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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.
Reviews
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card review: Excellent perks and earnings rate with a low annual fee
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.
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
also contributed to this story
January 16, 2025 • 9 min read
WYNDHAM
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Editorial note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Quick summary
A hotel rewards card offers automatic mid-tier elite status, anniversary bonus points and a discount on award stays.
The card provides strong rewards at hotels and gas stations, with additional perks like early check-in and late checkout.
Cardholders receive a special rate on paid stays and a 10% discount on points-based redemptions at participating hotels.
The product is best suited for travelers who frequently stay at properties within the hotel group.
What to consider
A modest annual fee applies to this card, positioned above the entry-level version in the lineup.
Award nights are priced in fixed tiers, with no blackout dates at most properties, but some restrictions apply for vacation rentals and partner hotels.
Points can be transferred to several airline partners, but this generally yields less value than redeeming for hotel stays.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of competing hotel cards and specific advice on maximizing point redemptions for stays, vacation rentals and partner properties.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Even if you aren't a Wyndham loyalist, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card is worth considering. It comes with perks like automatic elite status, an anniversary points bonus and a generous earnings rate while having a modest annual fee. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
In the competitive hotel landscape, Wyndham may not be the first name you think of, but they have some excellent hotel offerings and a family of cobranded credit cards to match.
With an annual fee of $75, the Earner Plus card lands just above the entry-level Wyndham Rewards Earner card. Even if you don't frequently stay at Wyndham properties, you can still benefit from the card's automatic elite status and award redemption discounts.
The recommended credit score for this card is at least 670. However, it is possible to get approved with a lower score.
Let's examine whether the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card deserves a spot in your wallet.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card pros and cons
Pros
Cons
Great earnings rate on Wyndham stays and gas
Anniversary points bonus
Discount on award stays
Has an annual fee
No free night certificate
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card welcome offer
New Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus applicants can earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. This is enough points for up to 6 nights.
THE POINTS GUY
Based on TPG's January 2025 valuations, this bonus offer is worth $495. Given how low the spending requirement is, this is a fantastic value for the number of points you'll earn.
We've previously seen an offer on this card for 75,000 points, so it may be worth waiting for a higher offer if you don't have a planned Wyndham stay any time soon.
It's important to note that Barclays can be inquiry-sensitive, so I recommend being under 6/24 before applying for this card. In other words, you should have five or fewer hard inquiries on your credit report in the past 24 months before applying for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus.
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus comes with automatic Wyndham Platinum status. This status level grants perks like free Wi-Fi, early check-in and late checkout, preferred room selection, bonus points on stays and car rental upgrades at Avis and Budget.
WYNDHAM
Wyndham Rewards Platinum status alone could easily be worth the $75 annual fee the card holds. In addition to the automatic Platinum status, the card offers:
Anniversary bonus points: Earn 7,500 bonus points each anniversary after you pay the annual fee, worth $83 according to TPG's January 2025 valuations
Discount on paid and award stays: Earner Plus cardmembers receive access to a special cardmember rate on stays paid with cash and a 10% discount on Go Free award stays
4 points per dollar on dining and at grocery stores (excludes Walmart and Target)
1 point on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Vacation Club down payments)
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Based on TPG's January 2025 valuations, these rates equate to a 6.6% return on Wyndham and gas purchases, 4.4% on dining and grocery purchases and 1.1% on all other purchases.
These are great earnings for Wyndham stays and gas; however, some cards earn better in everyday categories, such as dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, like the , which earns 4 points per dollar on the first $50,000 and $25,000 spent each calendar year, respectively (then 1 point per dollar).
Redeeming points on the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
With the Wyndham Earner Plus card, you can redeem your points for stays, gas, airline tickets, tickets and experiences, gift cards, merchandise, charitable donations, tours and activities and AARP membership.
The most valuable way to redeem points is for Wyndham hotel stays.
Wyndham is one of the few hotel brands that still utilizes a fixed award chart and not dynamic pricing, meaning you can still get outsize value. There are no blackout dates for Wyndham properties.
Wyndham offers two types of redemptions: Go Fast and Go Free. Go Free uses points to book the total cost of the room, and Go Fast uses a combination of points and cash. Cardholders will receive a 10% discount on all Wyndham Go Free hotel redemptions.
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Go Free award nights are priced in three tiers: 7,500, 15,000, and 30,000 points per night. Higher-end properties and properties booked during peak-season travel will typically cost 30,000 points per night.
Go Fast award nights are priced in three tiers, starting at 1,500, 3,000 and 6,000 points per night plus cash.
TPG senior points and miles writer Katie Genter says, "[I've] used Wyndham points for 15,000-point nights in Hawaii and 7,500-point nights in South Korea, including on the beautiful island of Jeju. I've also gotten excellent value redeeming for Vacasa stays, although this is more difficult to do now with the lower cap on the average cost per bedroom for 15,000-point nights."
You can also use your points to book a Wyndham Vacation Club stay starting at 7,500 points per bedroom per night. As a cardholder, your points can also be used to book Caesars Rewards properties, Vacasa vacation rentals, Landal GreenParks and reservations on Cottages.com.
Wyndham timeshare owners can use points to cover maintenance fees by converting them to Maintenance Dollars. Caesars properties cost 15,000 to 30,000 Wyndham points per bedroom per night. Certain blackout dates apply.
Vacasa vacation rentals can only be booked with Wyndham points if the average nightly cost, inclusive of all fees, is under $500. You'll pay 15,000 points per bedroom per night for rentals with an average nightly rate under $250 and 30,000 points per bedroom per night for rentals with an average nightly rate between $250.01 and $500.
Transferring points on the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Wyndham has a solid list of airline transfer partners. However, you generally receive better value when you redeem your points for Wyndham stays than when you transfer them to partners.
All points are transferred at a 5:1 ratio; you must transfer at least 6,000 points. This means 6,000 Wyndham points are equivalent to 1,200 partner points. Given this transfer ratio, I strongly recommend avoiding this as a redemption method.
Which cards compete with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card?
If you want more Wyndham Rewards perks or prefer a different type of reward, you may want to choose one of these cards instead:
If you prefer no annual fee: The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card is the little brother of the Earner Plus and has no annual fee. It offers perks like automatic Wyndham Gold status and earns 5 points per dollar on Wyndham stays and gas. You'll still receive discounts on award and cash stays. To learn more, check out our full review of the Wyndham Rewards Earner card.
If you prefer a business card and higher status: The Wyndham Rewards Business Earner® Card comes with complimentary Wyndham Diamond status. The card also earns 15,000 bonus points after each cardmember anniversary and comes with discounts for award and cash stays. To learn more, check out our full review of the Wyndham Business Earner.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner card and Wyndham Rewards Business Earner card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
This card is easily justifiable and worth getting if you frequently stay at Wyndham properties. It offers automatic Wyndham Platinum status, a great earnings rate on Wyndham stays and gas and a 10% discount on all award redemptions. If you stay less frequently, you may be better suited for the no-annual-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner card.
Bottom line
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus is a solid offering that makes sense for most Wyndham travelers. With a great earnings rate and automatic elite status, this card is definitely worth considering adding to your wallet.
Plus, a solid welcome bonus can help boost your Wyndham Rewards account balance.
