Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card Review [2024]: No Fee and Free Hotel Nights

Pricey travel may result in Instagram-perfect photos, but that doesn’t mean the thrifty traveler needs to be left out in the cold. The Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card gives you a chance to stay at hotels for free without meeting a high spending requirement or paying a high annual fee. With this card, you get access to 19 hotel brands, including several offering low-cost accommodations.

In this Wyndham Rewards Earner review, we’ll look at who this card is best for, its benefits and drawbacks, how to earn and redeem rewards, and other cards to consider.

Great Rewards for Wyndham Fans

Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card

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Current Offer

45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

5X points at participating Wyndham properties and on eligible gas purchases; 2X on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X on everything else

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• 45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days
• Earn up to 5X points on eligible purchases
• Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold level membership
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fee

Drawbacks

• Best suited for loyal Wyndham customers

Card Details

• 45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days
• 5X points at participating Wyndham properties and on eligible gas purchases; 2X on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X on everything else
• Intro purchase 0% APR offer: 0% on Wyndham Timeshare Purchases for 6 billing cycles then 20.99% to 29.99% (variable)
• Intro balance transfer 0% APR offer: 0% for transfers posted in the first 45 days from account opening for 15 billing cycles then 20.99% to 29.99% (variable)

Who should get the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card?

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card is a great choice for frugal travelers who like to stay at hotels free. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts caters to a wide range of people, including several budget hotel brands offering inexpensive accommodations. The welcome bonus pays for a two-night stay at many properties, but you can also rack up even more points from your everyday spending to offset the cost of longer stays.

The co-branded hotel credit card is also great for travelers who want to earn rewards without paying costly fees. Plus, it automatically bumps you to Gold elite status in the Wyndham Rewards program. With Gold status, you can access upgrades to enhance your travel experiences.

More experienced travelers or those who don’t like being tied to one hotel chain may be better off with a more versatile rewards credit card. And if you are a massive fan of Wyndham properties, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card with the annual fee might be a better option.

Card basics

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: 45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days. That’s enough points to stay at certain hotels free for up to two nights.
• No annual fee: Not surprisingly, the version of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card has a $0 annual fee.
• Introductory APR: This Wyndham Rewards card comes with an introductory APR of 0% for transfers posted in the first 45 days from account opening for 15 billing cycles (then 20.99% to 29.99% (variable)). There is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater. It also offers an intro APR of 0% on Wyndham Timeshare Purchases for 6 billing cycles (then 20.99% to 29.99% (variable)).
• No foreign transaction fees: Wyndham properties can be found worldwide, and you’ll never pay fees when you use your card to make purchases abroad. It's the perfect traveling companion because it carries no foreign transaction fees on purchases.
• Membership upgrade: The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card automatically upgrades you to Gold elite status, which gives you extra perks like preferred room choice and late checkout.

Drawbacks to the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

• No free anniversary night: Many of the best hotel credit cards come with a free night stay annually on your cardmember anniversary. The Wyndham Rewards credit card doesn’t come with that perk.   
  
• Few extra perks: Other than elevated status in the Wyndham Rewards program, this rewards credit card offers few additional benefits.
• No extra rewards in common categories: This card does not offer extra points earning potential in popular spending categories such as dining and air travel. You can get these benefits with other credit cards.

Earning and redeeming Wyndham Rewards points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,132

Year two earnings: $764

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Note that these values take only general travel spending into account, not travel spending at Wyndham properties. If you use your Wyndham Rewards Earner Card to book Wyndham hotel stays, you’ll get even more value from it.

Best ways to earn

The Wyndham Rewards® Earner Card comes with a valuable but easy-to-reach welcome bonus offer. You can earn 45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days. Earning travel rewards doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Of course, you can pair other spending to earn even more points to use with the Wyndham Rewards program. Eligible stays at eligible gas purchases and participating By Wyndham hotels, Wyndham Vacation Rental North America properties, and Wyndham timeshare properties have the highest earn rate at 5X points per dollar spent.

Cardmembers also earn 2X points for eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart). All other purchases earn 1X points.

