The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® is a co-branded credit card offered by Wells Fargo in partnership with Choice Hotels and Mastercard.
This card offers a variety of benefits for frequent travelers, including the ability to earn up to 10x points at Choice Hotels, Platinum Elite status, and moer.
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 Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 90,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning Points
The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® earns points at the following rate:
- 10 points per dollar at Choice Hotels;
- 5 points per dollar at gas stations;
- 5 points per dollar at grocery stores;
- 5 points per dollar at home improvement stores;
- 5 points per dollar at phone plan services; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
The Choice Privilege Select has a $95 annual fee, which you can offset with 30,000 points each account anniversary and Platinum Elite status.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are card benefits and perks of the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®:
Anniversary Bonus of 30,000 Points
This card offers an anniversary bonus of 30,000 points just for holding on to the card each year.
Platinum Elite Status
This card automatically gets you Platinum Elite status by just holding the card.
Choice Platinum Elite status offers the following benefits:
- Welcome gift on arrival.
- Early check-in and late checkout when available.
- 25% points bonus.
- Elite reserved parking at participating hotels.
- Avis Preferred Plus elite status.
20 Elite Night Credits
Each year cardmembers receive 20 elite night credits allowing you to earn top-tier Diamond Elite status with only 20 additional nights.
Cell Phone Insurance
Breaking or losing your cell phone is never a pleasant experience, especially when cell phones cost over $800+ to replace.
You can avoid paying these steep costs when you pay your cell phone bill with this credit card.
There is no cost for cell phone insurance saving you about $10 per month per phone, but you will have to pay a small deductible if you make a claim.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
This card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit like many other travel cards.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
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.
World Elite Mastercard Benefits
This card is a World Elite Mastercard, which gets you access to these special benefits and discounts:
- DoorDash: Automatically get $5 off your first DoorDash order each month.
- Lyft: Take 3 rides in one calendar month and pay with your World Elite Mastercard to earn a $5 Lyft credit.
- Fandango: Spend $20 at Fandango or on Fandango’s streaming service and get a $5 Fandango Reward.
- ShopRunner: ShopRunner is an online membership that unlocks free 2-day shipping and free returns at dozens of top stores, including Under Armour, Cole Hann, Bloomingdale’s, and more.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to or theft of a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Baggage insurance covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- 30,000 points each account anniversary.
- Platinum Elite Status.
- Nice travel protections and cell phone insurance.
Cons:
- Only 1x points in non-bonus categories.
- $95 annual fee.
Alternatives to Choice Select Card
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 General Travel and Dining
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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 Choice Hotels
- Earn 170,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/17/24.
- 12X Points at Hilton Hotels and Resorts
- 6X Points at U.S. Restaurants, U.S. Supermarkets, and U.S. Gas Stations
- Up to $200 Hilton Credit Each Year
- Hilton Honors Gold Status
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $150 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 $150 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;
- 4x points on U.S. online retail purchases; and
- 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
You also receive a free weekend night reward after spending $15,000 per year.
Is the Choice Privileges Select Worth It?
The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® is worth it if you frequently stay at Choice Hotels with Platinum Elite status, 10x points at Choice Hotels, and 30,000 points each account anniversary.
