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Sometimes, great credit cards fly under the radar. That's at least my perception of the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card. It doesn't get a ton of love online, but it's a top choice of mine. If you spend a good amount per year on fuel and know the best ways to redeem Wyndham points, it's a fantastic option.
The card is so good that it is a fixture in my wallet. Unless I can earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Freedom Flex℠, the Wyndham card is my first choice when filling the tank. Beyond its earnings, the Wyndham Earner Business Card pays for itself through its annual benefits. And it's one of just two cards conferring automatic top-tier hotel status.
Let's jump into the pros and cons of the card, describe who it's best for, and demonstrate how to get the most out of the Wyndham Earner Business Card.
- 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases
- 5X points on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases
- 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments)
Page Contents
- Wyndham Earner Business Card Pros
- Wyndham Earner Business Card Cons
- Wyndham Earner Business Card Welcome Bonus
- Wyndham Earner Business Card Benefits
- Wyndham Earner Business Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Wyndham Earner Business Card
- Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the Wyndham Earner Business Card
- Bottom Line
Wyndham Earner Business Card Pros
- Excellent earning rate at gas stations.
- Annual bonus points and 10% savings on award nights offset the value of the annual fee
- Automatic top-tier Diamond status.
Wyndham Earner Business Card Cons
- Poor earning rate if you can't take advantage of the niche bonus categories.
- Automatic Diamond status offered by the card isn't especially valuable
- Locked into earning Wyndham points, which won't be the best fit for everyone.
Wyndham Earner Business Card Welcome Bonus
The Wyndham Earner Business Card currently offers its standard bonus. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and 25,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first 365 days. This is enough for three free nights at the standard award level. For cheap properties, where you can redeem just 7,500 points per night, this is enough for six nights.
The welcome bonus has been substantially higher at times, but 45,000 points aren't too shabby — especially when they're worth an average of 1.27¢ cents each. This pegs the bonus at a little over $500 in value — all based on what AwardWallet users get from their Wyndham points.
Wyndham Earner Business Card Benefits
The benefits offered by the Wyndham Earner Business Card are where it starts to shine. It's relatively expensive for a hotel card earning Wyndham Rewards points — which people mostly associate with budget hotels — but you get more than enough for the $95 yearly fee.
Annual bonus points
The 15,000 annual bonus points easily make up for the card's annual fee. These are worth ~$175 based on AwardWallet user data. Redeemed in the right way, however, you can get up to twice that.
Many hotel cards give you a free night. I like that the Wyndham Earner Business Card gives you points instead. This provides maximum flexibility, allowing you to redeem the points how and when you want. All you need to do is have qualifying account activity to keep them alive. There's no one-year clock to redeem them.
Even without its lucrative earning rates, I'd gladly keep the card for the annual bonus points. But the next benefit stretches your points even further.
10% discount on go free awards
One key benefit of all Wyndham cards is the 10% discount on award nights that they provide. This isn’t exclusive to the Wyndham Earner Business Card. You’ll enjoy this benefit with the personal versions of Wyndham's credit cards as well. However, the 10% discount does not stack if you have multiple cards.
The 10% discount adjusts the standard nightly award price from 15,000 points to 13,500 points. The best part? This discount is also applied to Vacasa bookings.
Related: How To Book Vacasa Rental Properties With Wyndham Rewards Points
Complimentary Wyndham Diamond status
Although it’s not as useful as other hotel elite status programs, you’ll enjoy complimentary Wyndham Diamond status as a cardholder. This can provide benefits such as suite upgrades, a welcome amenity, and additional points, plus the benefits enjoyed at lower status levels, including early check-in and late checkout.
One of my favorite parts of Wyndham Diamond status — the “go free PLUS” perk — was discontinued in 2020. Wyndham used to provide a unique perk for awards bookings in a select set of cities in the U.S. I thought this was rather cool and would love to see it return someday.
Related: All You Need To Know About Wyndham Rewards Diamond Status
Wyndham Earner Business Card Earning Rates
The Wyndham Earner Business Card has a couple key bonus categories that provide an excellent return on spending. With the card, you can earn:
- 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases
- 5X points on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases
- 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments)
- Low tier: 7,500 points per night
- Standard tier: 15,000 points per night
- High tier: 30,000 points per night
- Up to 9X total points per $1 spent at Hyatt – 4X points per $1 on qualifying purchases when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
- Dining
- Shipping
- Airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline
- Local transit & commuting
- Social media & search engine Advertising
- Car rental agencies
- Gas stations
- Internet, cable & phone services
- 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter.
