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.
Welcome Bonus
The Wyndham Earner Plus currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 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 offer similar 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% discount 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 offers a variety of redemption options, but using points for free hotel stays typically provides the best value. The program has a straightforward three-tier award chart, with nights costing 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points depending on the property. This simplicity makes it easy to plan and budget for reward stays. For maximum value, look for high-end properties or book during peak travel times when cash rates are elevated. The 7,500-point tier can be particularly useful for road trips, offering budget-friendly stays along major routes. At the 15,000-point level, you’ll find appealing options like the Club Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort. The top 30,000-point tier includes upscale hotels in major cities, such as The New Yorker in Manhattan. If you’re short on points, consider Wyndham’s “Go Fast” option, which allows you to combine points and cash for discounted stays. This can help stretch your points further, especially for longer trips. An intriguing alternative is using points for Vacasa vacation rentals. At 15,000 points per bedroom per night, this can offer excellent value, particularly for larger properties. However, availability can be limited, and bookings must be made by phone.
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 early 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 you don’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.
Alternatives to Wyndham Earner Plus
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee. Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (review) offers nice rewards at Hilton properties while providing automatic Gold status that includes valuable perks like room upgrades and breakfast benefits. This mid-tier Hilton card hits a sweet spot for occasional Hilton guests who want elite perks without premium card costs. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 12x points on eligible purchases made directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 6x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations; 4x Points on U.S. Online Retail Purchases; 3x points for all other eligible purchases. Main Benefits: Hilton Gold elite status, up to $200 Hilton credit (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a Hilton property), free night award after eligible spending of $15,000 in a calendar year, and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review) stands out with its combination of IHG elite status, reward night benefits, and nice rewards on hotel stays. The card provides good value even for moderate IHG travelers through perks like the anniversary free night certificate (up to 40,000 points) and the ability to top it off with points for higher-priced properties. Welcome Bonus: Earn 5 Free Nights after you spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and each night is valued at up to 60,000 points. Earning Points: 10 points per dollar spent at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards; 5 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases, at gas stations and on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services); 3 points per dollar spent on other purchases. Card Benefits: IHG Platinum elite status, anniversary free night (up to 40,000 points), 4th night free on award stays, earn a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 each calendar year, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every four years, no foreign transaction fees, baggage delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and purchase protection.
Is the Wyndham Earner Plus Worth It?
The Wyndham Earner Plus offers decent value with its $75 annual fee, providing automatic 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.
