Wyndham credit cards
$75
45,000 Wyndham Points
$1,000 initial spend
($180 net value, .18/$)
Signup Bonus Chart6x Wyndham Purchases (≈4.8%)
6x Gas (≈4.8%)
4x Restaurants (≈3.2%)
4x Groceries (≈3.2%)
1x Everywhere Else (≈0.8%)
No Foreign Transaction Fee
The Wyndham Business Card is interesting for its Wyndham Diamond status. Not only do you get some nice benefits at Wyndham hotels, you also can get automatically matched to Caesar's Diamond status, which provides some very valuable benefits at the many casinos that participate in Caesar's loyalty program. The annual fee is offset by the 15,000 point annual bonus. The personal Earner Plus version of the card comes with the lessor Platinum status with both programs which allows for a free stay at Atlantis, but doesn't provide the other valuable benefits.
Both cards offer a potentially useful stash of Wyndham points, which can be hard to stockpile in other ways. Unlike most other programs, you can't just buy a bunch of points when you need them. As some point, it may be worthwhile to sign up for the Earner+ version and then downgrade to the no-annual-fee Earner version after the first year.
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Wyndham Card Options
There are three different versions of the Wyndham card.
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The standard version of the card is the Earner+ card. It has a $75 annual fee. If you are only interested in the signup offer, this is the best version. |
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If you are willing and able to get business cards, the business version is the better option. For only $20 more in annual fees, you'll get automatic Diamond status (instead of Platinum), 8x points per dollar on Wyndham stays and Gas (instead of 6x), and a potentially useful 5x points on utilities. Official Webpage. Signup Bonus Chart. |
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Unless you are keeping the Earner+ card for its ongoing Platinum Status (and 7,500 point annual bonus), you should downgrade it to the no-annual-fee Earner card. There's no real downside and you'll continue to be eligible for your 10% discount on Go Free award stays plus the limited benefits that come with Wyndham Gold status. Otherwise, you are better off signing up for the other cards for their larger signup bonuses. |
Collecting the Signup Bonus
Our base value for Wyndham points is .8 cents per point. How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
- The normal signup bonus is not great. The normal signup bonus of 45,000 points is valued at $360 (at .8 cents per point), and is good for a 1.5 nights at one of their nicer hotels or three nights at the majority of their hotels. Because you can't purchase more than 5,000 Wyndham points per year, the credit card is one of the only ways to get enough points for free nights.
- It is possible to earn the same signup bonus multiple times. Barclays has no real limit on the number of times you can get the bonus. Hold onto the card until close to the end of your first year, cancel it, wait a few months, and reapply.
After subtracting the annual fee, and the opportunity cost of using the card for $1,000 of spending, the calculated net value of the sign-up is $180 (18 cents per dollar spent). Your value may be higher or lower, depending on how much you value the points. How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
However, if you have been actively signing up for credit cards, it can sometimes be hard to get approved for new cards from Barclays. If you really want to keep the card part of your core credit collection, don't cancel it, counting on being able to be re-approved for the card a few months later. But if you are mainly interested in the signup bonus, there is little harm in trying.
Other Notable Benefits
- Wyndham Platinum elite status. This entitles you to a preferred room (upon availability), late checkout, and early check-in, among other benefits. You'll also get an annual bonus of 3,000 points. Wyndham Status Benefits.
- Total Rewards Platinum elite status. Your Wyndham Platinum status will be automatically matched to Total Rewards Platinum status. Total Rewards is the loyalty program of the Caesers and Harrah's family of casinos. Platinum status entitles you to a free three night stay every year at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas (for each night you'll still need to pay a $50+tax resort fee plus a $5 per person gratuity) , as well as free parking at the Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos.
- 7,500 annual bonus points. This is valued at $60.
- 10% discount on Go Free awards. For example, a normal hotel will cost 13,500 instead of 15,000 points and a fancier hotel will cost 27,000 instead of 30,000.
- Access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. As with all Visa Signature cards, you'll get access to Visa's luxury hotel program. Whenever you book one of the 900+ participating hotels, you'll receive a set of valuable benefits, including free breakfast, late check-out, and a $25 food and beverage credit. The Visa program has slightly weaker benefits than the other luxury hotel programs, but includes a larger number of more affordable hotel options and a best price guarantee. Take Advantage of Luxury Hotel Programs for Valuable Extra Perks.
- Access to Visa Signature Offers. Your card entitles you to a set of special offers available from Visa.
The no-annual fee version doesn't come with the annual point bonus (unless you spend $15,000 on the card), gives you Wyndham Gold elite status (instead of Platinum) and earns 5x points on Gas and at Wyndham (rather than 6x). The lower level of elite status doesn't come with early check-in and the annual point bonus, and won't be matched by the Total Rewards program.
Bonus Categories
- You shouldn't use this card for your Wyndham purchases. The 5x Wyndham points you'd earn are not even as valuable as what you could earn just by using a good general-purpose reward card. And you would do even better by using a card that offers a good reward rate on all your travel spending.Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
- There are better options for your grocery and gas purchases. The bonus category rewards from Wyndham are more valuable than what you would earn from a good general-purpose reward card, but you can earn even more valuable rewards from other cards. Best Credit Cards for Grocery Spending. Best Credit Cards for Gas Spending.
- You don't want to use these cards 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.
Getting Rid of the Card
You can cancel without worrying about losing your Wyndham points. Once you earn them, they are treated like any other points in your account.
You can downgrade the Earner+ card to the no-annual-fee Earner version and retain your 10% discount on Go Free award redemptions and some minor benefits. However, if you keep it and don't spend on it, it can be harder to get approved for new Barclays cards.