The Barclays Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card is a no annual fee card earning 5x points at Wyndham and at gas stations.
Cardmembers also get Wyndham Gold status, a 10% award discount, and no foreign transaction fees.
This article 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 Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
Earning Points
The Wyndham Earner Card earns points at the following rate:
- 5 points per dollar at Wyndham Hotels.
- 5 points per dollar at gas stations;
- 2 points per dollar on dining;
- 2 points per dollar at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart); and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
No Annual Fee
One of the best aspects of the Wyndham Earner Card is that it has no annual fee.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the card benefits and perks of the Wyndham Earner Card:
Wyndham Gold Status
This card comes with Wyndham Gold elite status by just holding the card.
Wyndham Gold elite status gets you:
- A preferred room
- 10% points bonus
- Late check-out
- “Experience” discounts on award stays.
For comparison, the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus Card gets Wyndham Platinum Elite status and the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card gets Wyndham Diamond Elite status.
Potential 7,500 Points Bonus
If you spend $15,000 in a calendar year on the Earner card, you can get an annual bonus of 7,500 points.
Honestly, if you are planning to spend that amount on this card, you can do a lot better with other cards.
10% Discount When Using Points
Wyndham cardholders automatically get a 10% discount on free night (Go Free) awards, which normally cost 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points.
With the discount, the free nights cost 6,750 points, 13,500 points, or 27,000 points, depending on the category.
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% APR on Balance Transfers and Time Purchases
The Earner Card has two 0% APR offers:
- 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening.
- 0% promotional APR for 6 billing cycles on all Wyndham Timeshare Purchases.
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
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- 10% discount for using your points.
- 5x points at Wyndham Hotel and at gas stations.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Cons:
- Lack of travel and purchase protections.
- Only 1 Wyndham point per dollar on other eligible purchases is quite low.
- Wyndham Gold status has limited benefits.
Alternatives to Wyndham Earner
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
Better for Travel Spending and Benefits
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
If you Prefer Hilton over Wyndham
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 12X Points at Hilton Hotels and Resorts
- 6X Points at U.S. Restaurants, U.S. Supermarkets, and U.S. Gas Stations
- Hilton Honors Gold Status
- 10 Complimentary Priority Pass Lounge Visits
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $95 Annual Fee (rates & fees)
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (review) boasts great earning potential at Hilton properties and comes with complimentary Gold elite status, which features perks like space-available upgrades, better earnings, and free hot breakfast on Hilton stays.
For an affordable $95 fee, this rewards card earns:
- 12 points per dollar at Hilton Hotels and resorts;
- 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations; and
- 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
You also receive a free weekend night reward after spending $15,000 per year and 10 complimentary lounge visits to Priority Pass lounges.
Bilt Mastercard®
Better No Annual Fee Option
- Pay Rent Without Fees and Earn 1 Point Per Dollar on Rent (up to 50,000 Points Per Calendar Year)
- No Annual Fee
- 3x Points on Dining
- 2x Points on Travel
- Transfer Rewards to Airlines and Hotels
- Cell Phone, Primary Rental Car, and Trip Delay Insurance
Bilt Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that allows you to pay rent without a transaction fee and earn 1 point per dollar on rent (up to 50,000 points per calendar year).
You also earn 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points everywhere else.
The Bilt Rewards card also has great benefits for a no-annual fee card, including cell phone insurance, primary rental car insurance, 90-day purchase protection, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and no foreign transaction fees.
Plus, you can transfer your points to airline and hotel partners such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and World of Hyatt. Or redeem the points for travel or at Amazon.
Is the Wyndham Earner Worth It?
For most people the Wyndham Earner Card is not worth it.
It’s worth spending a little on a reasonable annual fee card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) to unlock a lot more benefits and the ability to earn more valuable points.
