Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier review: A potential dark horse hotel card
Recently, Barclays made a move that few expected by adding a premium card to its Wyndham credit card lineup. With competing hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott already offering popular, well-known premium card products, Wyndham and Barclays needed to offer something truly compelling to attract attention.
In my opinion, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card has the potential to be a surprise favorite for many travelers. It offers strong benefits and a level of flexibility we don’t often see from hotel cards. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier: The basics
Given that the Wyndham Earner Premier is a premium card with a $395 annual fee, it’s no surprise that it offers a lengthy list of perks, including:
- Complimentary Wyndham Diamond status, with perks like suite upgrades, early check-in and late checkout.
- 30,000 bonus Wyndham Rewards points every account anniversary.
- Discounts on eligible cash and award stays.
- One free night each year, worth up to 30,000 points, after staying five or more nights in a year with Wyndham.
- Up to $100 back as a statement credit after spending $100 or more with Wyndham each year.
- Multiple lifestyle statement credits.
- $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit every four years.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier pros and cons
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Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier benefits
I find the decision to offer multiple statement credits for everyday purchases interesting. Most of the time, hotel cards focus on perks at their own properties. There are some exceptions, like the ‘s up to $300 per calendar year dining statement credit (up to $25 per month), but they’re relatively uncommon.
With the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier, you’ll receive the following statement credits, in addition to the ones mentioned above:
- Up to $10 each month in statement credits for food delivery services.
- Up to $100 back each year in statement credits for streaming services.
- Up to $65 back each year on a wholesale club membership.
You won’t break even with just those perks alone, but their wide reach means most cardholders will find them easy to redeem. If you don’t have a wholesale club membership yourself, you could use this statement credit to pay for a loved one’s membership.
Wyndham Diamond status normally requires 40 nights with the brand in a year, so holding this card provides a much easier path to top-tier Wyndham status.
This card’s credits also offer a substantial value boost for those who only stay with Wyndham once a year. I’m primarily a Hyatt fan, so I don’t tend to look at Wyndham properties first when planning a trip.
However, if I can use this card’s 30,000 anniversary bonus points (worth $210 according to TPG’s July 2026 valuations) with one stay and maximize its food delivery and streaming credits, I’ll come out ahead of its annual fee.
Plus, the card’s statement credit on Wyndham bookings should be easy to use, especially given Wyndham has many properties charging $100 or less per night.
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier is at its best in the hands of someone who stays with the brand at least a few times each year.
How to earn and use your rewards
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier earns Wyndham points at the following rates:
- 8 points per dollar spent on Wyndham purchases
- 4 points per dollar spent on Wyndham Vacation Club, travel, dining and grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart)
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (excluding Vacation Club down payments)
Keep in mind that the Diamond status you receive with this card offers additional bonus points per dollar spent with Wyndham, on top of what you earn with this card. That means that, generally, you’ll earn 20 points per dollar spent on Wyndham — a 14% return on your spending according to TPG’s valuations.
While some premium hotel cards offer higher returns on hotel spending, a 14% return is still excellent.
I don’t advise using a hotel card for non-hotel purchases unless it’s your only card, you’re trying to use statement credits or you need to top off your rewards balance. Transferable rewards cards offer strong bonus categories for everyday purchases like dining and groceries, with points that are more valuable than hotel rewards.
Wyndham points are best used for hotel stays, especially since you’ll receive a 25% discount on award redemptions with the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier. Wyndham uses fixed award pricing, ranging from 5,000 points per night to 45,000 points per night.
TPG senior writer for loyalty programs, Katie Genter, recently redeemed 40,500 Wyndham points using her Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card‘s 10% award night discount for a three-night stay at the Travelodge Hotel by Wyndham Montreal Centre. The hotel had a comparable paid rate of $832. She noted that lodging in Montreal was expensive on her dates, so she appreciated being able to redeem at a fixed rate.
Katie’s redemption highlights an important point: When redeeming your points, the best value is the option that gets you on the trip you want to take. Even if it isn’t the highest cent-per-point value or a luxury redemption, the important thing is that you’re saving money for other aspects of your travels.
The information for the Wyndham Earner Business 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.
Potential drawbacks of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier
While I think many travelers should consider this card, it isn’t the right fit for everyone. Some potential downsides to keep in mind include:
- If you aren’t staying with Wyndham at least once a year and using its statement credits, this card’s $395 annual fee may be hard to justify.
- Other premium hotel cards offer better earnings on purchases made with their brand’s properties.
- If you prefer staying at luxury Wyndham properties, you may find this card’s $100 Wyndham statement credit isn’t very valuable.
Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier vs. Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus
Wyndham and Barclays offer a mid-tier card, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card, for a $95 annual fee. This card offers several notable perks, such as:
- A 10% discount on award stays
- One free night worth up to 15,000 points after staying five or more nights in a year with Wyndham
- Wyndham Diamond status for a year (then Platinum status thereafter)
- 15,000 bonus points each account year, worth $105 according to TPG’s valuations
Unlike the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier, this card doesn’t focus on lifestyle perks in addition to Wyndham-related benefits. That may make it a more compelling option for certain Wyndham fans, especially those who already use other cards’ statement credits to cover their everyday purchases.
If you only stay with Wyndham once a year, the Wyndham Earner Premier may be a better fit for you.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier worth it?
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier is worth considering for most travelers, even those who don’t stay with the brand too often. As long as you can use the card’s bonus 30,000 anniversary points and most of its statement credits, you should be able to get outsize value out of its annual fee.
Still, this card is best suited to the wallet of a Wyndham fan who stays with the brand at least a few times each year.
When to apply for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier
Currently, new Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier cardholders can earn up to 120,000 bonus points:
- Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 and paying the annual fee in full within the first four months from account opening.
- Plus, earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $750 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days from account opening.
According to TPG’s valuations, this welcome offer is worth up to $840. Given this is a brand-new product, this is the only welcome offer we’ve seen so far. As such, it’s hard to say whether we’ll see a higher offer down the road. I recommend applying now if this card interests you.
Other cards to consider if you don’t want the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier
Aside from the aforementioned Wyndham Rewards Plus, here are a few alternatives to the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier:
- If you want a no-annual-fee Wyndham Rewards card: The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card is the entry-level card in Wyndham’s lineup. You’ll still receive some Wyndham benefits, like a 10% discount on award stays and complimentary Wyndham Gold status. To learn more, check out our full review of the Wyndham Earner card.
- If you want a transferable rewards card that transfers to Wyndham: The (see rates and fees) charges a much more affordable $95 annual fee, with perks that easily offset that. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to 14 airline and hotel partners, including Wyndham. To learn more, check out our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
- If you want a premium transferable rewards card that transfers to Wyndham: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card charges the same $395 annual fee as the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier, but it earns much more flexible Capital One miles. These miles can be transferred to 15-plus partners, including Wyndham. To learn more, check out our full review of the Venture X.
For additional options, check out our picks for the best hotel cards and best travel cards.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards 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.
Bottom line
I was pleasantly surprised to see the value proposition of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier. Barclays often flies under the radar compared to other issuers, so it’s nice to see it enter the premium hotel card market with a strong, well-rounded product.
It can be hard to recommend certain premium hotel cards to those who don’t stay with the brand more than a couple of times a year, but the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier is an exception. It offers a roster of perks that can appeal to many types of travelers, including those like myself who don’t often consider Wyndham.
To apply for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier, head to the card’s landing page.
TPG does not earn any affiliate revenue for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier.