Maximizing your redemptions

Your Wyndham Rewards points can be used to stay at hotels for free, which is typically the best redemption. Wyndham has a massive portfolio of hotel brands to fit most travelers’ needs. Your points go much further at its value and midscale properties like:

• Microtel by Wyndham
• Days Inn by Wyndham
• Super 8 by Wyndham
• Howard Johnson Hotels
• Travelodge by Wyndham
• La Quinta by Wyndham
• Wingate by Wyndham
• Wyndham Garden Hotels
• AmericInn by Wyndham
• Ramada by Wyndham
• Baymont by Wyndham

Redemptions for Wyndham stays have three tiers — 7,500, 15,000, and 30,000 points. Points are redeemable at 30,000-plus Wyndham Rewards properties around the globe. Redemptions aren’t limited to just hotel stays either. Other accommodation options include:

• Wyndham Vacation Clubs
• Caesars Entertainment hotels
• Wyndham Vacation Rentals
• Cottages.com
• Landal GreenParks

Cardmembers have the option to redeem fewer points for discounted stays too. Redemptions for discounted rates range from 1,500 to 6,000 points at select hotels, and 3,000 to 6,000 points at select club resorts and vacation rentals.

Resort stays aren’t the only redemptions available with the Wyndham Rewards program. There’s a host of other redemption options available for members, including:

• Caesars Rewards: Transfer points to the Caesars Rewards program for casino play, meals, and tickets to shows.
• Fees: Wyndham vacation owners can use points towards partial payment of maintenance and RCI exchange fees. Wyndham owns RCI, which is one of the world’s largest vacation exchange companies.
• Tours: Options include bike tours, walking tours, wine tours, boat charters, and more.
• Activities: Use points for things like sightseeing passes, theme park tickets, cruises, bike rentals, and more.
• Marathon gas stations: Redeem points for fuel discounts at participating Marathon gas stations.
• Merchandise: Check out Wyndham’s online rewards stores for electronics, sporting goods, appliances, clothing, accessories, and much more.
• Gift Cards: Redeem points for gift cards to retailers like Starbucks, Amazon.com, Pottery Barn, Best Buy, and more.
• Charitable donations: Donate your points to charities like Save the Children, Operation Homefront, National Parks Conservation Association, and Clean the World Foundation.

Redemption amounts and values vary based on where you use your points.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card transfer partners

Just because you are part of the Wyndham Rewards program doesn’t mean you can’t use your points elsewhere. Wyndham Rewards allows you to transfer your points to any of its 13 travel partner programs, including:

• Aeromexico Club Premier Miles
• Air Canada Aeroplan Miles
• Air China PhoenixMiles
• American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
• Amtrak Guest Rewards Points
• Avianca LifeMiles
• China Eastern Miles
• Fortune Wings Club Kilometers
• Frontier Airlines FRONTIER Miles
• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
• PAYBACK Points
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• United Airlines MileagePlus Miles

Point transfers start at 6,000 points, and you can complete transfers easily from your Wyndham Rewards online account. Cardmembers must be a member of the partner program to transfer points.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

If you plan to spend considerable time at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts this year, you may be better off getting the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card with a $75 annual fee. Its welcome bonus — 75,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 180 days — can cover a four-night award stay at many Wyndham properties, which more than makes up for the fee. This Wyndham card gives you a generous 6X points for purchases at participating By Wyndham hotels, Wyndham Vacation Rental North America properties, Wyndham timeshare properties, and gas purchases. Cardmembers also get Platinum elite status and a 6,000-point anniversary bonus each year.

Another co-branded hotel credit card to consider is the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card. It offers similar rewards as the Wyndham card, so it's still an entry-level rewards credit card. If you prefer Marriott hotels to Wyndham, this card could be the right choice for you. It comes with a generous welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (free night valued at 50,000 points; certain hotels have resort fees). It also has a $0 annual fee and cardmembers can get upgraded rewards membership status. Plus, Bonvoy allows members to book travel through its portal using points.

Great Rewards for Wyndham Fans

Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Card

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days

See how these cards compare:

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card

• 75,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 180 days
• Earn up to 6X points on eligible purchases
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Platinum level membership
• Earn 7,500 bonus points each year on account anniversary
• No foreign transaction fee

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

• Earn 60,000 bonus points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (free night valued at 50,000 points; certain hotels have resort fees)
• up to 14X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
• No foreign transaction fees
• No annual fee