Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card review: Best Wyndham rewards card?

If you’re a frequent Wyndham guest looking for a hotel rewards card that makes it easy to earn points on much of your everyday spending, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card is one of your best options.

The Earner Plus card stands out for its top-notch rewards rate in several popular categories, including gas, grocery stores and dining, as well as its relatively low cost, anniversary bonus and balance transfer offer (a rare benefit on a hotel rewards card).

That said, since you can only redeem rewards with Wyndham and its partners, the Earner Plus card doesn’t offer as much flexibility as you can get with a general travel rewards card. While the card can make a lot of sense if you’re after Wyndham-specific perks, a mid-tier travel card from Chase, Capital One or Citi could offer easier redemption and higher rewards value.

Why you might want the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card stands out for its popular and practical bonus categories, annual bonus and relatively low cost, all of which make it a solid standalone rewards option if you’re focused on earning Wyndham points and perks. In fact, the Earner Plus card is likely the most lucrative consumer Wyndham card available, despite its annual fee.

Terrific everyday rewards

The Earner Plus card’s everyday rewards rates are among the highest available on a hotel card at this price level. You’ll earn 6 points per dollar on Wyndham bookings and on qualifying gas station purchases, 4 points per dollar on dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

While the Earner Plus card’s rewards rate on hotel bookings is average, its rate on gas station purchases is one of the best available on a hotel rewards card (the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is one of the only co-branded hotel rewards cards that can match this rate). A rewards rate of 6 points per dollar on gas even beats out the rate you’ll find on some of the best credit cards for gas, making the Earner Plus card an especially valuable choice for commuters.

The card’s impressive rewards rate on dining and grocery store purchases is not the highest available at this price level, but it is the best you’ll find among Wyndham cards. The Earner Plus card offers twice as many points on these purchases as the no-annual-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card. This mix of everyday categories and high rewards rates make the card viable as a standalone card.

Along with your ongoing rewards, the Earner Plus card will unlock Platinum status benefits with Wyndham. This comes with perks like early check-in, late checkout, car rental upgrades, and more, which could make travel more pleasant for frequent Wyndham guests. Without the Earner Plus card, you’d need to stay at a Wyndham property for 9 nights to score Platinum status.

Likely beats lower-tier Wyndham card, despite annual fee

If you’re interested in earning Wyndham points but are wary of annual fees, you may be considering the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card (which carries no annual fee) instead of the Earner Plus card (which carries a $75 annual fee). But there’s a good chance the Earner Plus will be the more lucrative option, even with its annual fee.

To start, the Earner Plus card’s higher rewards rates on groceries and dining should add up quickly, making it easy to offset the annual fee and still net more total rewards value. Let’s say you spend around $1,000 per year at Wyndham hotels, $150 per month on gas, $300 per month on groceries and $150 per month on dining. Even with this relatively modest budget, the Earner Plus card should offer greater value after its annual fee is deducted from your earnings.

Check out this breakdown of each card’s net annual earnings, assuming points are worth around 0.9 cents apiece (based on Bankrate’s latest hotel point value estimates):

As you can see, it doesn’t take a ton of spending in the Earner Plus card’s bonus categories for the card to beat out its no-annual-fee alternative.

On top of its higher rewards rates, the Wyndham Earner Plus card also comes with an easier-to-reach annual bonus. While both the Earner and Earner Plus cards offer 7,500 bonus points each year on your account anniversary, the Earner card requires you to spend $15,000 per year to earn these points. The Earner Plus card’s anniversary bonus is available with no spending requirement.

Assuming a 0.9-cent-per-point value (from Bankrate), this 7,500-point anniversary bonus alone is worth around $67 — nearly enough to cover the card’s annual fee on its own. Instead of spending $15,000 to earn $67 worth of rewards with the Earner card, you could spend $75 in annual fees with the Eaner Plus card and automatically have most of that cost offset simply by keeping your account in good standing.

A balance transfer card with long-term value

Like the Earner card, the Earner Plus card could be a big help if you need time to chip away at existing credit card debt while avoiding interest. The card comes with a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within your first 45 days (20.49%, 24.74% or 29.74% variable APR thereafter).

Balance transfer offers are very rare on hotel and travel rewards cards, giving the Earner Plus card unique appeal. And though the best balance transfer cards can offer much longer intro APR periods (up to 21 months), these cards don’t usually earn rewards, limiting their long-term value.

