.
Bonus Categories
- The regular Best Western card earns the highest rewards on your Best Western purchases. 10x Best Western points are valued at 6 cents per dollar, which is more than you can get from any other card (unless you highly value using your points for premium cabin frequent flyer tickets). However, you might prefer the additional flexibility you'd get by earning transferable points like Ultimate Rewards or Membership Rewards points.Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
- You don't want to use this card for your everyday spending. You'll earn higher rewards from a good general-purpose reward card. Get a Great General Purpose Reward Card and Use It for All of Your Spending.
The 3x points, you'd earn from the business and no-annual-fee version, might be more valuable than what you'd earn from your general-purpose reward card, but aren't as good as what you could earn from a card that provides bonus rewards on travel purchases.