Wyndham Rewards Cards Add New Status Perks, Drop Foreign Transaction Fees
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Over the last few years, Wyndham's been working hard to improve its loyalty program, implementing changes such as flat 15,000-point award night redemptions and gaining more than 2 million new members in the process.
More recently, Wyndham Rewards added elite status tiers, offering members perks like room upgrades, bonus points and more. Now, both versions of the Wyndham Rewards Visa are getting some new status-related features, and they'll no longer charge a 3% fee on foreign transactions.
Thanks to this update, holders of the no-fee Wyndham Rewards Visa will get instant Gold status, which includes access to a dedicated service line, basic room upgrades and late checkout among other perks. Those who have the Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature Card with a $75 annual fee get automatic Platinum status, which offers the same benefits as Gold plus early check-in, an annual bonus of 3,000 points and car rental upgrades with Avis and Budget.
Automatic elite status is probably the most significant update to these two cards, but the elimination of foreign transaction fees is good news as well. Several travel rewards cards still add these unnecessary charges, and while the Wyndham Visa cards likely aren't the best choice for non-Wyndham spending, if earning points in this program is a top priority, it's nice to know you'll be able to do so anywhere in the world without having fees eat into your return on spending.
Additionally, the cards now have expanded 5x and 3x earning categories (for the no-fee and fee version, respectively); whereas previously you could only earn this return on spending at Wyndham hotels, now you can earn 5x or 3x points at timeshare and rental properties as well.
The no-fee Wyndham Rewards Visa is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 15,000 points after your first purchase, while the Wyndham Rewards Visa Card is offering 15,000 points after your first purchase plus another 15,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. Based on Wyndham Rewards' 15,000 points-per-night award cost, these offers are good for one or two free nights, respectively.