Points of View: Which credit card should you use for Wyndham stays?

There is a wide range of hotel options in the Wyndham Rewards program — from budget-friendly hotels like Days Inn and Super 8 through Ramada and Tryp to upscale brands like Wyndham Grand and Registry Collection Hotels. That includes Caesars Rewards locations as well, thanks to its partnership with Wyndham.

With so many options to choose from, which credit card should you use to pay for a Wyndham Rewards hotel: a Wyndham Rewards card or something else? Here's a closer look.

Comparing credit cards for a Wyndham hotel stay

Aside from using a Wyndham cobranded credit card, you might also consider using a good travel rewards card that earns transferable points. Let’s look at some common options and what you could get when using these cards.

* Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer.

The information for the Wyndham Earner Business and Amex Green cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Which card should you use?

In many of life's choices, you can't have everything you want at the same time. However, with Wyndham hotel stays, that's not necessarily true. The most important benefits given to you by having a Wyndham credit card don't require you to actually pay with that credit card to receive the perk.

Related: Which Wyndham Rewards credit card is right for you?

For example, if you hold the Wyndham Earner Plus card, you'll enjoy benefits like late checkout and room upgrades regardless of what credit card you pay with during your stay. Interestingly, this even applies to the "cardmember discounted rate" for saving money on hotel bookings. The terms and conditions of this benefit don't require you to pay with a Wyndham card to unlock the cardmember discounted rates. You can enjoy this benefit as long as you are logged in to your associated account when booking online or by providing your account number if booking over the phone.

Related: The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming Wyndham Rewards

You'll also enjoy other benefits with Wyndham Rewards regardless of which card you use to settle your final bill. This includes earning bonus points associated with your elite status tier. Members earn 10 points per dollar, and elite members can earn 10%, 15% or 20% extra points, depending on their status. This isn't contingent on paying with a Wyndham credit card. You also don't need to pay with a Wyndham credit card to take advantage of the reduced rate on Go Free (free night awards) redemptions; this benefit allows cardholders to use 10% fewer points on award stays.

Related: The 14 best Wyndham properties to book with points

Furthermore, you can enjoy a unique benefit of Wyndham Rewards: rollover nights. Here's how this works: You need nine nights per year to qualify for Platinum status and 24 nights to qualify for Diamond. If you stay 15 nights with Wyndham this year, you have six nights more than you needed for Platinum but not enough to reach Diamond status. Those extra nights will roll over into next year to give you a head start. And this benefit is available regardless of how you pay for your stays throughout the year.

Since these benefits will apply regardless of how you pay, the question becomes what type of points and how many of them you want to earn.

Related: 17 ways to earn Wyndham Rewards points for your next redemption

Do you want to earn an 8.8% return on spending (according to TPG's valuations) but have points that can only be used in one way (i.e., with Wyndham Rewards)? This is your path if you pay with the Wyndham Earner Business card. Or would you prefer to earn a 5.4% return on spending with the Citi Premier Card and have options for how to use your points, including transferring them to Wyndham for hotel redemptions?

It's also worth pointing out that you can earn more rewards by booking through the Chase portal or Capital One portal. However, you will likely forgo your status perks and benefits, since these are considered third-party bookings.

Bottom line

There are many hotel credit cards and numerous other travel rewards credit cards that you could use to pay for an upcoming hotel stay at a Wyndham property. Whether you're staying at the most expensive or most affordable hotel in the Wyndham Rewards program, the way you earn points and the perks available to you won't change. Thus, the decision hinges on the type of points you want to earn — Wyndham Rewards points or transferable points — and the value you assign to them.

Editor’s note: “Points of View” is a series evaluating decisions on which credit card to use. If you’re facing a dilemma about which card is best for an upcoming payment, email us at tips@thepointsguy.com.

Also in this series:

• Which credit card should you use for American Airlines flights?
• Which credit card should you use for United flights?
• What credit card should you use for IHG stays?
• Which credit card should you use for Hyatt stays?
• Which credit card should you use for Hilton stays?
• Which credit card should you use for Marriott stays?
• Can I cash out my points, and is it worth it?
• Should my partner get their own card or be added as an authorized user?
• Which card should I use for flights in case things go wrong?
• Does paying the taxes and fees on award flights trigger trip protections?

For rates and fees of the Amex Green card, click here.