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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Which credit card should you use for Wyndham stays?
Ryan is a former TPG credit cards writer who has been around points and miles for several years and has published content at Miles to Memories, AwardWallet and The Points Guy. His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether this points & miles stuff is illegal.
Chris Nelson is a credit cards writer for TPG. He specializes in budget travel, hotels, earning elite status through minimal spending and redeeming points for maximum value.
also contributed to this story
October 11, 2024 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
Wyndham Rewards offers a broad selection of hotels, from budget to upscale, including access to Caesars Rewards properties through a partnership.
You do not need to pay with a Wyndham cobranded card to receive most elite status perks or cardmember discounted rates; these benefits are tied to card ownership, not payment method.
Choosing which card to use for Wyndham stays depends on whether you prefer earning Wyndham Rewards points or more flexible transferable points.
Booking through third-party travel portals with certain cards can yield higher rewards, but may result in forfeiting elite status perks.
What to consider
Cardholder benefits like late checkout, room upgrades and reduced award rates apply regardless of which card is used for payment, as long as you hold the card and are logged in or provide your account number.
Rollover nights for elite status qualification are available no matter how you pay for your stays.
Booking through external travel portals may disqualify you from receiving elite status perks and benefits.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of earning rates, point values and trade-offs between using Wyndham-specific cards and general travel rewards cards for hotel stays.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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.
Complimentary Platinum status provides benefits like late checkout, early check-in, upgrades to preferred rooms at check-in (based on availability), status match opportunities with Caesars Rewards, elite status perks with Avis and Budget car rental programs and 15% bonus points on paid stays
Complimentary Gold status provides benefits like late checkout, upgrades to preferred rooms at check-in (based on availability) and 10% bonus points on paid stays.
7,500 bonus points on your cardholder anniversary each year
$0
American Express® Green Card
3 points per dollar
6 cents
None
$150
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)
4 points per dollar (or 8 points per dollar spent if booked through Chase Travel℠)
8.2 cents (or 16.4 cents)
None
$795
Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees)
3 ThankYou points per dollar (or 10 points per dollar if booked through CitiTravel.com)
5.4 cents (or 18 cents)
None
$95
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
2 miles per dollar (or 10 miles per dollar if booked via Capital One Travel)
3.7 cents (or 18.5 cents)
None
$395
* Bonus value is an estimated value based on TPG's October 2024 valuations and not the card issuer.
The information for the Wyndham Earner Business, Wyndham Earner Plus, Wyndham Earner 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.
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.
Benefits of having a Wyndham credit card
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.
Costa Blu Beach Resort, Trademark Collection by Wyndham in Belize. 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.
Furthermore, you can enjoy a unique benefit of Wyndham Rewards: rollover nights. Here’s how this works: You need 15 nights per year to qualify for Platinum status and 40 nights to qualify for Diamond.
If you stay 20 nights with Wyndham this year, you have five 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. This benefit is available regardless of how you pay for your stays throughout the year.
What type of points do you want to earn?
If you hold a Wyndham card, these benefits will apply regardless of how you pay, so the question becomes what type of points and how many of them you want to earn.
Do you want to earn an 8.8% return on spending (according to TPG’s October 2024 valuations) and are OK with 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 Strata Premier and have options for how to use your points, including transferring them to Wyndham for hotel redemptions?
The Viva Wyndham Azteca all-inclusive property in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
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.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
