Barclays Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature (before October 2016)
Updated August 27, 2016. Note: this is the review for the discontinued product before October 2016. For the current product, please visit here.
The Facts
The Math
Non-fee version vs. $69 version: the $69 version has an annual bonus of 5,500 points and offers two additional points at Wyndham. It depends on how you value the points and how much you spend at Wyndham. 5,500 points is roughly 1/3 of a free night under the current Wyndham Rewards program - thus if you are willing to pay $188 ($69/5,500*15,000 = $188) for a free night at Wyndham, you will be better off with the $69 version and you will gain more if you spend at Wyndham hotels using this card.
The Conclusion
With the January 2014 devaluation of the airline partner transfer option, we removed the cards from our Top List. With the May 2015 revamp, the cards become interesting again but we still think they are not good enough to return to the Top List. It is now ranked as one of the Best Credit Cards for Rewards.
The Facts
- Annual Fee: None or $69.
- Signup Bonus: 15,000 points for the no-fee version, or 30,000 points for the $69 version, after your first purchase. 15,000 points can be redeemed at any Wyndham hotel. Historical best bonus for this product: 30,000 points for the non-fee version; 45,000 points for the $69 version.
- Application Landing Page
- Rewards: 3x Wyndham and 2x everywhere else for non-fee version. 5x Wyndham and 2x everywhere else for $69 version. The $69 version also has an annual bonus of 6,000 points.
- Best Use of Wyndham Rewards points: You can use points for hotel stays in Wyndham hotel chain which includes Wyndham Grand, Wyndham, Wyndham Garden, TRYP, Wingate, Hawthorn, Microtel, Ramada, Baymont, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Super8, Days Inn, Travelodge, etc. Each night requires 15,000 points per night. Some hotels also offer points + cash options. Another redemption option is transferring points into miles of frequent flyer programs of 17 airlines that include American, United, US Airways, Delta, etc., mostly at 1:0.2 ratio (6,000 points = 1,200 miles). Compared to the current hotel redemption rate, transferring to miles is not a great option for most customers.
- History: The transfer ratio to airline miles used to be 1:0.4, and that was the reason why this card took a spot on our Top List. However, with the major devaluation in January 2014, we took this card off the list. Before May 2015, Wyndham Rewards had 9 tiers, ranging from 5,500 to 50,000 points per night. Effective May 11, 2015, every Wyndham Rewards will require the same 15,000 points per night, which we applaud as a positive change in general.
The Math
Non-fee version vs. $69 version: the $69 version has an annual bonus of 5,500 points and offers two additional points at Wyndham. It depends on how you value the points and how much you spend at Wyndham. 5,500 points is roughly 1/3 of a free night under the current Wyndham Rewards program - thus if you are willing to pay $188 ($69/5,500*15,000 = $188) for a free night at Wyndham, you will be better off with the $69 version and you will gain more if you spend at Wyndham hotels using this card.
The Conclusion
With the January 2014 devaluation of the airline partner transfer option, we removed the cards from our Top List. With the May 2015 revamp, the cards become interesting again but we still think they are not good enough to return to the Top List. It is now ranked as one of the Best Credit Cards for Rewards.