Best Western Rewards Premium Card: Rich Rewards at a Reasonable Cost
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3.9
It doesn’t offer the free-anniversary-night perk often found on more expensive cards, but those beholden to Best Western can still get a lot of value from it for not a lot of money.
Pros
High rewards rate
New cardholder bonus offer
Luxury perks
Cons
Has annual fee
No free anniversary night
Rewards have limited flexibility
Compare to Other Cards
Annual fee$0 | Annual fee$95 | Annual fee$250 |
Regular APR20.49%-27.49% Variable APR | ||
Intro APR0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers | Intro APRN/A | Intro APRN/A |
Recommended Credit Score |
Recommended Credit Score |
Recommended Credit Score |
Detailed review: Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®
If Best Western is or could be your hotel bestie — which isn't too difficult, given the chain's 4,200 properties in nearly 100 countries — the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® deserves a look.
The card delivers rich bonus rewards on all purchases, plus perks such as discounts and automatic elite status, all for a reasonable annual fee of $89.
But while that fee is on the lower end among cards in its class, what you won't get is an automatic free anniversary night benefit. Other co-branded hotel cards with slightly higher annual fees offer this valuable perk, which can easily outstrip the yearly cost of card ownership.
The Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® does offer the opportunity to earn additional bonus points each year that could go toward a free night, but you must meet a spending threshold first.
Another co-branded Best Western card is the $0-annual-fee Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®, which offers less robust rewards and perks. See a full review of that card here. Both cards are issued by First Bankcard, a division of First National Bank of Omaha.
Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®: Basics
Card type: Hotel.
Annual fee: $89.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 120,000 bonus points for up to 7 free nights. 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened and 40,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles.
Rewards:
20 points per $1 spent on Best Western stays (10 points as a Best Western Rewards member and 10 points for using the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®).
2 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
In general, redeeming points for free nights at Best Western will represent the best value. Other redemption options include airline miles, gift cards, merchandise, charitable donations and more, but point values vary depending on the redemption option. For instance, transferring Best Western points to most airlines offers a poor 5:1 ratio, meaning that for every 5 Best Western points you transfer, you get only 1 mile in exchange.
APR: The ongoing APR is 22.24%-29.24% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Other benefits:
Automatic Platinum Elite status in the Best Western Rewards loyalty program, which gives you 15% bonus points per stay and other perks.
Benefits and perks
Elevated rewards on everything
Some travel credit cards offer bonus rewards only in certain categories. Not so with the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®. You'll get the most points back, of course, for spending directly with the brand: 10 points per dollar spent on Best Western stays, on top of the 10 base points you get as a Best Western Rewards program member. (The Best Western Rewards loyalty program is free to join.) But all other spending will earn 2 points per dollar spent, so it could be a good card for everyday use, too.
Valuable sign-up bonus
The card offers the following incentive for new cardholders: Earn 120,000 bonus points for up to 7 free nights. 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened and 40,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles. The average free-night stay at Best Western costs 16,000 points, according to the hotel chain’s website, so that’s roughly five nights if you snag the initial spending bonus — and possibly six if you earn the additional and ongoing one. Note, however, that 16,000 points is merely the average needed; the hotel chain says it may range from 5,000 to 70,000 points per night. Hence, the actual number of free nights you can get may vary depending on the hotel property you choose.
Automatic Platinum status and other perks
As a cardholder, you don’t have to work your way up to earning Platinum status; it’s automatic. This grants you 15% bonus points per stay, as well as, an exclusive reservation line and no blackout dates.
Drawbacks and considerations
There's an annual fee
The $89 annual fee is relatively low for this kind of card, but it could still be a blocker for some. If you're a Best Western loyalist but are dead-set against paying an annual fee, consider this card's little brother, the $0-annual-fee Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®.
Here’s how they compare:
NO-FEE CARD | ANNUAL FEE CARD | |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0. | $89. |
Bonus offers | Earn 60,000 bonus points for up to 3 free nights. 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened and 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles.. | Earn 120,000 bonus points for up to 7 free nights. 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened and 40,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles. |
Rewards |
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Elite status | Automatic Gold status, which includes:
| Automatic Platinum status, which includes:
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There's no free anniversary night
The Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® offers the chance to earn ongoing bonus points each year, but it’s not an automatic free anniversary night like you might find on other credit cards. If you're not beholden to Best Western, the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card doesn't make you meet a spending threshold to earn its free night at eligible IHG properties after each account anniversary year. It earns up to a total of 26 points per $1 spent on IHG hotel stays; 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations and restaurants; and 3 points per $1 spent everywhere else. It has an annual fee of $99.
General travel cards offer more value, flexibility
If you want to be able to use your rewards on more than just hotel stays with one brand, a general travel card is a better fit. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards in a variety of popular spending categories, including dining and travel. Crucially, unlike the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®, points are generally worth at least a full cent each — and, even better, you can redeem them on travel bookings through Chase at 1.25 cents apiece. What's more, this card has a fairer 1:1 exchange ratio when transferring points to eligible airlines and hotel loyalty programs. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a $95 annual fee.
Earn bonus rewards in a variety of popular spending categories, including dining and travel. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase — including for hotel stays — or you can transfer your points to more than a dozen airline or hotel programs. There's an awesome sign-up bonus, too. All for a reasonable annual fee.
How to decide if it's right for you
If you frequently stay at Best Western properties, the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® can be a rewarding companion. You can get even more value if you make it your go-to card for all expenses and earn the ongoing bonus every year.
But for the flexibility to hunt for the best travel deals regardless of brand, a general travel credit card can reward you more generously.