That said, taking on a credit card annual fee may not be worth it if you already have a lot of debt. If you’re a Wyndham fan looking for a card that will help you pay down your balance but still earn its keep long term, consider starting with the no-annual-fee Earner card instead. You can always upgrade to the Earner Plus card down the line.

Why you might want a different card

Though the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card offers solid everyday value and a lower-than-average annual fee, it may not be your most valuable or flexible option for earning travel rewards. In fact, a few competing hotel rewards cards available at this price level offer comparable rewards rates and more valuable annual bonuses.

Unless your priority is Wyndham-specific perks, it’s worth considering a co-branded card from another hotel brand or a general travel rewards card that lets you redeem points for stays at any of the major hotel brands.

General travel rewards cards may offer more value

Though the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card carries a terrific everyday rewards rate, it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to flexibility. As with most co-branded hotel rewards cards, the Earner Plus card only lets you redeem points with Wyndham and its partners (all of which offer poor ratios for point transfers).

If you’d like the freedom to redeem rewards with any major hotel brand (including Wyndham), a general travel rewards card will likely be a better fit than the Earner Plus. The best travel cards also carry much better transfer ratios to partner airlines and hotels.

For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card lets you redeem miles with any major hotel brand through the Capital One Travel portal or use miles to cover outside past travel purchases (such as directly with an airline or hotel) — both at a flat value of 1 cent per mile. You can also transfer miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs, usually at a 1:1 ratio.

General travel cards also tend to offer higher point redemption values, with most offering at least 1 cent per point in value but often more when you transfer to partner airlines. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, gets you 1.25 cents per point in value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Travel℠, or potentially 2 cents per point when you transfer to a high-value partner (based on Bankrate’s point valuations).

Meanwhile, Wyndham’s award chart, while transparent, can make it harder to use your points. You can only redeem for free nights in 7,500-, 15,000- or 30,000-point chunks or use points for a discounted night in 1,500-, 3,000-, or 6,000-point increments. Many general travel cards carry no such restrictions.

Annual bonus isn’t the most valuable out there

Since there’s no spending requirement to earn the Earner Plus card’s anniversary bonus, it has a clear advantage over the Earner card. But it still only offers 7,500 bonus points. Based on Wyndham’s award chart, that’s only enough points to cover a single stay at a low-tier Wyndham property.

Some competing hotel rewards cards offer much more valuable anniversary bonuses, with only a slightly higher annual fee. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee but comes with an annual free night stay in a hotel up to 35,000 points every year after account anniversary. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card also boasts a more competitive annual bonus, offering a free rewards night every year after your account anniversary, plus 10,000 points each year you spend $20,000.

As you can see, though the Wyndham Earner Plus card carries one of the lowest annual fees for a mid-tier hotel card, slightly pricier cards can more than make up the difference with their more valuable anniversary bonuses.

Mediocre sign-up bonus value

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card currently offers a sign-up bonus of 45,000 points after you spend $1,000 in your first 90 days. The Wyndham Rewards program uses an award chart, allowing you to redeem points for free stays in tiers of 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points, so these points could be redeemed for up to six free nights at a Wyndham property.

On one hand, this bonus offers 50% more points than you’ll get with the Earner card, with no additional spending requirement. On the other, it falls short of the offers you’ll find on several competing hotel and travel rewards cards.

Based on Bankrate’s latest hotel point value estimates, we estimate this bonus is worth around $405 in hotel stays. Although this is one of the most accessible bonuses you might find on a hotel credit card based on its spending requirement, its value pales in comparison to the value you’ll find on some of the best hotel and travel cards. That pales in comparison to the value you’ll find on some of the best hotel and travel cards.

For example, the IHG One Rewards Premier charges a $99 annual fee (only $24 more than the Earner Plus) and currently offers 140,000 points after you spend $3,000 in your first three months. Even if we only give IHG points an average value of 0.7 cents, the points alone are worth around $980 — more than double the value offered by the Earner Plus card’s sign-up bonus.

The Hilton Honors Amex Surpass card is another great example. It charges $150, but earns a bonus offer of 130,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your first six months of card membership, which is still much higher than the Earner Plus card bonus.

