Credit Card News
Wyndham and Barclays Refresh Rewards Card Line-Up with Earner, Earner+, and Earner Business
As domestic travel slowing starts to resume, today Wyndham and Barclays introduced their refreshed co-branded rewards credit card offerings. The new line-up replaces the former Wyndham Rewards Visa and includes two consumer cards — the Wyndham Rewards Earner card and the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card — and adds a business card with the aptly named Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card. Meanwhile, although the Wyndham Rewards Visa is no longer open to new applicants, current cardholders can elect to retain the card or move to one of the new options.
Each of these new Wyndham Rewards points-earning cards includes such perks as complimentary status, no foreign transaction fees, exclusive savings on Wyndham bookings, a 10% discount redeeming points for free nights, and more. They also feature multipliers in some key categories, complimentary Wyndham Rewards status, and bonus point opportunities.
Comparing the Three New Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards
Wyndham Rewards Earner Card
First up, the Wyndham Rewards Earner card is the no annual fee option in the new line-up. It offers cardholders 5x points on Hotels by Wyndham purchases as well as on gas. Users can also earn 2x points on purchases at restaurants, grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart), and for Wyndham Timeshare properties — including maintenance fee and loan payments. Per usual, all other purchases will earn 1 point per dollar spent.
In terms of other benefits, cardholders will earn automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status, with perks that include free WiFi, preferred room selection, late checkout, and more. Additionally, those who spend at least $15,000 a year on their Wyndham Rewards Earner card will receive 7,500 bonus points each anniversary year. Finally, the new card has a current sign-up bonus, allowing cardholders to earn 30,000 bonus points when they spend at least $1,000 in their first 90 days.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Next up is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card, which carries a modest $75 annual fee. For that fee, the top-earning category gets bumped up to 6x points when you make gas or Hotels by Wyndham purchases. Similarly, restaurant, grocery store (except Walmart or Target), and Wyndham Timeshare property purchases earn 4x points with this card. Meanwhile, the 1x points on everything else category remains the same.
Like the standard Wyndham Reward Earner card, the Earner Plus also includes complimentary status — but, in this case, it’s Platinum. With Platinum membership, cardholders will enjoy the same perks as the Gold level but add benefits such as early check-in and car rental upgrades. Also notable is that the Earner Plus receives the same 7,500 point anniversary bonus as the Earner card but without the spend requirement. As for the sign-up bonus, this new card currently offers 45,000 bonus points after you spend just $1,000 in your first 90 days.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card
With the new line-up, Wyndham and Barclays are also introducing a new business card. The Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card carries a $95 annual fee— and while it carries some similar benefits to the consumer cards, it also shows its business bent in a few ways. First, this version of the card offers 8x points on gas and Hotels by Wyndham purchases. Next, in a category exclusive to the business card, cardholders can earn 5x points on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases. Lastly, all other purchases earn at a rate of 1 point per dollar.
Where the Earner Business card really stands out is in its other benefits, including Wyndham Diamond status. This will allow travelers to enjoy suite upgrades, a welcome amenity when checking into select hotels, and more. The Business edition of the card also bumps the anniversary year bonus to 15,000 points and adds cell phone protection when you pay your wireless bill with your card. Like with the Earner Plus, the Earner Business’ current sign-up bonus offers 45,000 points when you spend at least $1,000 on your card in your first 90 days.
Overall, the new Wyndham Rewards Earner card line-up offers some enticing perks for travelers while carrying reasonable (or no) annual fees. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of each of these cards is the complimentary Wyndham Rewards status that they offer. On that note, it’s also worth mentioning that the Platinum and Diamond status that comes with the Earner Plus and Earner Business cards respectively can be matched to other brands, including Caesars. In fact, the annual fee of the Earner Business can be more than made up for by the $100 “Celebration Dinner” that Caesars Rewards Diamond Members enjoy annually. However, when determining if any of these cards is right for you, be sure to look into what Wyndham Rewards points are worth for your use cases to ensure that these multipliers and redemption rates are competitive.
