Guide To Wyndham Rewards | Bankrate

If you plan on staying at Wyndham’s diverse portfolio of properties, the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program can help you earn free nights, upgrades and discounted stays. If you’re interested in accelerating your rewards, you may also want to consider signing up for one of the Wyndham Rewards credit cards.

With a higher rewards value than many other hotel loyalty programs and approximately 9,200 properties in 95 countries, signing up for the Wyndham Rewards program is a smart decision.

Wyndham Rewards basics

Wyndham Rewards is the loyalty program for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Besides its namesake properties, Wyndham’s portfolio includes brands like AmericInn, Days Inn, La Quinta, Ramada and Wingate. The program provides members with access to exclusive rates and allows them to use points toward free stays, travel packages and more. Wyndham Rewards also offers elite status, which comes with points bonuses, on-property perks and other benefits.

How to sign up for Wyndham Rewards

Joining the Wyndham Rewards program is free and simple. Head to the Wyndham Rewards site and click “Join Now” at the top of the page. On the registration page, fill out your contact information and create an account. You’ll then be eligible to earn points toward free and discounted nights at Wyndham properties.

Who is Wyndham Rewards best for?

The Wyndham Rewards program is best for anyone who prefers to stay with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Frequent travelers have the most to benefit from this program, and loyalty pays off when you book hotel stays with Wyndham Rewards. Members can redeem points for free and discounted nights at approximately 9,200 Wyndham locations around the world — including hotels, vacation rentals and resorts.

How to earn Wyndham Rewards points

There are a number of options for earning rewards in the Wyndham Rewards program.

Earn points on hotel stays

The primary way to earn Wyndham Rewards points is through stays at Wyndham properties. The program lets you earn either 10X points per dollar or 1,000 points per qualified stay, whichever is greater. (Qualified stays at WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham only earn 5X points per dollar.) In order to qualify, bookings must be made directly through Wyndham.

You can earn points by staying at one of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts locations, participating Caesars Rewards properties or Wyndham Vacation Clubs. Different member tiers enjoy accelerated earnings on stays: Gold members earn 10 percent more, Platinum members earn 15 percent more and Diamond members earn 20 percent more.

Other ways to earn points

Spending money on hotel stays isn’t the only way to earn Wyndham Rewards points. Members can find a variety of earning options through the Wyndham Rewards website — including online shopping, surveys and booking car rentals.

• Earn points for travel package purchases
  

  Through Dec. 31, 2024, members can earn 2X points on the entirety of their Wyndham Travel Package purchases (then 1X points) when they bundle their flights, hotels and more. In addition to the normal base rate of 1X points on travel package purchases, members still earn 10X points on qualified hotel stays and activities.

• Earn points for meetings and events
  

  Planners of qualifying groups, meetings or weddings can earn 1X point per dollar spent on meetings or events booked at Wyndham properties. Points can be earned on food and beverage purchases, guest rooms and meeting and event space rentals.

• Earn points with a Wyndham credit card
  

  Wyndham Rewards offers three credit cards that you can earn points with: the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card*, Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card* and Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card*. Each card comes with its own rewards earning structure and the opportunity for new cardmembers to earn a welcome bonus.

• Transfer points from partner programs
  

  Members can also boost their Wyndham Rewards balance by transferring points from partner rewards programs — including Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One miles, HSBC Rewards and Ramp Rewards.

• Earn points when booking experiences
  

  You can earn 10X points per dollar when you book tours, experiences or activities through Wyndham Rewards and pay with a credit or debit card. For example, you may be able to book a wine tour in the Napa Valley or catch some live entertainment in Las Vegas.

• Earn points for online shopping
  

  You can earn additional points for shopping online through the Wyndham Rewards Shopping portal. The portal includes coupons and bonus offers at hundreds of online retailers like Macy’s, Home Depot and Walmart.

• Earn points for booking rental cars
  

  Qualifying car rentals with Avis and Budget can also earn Wyndham Rewards points. Members can also save up to 35 percent on both company’s base rates.

• Earn points for taking surveys
  

  When you join the Opinion Rewards Panel, you can earn 500 points after completing your first survey. The panel is free to join, and you’ll continue to earn points for each additional survey you complete.

• Purchase additional points
  

  Wyndham Rewards allows you to purchase points increments of 1,000 (up to 100,000 per calendar year). You can also receive points as a gift from your friends and family.

How to redeem Wyndham Rewards points

Once you’ve earned enough points, it’s time to put them to good use. There are many ways to redeem your Wyndham Rewards points:

Redeem for free or discounted hotel stays

The primary way to redeem Wyndham Rewards points is to redeem points for free or discounted hotel stays. Wyndham’s “Go Free” program lets members redeem points for free nights at Wyndham Rewards hotels. With three tier levels, you can book rooms for 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points per room. Additionally, Wyndham Rewards members can get discounted stays by combining cash with 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 points per room. Note that the money spent on these stays counts toward Wyndham Rewards points earnings.

Other ways to redeem

Wyndham Rewards offers several redemption methods beyond redeeming for hotel stays and vacation packages. Redemption options include redeeming points for activities and experiences, gift cards, select merchandise, point transfers to partner programs and charitable donations.

• Redeem for Wyndham Travel Packages
  

  You can use your points to pay for purchases through the Wyndham Travel Packages platform. Simply use the platform to bundle your flights, hotels, rental cars and more — all while saving money by paying with your points.

• Redeem for points transfers to airline partners
  

  Alternatively, you can also transfer your points to one of Wyndham’s airline partners like United Airlines or Frontier Airlines.