How does the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card compare to other travel rewards cards?

Because of its high rewards rates and easy-to-earn anniversary bonus, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card is likely the best Wyndham consumer card on the market, beating out the Earner card in long-term value for most cardholders despite its higher annual fee.

But if you’re looking for maximum flexibility and rewards value, other cards will likely be a better fit. Here are a few alternatives to consider:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Rewards rate 5 points per dollar on Chase Travel℠ travel (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Chase Travel Hotel Credit) 3 points per dollar at restaurants, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases 1 point per dollar on general purchases	Rewards rate 6 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 3 points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining 2 points per dollar on other purchases	Rewards rate 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
Welcome bonus 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in first 3 months	Welcome bonus Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening	Welcome bonus 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in first 3 months
Annual fee $95	Annual fee $95	Annual fee $95
Other things to know Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal Redeem for cash back at a value of 1 cent per point Includes a $50 Chase Travel hotel credit each year and 10% anniversary points bonus	Other things to know Automatic silver elite status You can get a 5th night free on any rewards stay Includes annual free night stay in a hotel up to 35,000 points (every year after account anniversary)	Other things to know Redeem miles for travel through Capital One or to cover outside past travel purchases Transfer miles to many high-value travel partners, including Wyndham

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you’re looking for maximum flexibility, it’s hard to go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. It not only lets you redeem points for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal or transfer to partner airlines and hotels, but also for cash back (while still getting 1 cent per point in redemption value). Your points are especially valuable when you redeem for travel with Chase since these redemptions offer 1.25 cents per point in value.

The Sapphire Preferred also includes a few recurring perks that should help justify its cost. Along with a $50 Chase Travel hotel credit each year, you can earn 10% back on all the points you earn each year. This means if you earn 40,000 points in a year, you’ll get an additional 4,000 points. These benefits combined could prove more valuable than the Earner Plus card’s annual 7,500-point bonus.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card offers a few advantages over the Earner Plus card — especially with its annual bonus. You’ll get an annual free night stay in a hotel up to 35,000 points every year after your account anniversary on the Bonvoy Boundless, with no spending requirement (versus just 7,500 points with the Earner Plus).

The Bonvoy Boundless also beats the Earner Plus with its sign-up bonus and rewards rate on general purchases, earning 2 points per dollar on general purchases (versus just 1 point per dollar with the Wyndham card).

On the other hand, the Bonvoy Boundless falls a bit short with its bonus category rewards rates, earning just 3 points per dollar on your first $6,000 in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Venture card offers an exceptionally simple way to earn rewards on all your purchases. You’ll earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases, with no need to track spending or juggle a ton of categories. You can easily redeem miles for travel through Capital One or to cover outside past travel purchases, so you also won’t be stuck redeeming rewards with Wyndham if another hotel is a better fit. Plus, you still have the option of transferring rewards to Wyndham at a 1:1 ratio.

You’ll also get a chance at a much more valuable — if harder-to-reach — sign-up bonus (up to 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first three months) and up to a $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA Precheck, a benefit usually reserved for luxury cards.

How to use the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card

• Keep your account in good standing and you’ll earn 7,500 bonus points each year on your cardmember anniversary
• Use the card for all of your gas, grocery and dining purchases to make it easier to offset the card’s annual fee with rewards
• Plan your free stays based on Wyndham’s award chart, which uses 7,500-, 15,000- and 30,000-point redemption tiers
• Consider using points for discounted stays if you don’t have enough to redeem for a free stay. You can get a discounted night for 1,500, 3,000, or 6,000 points per bedroom plus some cash at participating properties.
• Take advantage of the automatic status perks that come with the card (like early check-in, late checkout and rental car upgrades)

Is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card right for you?

If you’re a frequent Wyndham guest looking for a card that makes it easy to earn Wyndham points and perks, the Earner Plus card is likely your best option. It carries a great everyday rewards rate and straightforward annual bonus while charging a lower-than-average annual fee. Even when you put it head-to-head against the no-annual-fee Wyndham Earner card, the Earner Plus should offer more value to most cardholders.

But be sure to consider other mid-tier hotel and travel rewards cards as well. Some of the top options from competitors like Marriott and IHG as well as issuers like Chase and Capital One could prove more flexible and valuable in the long run, even for Wyndham fans.