Is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card Worth It?

Barclays recently refreshed its Wyndham credit card lineup to make it more attractive to travelers. The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card is the budget-friendly rewards credit card that earns points and provides benefits without requiring an annual fee. But, just because a credit card has no annual fee, that doesn't mean that it deserves a spot in your wallet. Here's how to tell if the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card is worth it.

What are Wyndham Rewards points worth?

The value of points from hotel loyalty programs varies widely. Because of that, it is hard to compare hotel credit cards without converting points into an average value. According to NerdWallet valuations, Wyndham Rewards points are worth 1.2 cents per point, on average. Depending on how you use your points, the value may be higher or lower in your situation.

» Learn more: How much are my Wyndham points worth?

Generous welcome offer

Earn 30,000 bonus points, enough for up to 4 free nights after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. Wyndham has over 9,000 locations around the world to choose from, so there's a good chance you can redeem your points for a free stay wherever you are traveling to.

Earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases

The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card receives 5x Wyndham Rewards points per dollar at Wyndham properties and on qualifying gas purchases. This is one of the highest bonuses on gasoline purchases of any rewards credit card.

You'll also earn 2x points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores. However, Target and Walmart are excluded from earning bonus points. All other purchases earn 1 point for every dollar that you spend.

With these bonus categories, your points can add up in a hurry. If you spend an average of $200 per month on gas, $400 on dining and groceries and $200 on everything else, you'll earn 2,000 Wyndham Rewards points per month.

The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card offers unlimited earning power on everyday purchases and its bonus categories. Whether you use your credit card sparingly or for every purchase, you will not hit a cap on the number of points you can earn.

» Learn more: Wyndham Rewards: The complete guide

Automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status

Cardholders receive automatic Gold elite status in the Wyndham Rewards hotel loyalty program. Normally, you'd have to stay at a Wyndham property three nights before achieving this status each year. While that isn't a huge hurdle to overcome, it is nice to have additional benefits starting with your first stay.

Wyndham Rewards Gold status includes the following benefits:

• Preferred room choice.

• Late checkout.

• Free Wi-Fi.

• 10% bonus points earned on paid stays.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Wyndham Rewards elite status

Annual bonus when you renew the card

Every year that you spend $15,000 and renew the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card, you'll receive 7,500 bonus points. Those bonus points are enough for a free night in the lowest tier property.

» Learn more: Your guide to the Wyndham Rewards award chart

Spend 10% fewer points when redeeming for free nights

As a cardholder, when you redeem Wyndham Rewards points for a "go free" award night, you'll spend 10% fewer points. This means that you'll need to redeem fewer points when booking your next vacation. The points that you save could extend your trip or get you that much closer to your next free hotel stay.

Discount on paid reservations

Paid reservations also receive a discount when you have the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card. You'll receive a discount of up to 12% on every Wyndham hotel stay when you pay with your Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card.

The discount varies based on which of the Wyndham hotel brands that you are staying at. For example, you'll save 7% off the best available rate at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Wyndham Grand and La Quinta hotels versus a 12% savings at Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Wingate hotels. Caesars Entertainment properties do not offer a discount to cardholders at this time.

No foreign transaction fees

Many people who have travel credit cards visit international destinations. When you use your credit card to make purchases in other countries, some credit cards charge foreign transaction fees of up to 3% of your purchase amount. This can be a nasty surprise when you return home from vacation and open your credit card statement. The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card does not charge a foreign transaction fee.

The bottom line: Who is this card right for?

The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card does not charge an annual fee. It offers benefits equal to or better than other no-fee hotel credit cards from other brands, such as automatic elite status, bonus points on purchases and discounts on reward and paid stays.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards

Travel preferences are inherently personal. If you like Wyndham hotels or are open to staying at one, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card can be a good choice. It includes automatic elite status, discounts on rooms and the ability to earn an annual bonus every year that you renew the card.

For travelers who are loyal to Wyndham and plan to spend a lot on this card, it makes sense to upgrade to the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card. The card includes a larger welcome bonus, higher elite status and earns more bonus points on your purchases in exchange for a $75 annual fee.