The Barclays Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus Card delivers nice rewards on Wyndham stays while providing meaningful benefits like elite status and points discounts on award stays. While not the most prestigious hotel card, it offers solid value for travelers who appreciate Wyndham's broad portfolio of hotels and vacation rentals.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let's dive right in.
- Earn up to 100,000 bonus points (45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days plus 55,000 bonus points after spending $500 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days).
- Wyndham Platinum Elite Status
- 6x Points at Wyndham and Gas Stations
- 4x Points at Restaurants and Grocery Stores
- 7,500 Points Anniversary Bonus
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $75 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Wyndham Earner Plus currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn up to 100,000 bonus points (45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days plus 55,000 bonus points after spending $500 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days).
Keep in mind that Barclays tends to be sensitive to recent credit inquiries, so consider this before applying. Having fewer than 6 inquiries in the past 24 months increases your approval odds.
Earning Points
The Wyndham Earner Plus earns the points at the following rate:
- 6 points per dollar at Wyndham Hotels;
- 6 points per dollar at gas stations;
- 4 points per dollar on dining;
- 4 points per dollar on grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); and
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
You can rack up points quickly at Wyndham properties and gas stations with the strong 6x multiplier, making this a solid choice for road warriors and frequent Wyndham guests.
While the 4x on dining and groceries is respectable, several transferable points cards and other cards offer sigmilar or better returns in these categories with more flexible redemption options.
For everyday non-bonus spending, the 1x earn rate means you’ll want to pair this with another card that offers stronger rewards on general purchases.
Annual Fee
The Wyndham Earner Plus has a $75 annual fee, which can be easily justified through the card's benefits including automatic Platinum elite status, 7,500 anniversary bonus points, and discounts on award stays.
You’ll also get valuable perks like a 10% dischount on award redemptions and bonus earning rates on Wyndham stays and gas purchases.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the card benefits and perks of the Wyndham Earner Plus:
Annual 7,500 Point Bonus: You can get 7,500 bonus points every account anniversary year for just holding on to the card, which gets you one free night at a lower-tier hotel.
Platinum Elite Status: The Earner Plus offers automatic Wyndham Platinum elite status for holding the card. The benefits of Wyndham Platinum elite status include upgrades to preferred rooms, free Wi-Fi, early check in, late checkout, 15% points bonus, and Caesars Rewards Platinum status.
10% Award Discount: Wyndham cardholders automatically get a 10% discount on free night (Go Free) awards, which normally cost 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points.
Booking Discount: Cardholders save 7% or 12% off the Best Available Rate. The typical Member Rate is a 5% to 10% discount, so this benefit is only about a 2% extra discount.
0% Intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. There is a balance transfer fee of the greater of $5 or 5%. After the promotional period, a variable APR will apply 20.74%, 24.99%, or 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Redeeming Wyndham Rewards Points
Wyndham Rewards has one of the easiest award charts to wrap your head around. Free nights fall into just three tiers: 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points, depending on the property. Budget brands like Days Inn and Super 8 sit at the bottom, while upscale picks like The New Yorker in Manhattan or the Wyndham Hotel Melbourne top out at 30,000. You'll also find Wyndham Vacation Club properties, including Club Wyndham and WorldMark, priced at 7,500 points per bedroom per night, so a two-bedroom villa runs 15,000 points.
If you're short on points, "Go Fast" points-and-cash bookings let you cover part of the cost with cash. A 30,000-point night, for example, can drop to 6,000 points plus a cash copay.
Beyond hotel stays, Wyndham has a partnership with Cottages.com for UK vacation rentals, running 15,000 points per bedroom per night, plus a similar deal with Vacasa for U.S. vacation homes at 15,000 or 30,000 points per bedroom depending on cost. Both require a phone call to book.
You can also convert points to Caesars Rewards credits, up to 30,000 points annually, or use Wyndham Rewards Experiences to snag Minor League Baseball tickets and unique fan experiences for as few as 2,500 points.
If you'd rather use Wyndham points toward flights, you can transfer them to airline partners, though the math is rough: 6,000 Wyndham points typically becomes just 1,200 airline miles. It's worth doing only if you have points about to expire, or during a rare transfer bonus promotion.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
Strong Earnings Rate: Excellent 6x points on Wyndham stays and gas purchases, plus 4x on dining and groceries, providing good value for everyday spending categories.
Elite Status Benefits: Automatic Platinum status includes perks like earely check-in, late checkout, room upgrades, and 15% bonus points on stays.
Anniversary Points: You’ll receive 7,500 bonus points each year after paying the annual fee, which nearly offsets the annual fee’s cost based on point valuations.
Award Discount: Cardholders get a 10% discount on point redemptions for free nights, including valuable Vacasa vacation rental bookings.
Cons:
Limited Luxury Options: Outside of Vacasa rentals, Wyndham’s portfolio lacks many high-end properties for aspirational redemptions.
Annual Fee: The $75 annual fee may be hard to justify if ydon’t stay at Wyndham properties regularly.
Limited Premium Benefits: No free night certificates or premium travel benefits like airport lounge access that competing hotel cards offer.
Is the Wyndham Earner Plus Worth It?
The Wyndham Earner Plus offers decent value with its $75 annual fee, providing autiomatic Platinum status and good earning rates on hotel stays and gas purchases.
While the welcome bonus gives you a nice start with points, the real ongoing value comes from the 10% discount on award stays and the annual points bonus. The card’s earning structure works well for Wyndham stays, though other cards might offer better returns for everyday spending categories like dining and groceries.
One standout feature is the ability to use points for Vacasa vacation rentals, giving you more flexibility beyond just Wyndham hotel stays.
This card can make sense if you stay at Wyndham properties a few times a year, but it’s not necessarily a must-have for every traveler.