• Redeem for tickets and experiences
  

  You can also redeem points for local tours, experiences or activities. Wyndham Rewards currently offers more than 300,000 options to choose from. Additionally, you can redeem points for tickets to various entertainment and sporting events — which include ticket packages and exclusive experiences at select Penn State University sporting events.

• Redeem for gift cards, merchandise or subscriptions
  

  Through the Wyndham Rewards shopping portal, you can redeem your points for a wide selection of merchandise — including electronics, sporting goods and clothing. Or, you can redeem your points for gift cards to one of Wyndham’s many partner merchants like Amazon, Apple, Target or Starbucks. As for subscriptions, you can currently redeem 3,000 points for a one-year AARP membership.

• Redeem for charitable donations
  

  If you’d rather donate your points to charity, Wyndham Rywards has a number of partners you can choose from — including Save the Children, the National Parks Conservation Association and the YMCA. Most redemptions start at 500 points.

How much are Wyndham Rewards points worth?

According to Bankrate’s points and miles valuations, Wyndham Rewards points are worth about 0.9 cents each. This information can help you decide whether to pay for a Wyndham stay with cash, points or both.

For example, you can redeem a free night stay in a top-tier Wyndham property (typically a luxury hotel or a hotel in a prime location) for 30,000 points, which is equivalent to $270. If a third-tier property costs more than $270 per night, you’ll get more value by booking with points than with dollars.

How do Wyndham Rewards points compare to other programs?

Wyndham Rewards points tend to be more valuable than points from other popular hotel loyalty programs. Here’s how Wyndham Rewards compares to the competition:

Wyndham Rewards elite status

The Wyndham Rewards program has four membership tiers: Blue, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Each one comes with its own perks.

Wyndham Rewards transfer partners

Wyndham Rewards doesn’t have as many transfer partners as some other loyalty programs, but you’ll still have plenty of popular airlines to choose from. Wyndham Rewards’ transfer partners include:

• Airline partners
  

  • Air Canada Aeroplan Miles
  • Air China Phoenix Miles
  • Avianca LifeMiles
  • Fortune Wings Club Kilometers
  • Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles
  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
  • United MileagePlus miles

• Other partners
  

  • PAYBACK Points
  • Caesars Rewards

Top credit cards for Wyndham Rewards

There are several Wyndham Rewards credit cards that can help you expedite your points earnings and upgrade your elite status level faster.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card: Best for no annual fee

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Card* is perfect for Wyndham loyalists who want to accelerate their rewards without paying an annual fee. Cardholders are automatically upgraded to Gold member status and can earn a welcome bonus of 45,000 points (worth up to 6 free nights; terms apply) after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 180 days of account opening. Cardholders also earn an annual bonus of 7,500 points — which can be worth up to 1 free night — on their cardholder anniversary after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases.

This card also earns 5X points on eligible Hotels by Wyndham purchases, 5X points on qualifying gas purchases, 2X points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1X points on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments). Plus, when booking rewards stays, cardholders can redeem nights for 10 percent fewer points than non-cardholders. They’ll also benefit from exclusive cardmember rates when booking, no foreign transaction fees and $0 fraud liability protection.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card: Best for Wyndham fans

The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card* is ideal for Wyndham fans whose points earnings outweigh the card’s $75 annual fee. With this card, you’ll earn 6X points on eligible Hotels by Wyndham purchases, 6X points on qualifying gas purchases, 4X points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 1X points on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments). For a welcome bonus, you can earn 75,000 points (worth up to 10 free nights; terms apply) after spending $2,000 on purchases within 180 days of account opening.

Upon card approval, you’ll be upgraded to Platinum status, which comes with perks like earning 15 percent more points with each stay. Some other perks include an annual bonus of 7,500 points each anniversary year after paying the annual fee, $0 fraud liability protection, no foreign transaction fees and exclusive cardmember rates at Wyndham properties.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card: Best for business owners

If you own a business and travel a lot for work, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card* will help you earn free nights quickly. For starters, you can earn a welcome bonus of up to 80,000 points (worth up to 10 free nights; terms apply) — 40,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days and an additional 40,000 points for spending $15,000 in purchases during the first 12 months. You’ll also earn 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham purchases; 8X points on eligible gas purchases; 5X points on eligible marketing, advertising and utilities purchases; and 1X points on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments).

With immediate Diamond status upon approval, you’ll enjoy suite upgrades every time you stay with Wyndham (when available). Plus, you’ll receive 15,000 bonus points on your card anniversary each year, which is enough for up to 2 free nights at a Wyndham property. Cardmembers also enjoy exclusive room rates, discounted redemptions, no foreign transaction fees and $0 fraud liability protection. You’ll also get free employee cards, cellphone protection and Visa SavingsEdge access. This card comes with a $95 annual fee.

The bottom line

The Wyndham Rewards program is a great way to earn points toward free or discounted stays at Wyndham properties around the world. Membership is free, and frequent travelers can quickly earn elite status through stays at Wyndham properties or by carrying a co-branded Wyndham credit card. With multiple ways to earn and redeem rewards, joining the Wyndham Rewards program is definitely worth your consideration.

FAQs about Wyndham Rewards

• Do Wyndham Rewards points expire?
  

  Yes, Wyndham Rewards points can expire after 18 months of account inactivity or four years after points are posted to your account.

• Can you share Wyndham Rewards points with friends and family members?
  

  Yes, you can gift Wyndham Rewards points to friends or family members in increments of 1,000. You can gift a maximum of 100,000 points in a calendar year.

• Can you buy Wyndham Rewards points?
  

  Yes, you can buy Wyndham Rewards points. Points are available to purchase in increments of 1,000, and you can purchase a maximum of 100,000 points in a calendar year.

_{*The information about the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card, Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card and Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.}