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases.
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
- If you want a card earning points redeemable for higher-tier hotel properties, consider the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. Wyndham has many budget and mid-tier properties in its portfolio, while Hyatt has many more upper-tier and luxury properties. The annual fee is $199 per year, but you can use this card to help earn Hyatt elite status and enjoy other benefits like complimentary entry-level elite status and earning categories that adapt to you. Learn more in our Hyatt Business Card review.
- If you’re looking for a different card that has increased earning for gas purchases, look into the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi. The card earns 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter.. The card doesn't have an annual fee, but you must have a paid Costco membership.
- If you’re looking for a general travel credit card for your business, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card may be right for you. The card earns 3X points on travel, including both flights and hotel stays, among the eligible bonus categories, and you'll earn 3X on up to $150,000 of these purchases annually. You can transfer your points to 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners and redeem for good value, including partners like Hyatt, United, and Air Canada. The card has an equivalent $95 annual fee. Our Chase Ink Preferred review has additional details.
- 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases
- 5X points on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases
- 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments)
The Wyndham Earner Business Card shines when it comes to paying for stays at Wyndham Hotels and for gas. Unless there is another card with an attractive bonus for gas station purchases, the Wyndham Earner Business Card is my go-to for filling up at the pump. I usually earn between one and two award nights per year simply by using the card at the gas station.
The 5X categories have their usefulness as well, depending on your business. That being said, you can find other cards that compete well when it comes to advertising and marketing purchases. The non-bonus earning rate isn’t all that good at 1X on purchases.
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Gas and Fuel Purchases
Redeeming Points With the Wyndham Earner Business Card
Wyndham makes it easy to redeem points online for stays at any of its worldwide properties. Wyndham prices award nights in three tiers:
The majority of properties are in the standard tier. I've found that most Wyndham properties will get you roughly 1 cent per Wyndham point, but there is a way to do much better.
Redeeming points for Vacasa vacation rentals
Wyndham’s partnership with Vacasa is one area where the program really shines. You can rarely redeem points for vacation rental properties, but Wyndham gives you that option. Redeeming points for Vacasa rentals is my favorite way to use the points I earn with the Wyndham Earner Business Card. It provides the greatest value.
Wyndham prices awards at Vacasa properties based on the number of bedrooms. One-bedroom or studio properties cost 15,000 points per night, with an increase of 15,000 points per additional bedroom per night. Things can get expensive quickly for properties with many bedrooms.
Unfortunately, Wyndham caps Vacasa award redemptions. A given booking must cost no more than $350 per bedroom per night, including all taxes and fees. Otherwise, you won’t be able to redeem points.
Related: How To Use Points and Miles for Vacation Home Rentals
Application Restrictions
While Barclays doesn't have a “once per lifetime” welcome bonus restriction like Amex — or anything similar — application terms and conditions are a bit vague. Here is what you should know regarding applying for the Wyndham Earner Business Card:
“This offer is available only to applicants who are permanent residents of the United States, with the exception of Puerto Rico. This offer may not be available to you if you already have a credit card account with Barclays. Any bonus associated with this offer may only be earned once. You may not be eligible for this offer if you currently have or previously had an account with us in this program.”
Barclays also tends to be sensitive to the number of credit inquiries and new accounts showing on your credit report. Factor that into your application strategy.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Wyndham Earner Business Card
In addition, you'll earn 2X points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter. Eligible categories include:
Bottom Line
Although the card's value will be dependent on your own unique situation, the Wyndham Earner Business Card is a solid keeper among business cards in my wallet. The card more than justifies its $95 annual fee by providing 15,000 annual bonus points, reducing award redemption costs by 10%, and earning plenty of points per year through gas station purchases. This is more than enough in my book.
The Wyndham Rewards program itself provide much of the card's value, as redeeming Wyndham points for Vacasa vacation rentals is an excellent way to use them. The Wyndham Earner Business Card easily earns me enough for a few nights per year between the annual points and gas spending.
If you’re in the market for a new business credit card, give the Wyndham Earner Business Card some thought and see if it’s a fit for your situation.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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