Wells Fargo has two Choice Privilege credit cards. No-annual-fee Choice Privilege® MasterCard® (See Rates and Fees) and a $95 annual fee Choose Choice Privileges® Mastercard® (See Rates and Fees). Both have compelling limited-time sign-up bonuses.
Hotel credit cards can provide significant value if you stay frequently with certain hotel loyalty programs. So, here’s what you need to know about Choice Privilege MasterCard.
Overview of Choice Privilege MasterCards
Before we dive into the details of Choice Privilege MasterCards, here’s an overview of what these cards offer:
| Choice Privileges Mastercard | Select Privileges Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial limited-time sign-up bonus | 60,000 points after spending $1,000 in qualifying purchases during the first three months | 90,000 points after spending $3,000 in qualifying purchases during the first three months |
| earning rate | 5 points per dollar spent at participating Choice hotels
3 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases |
10 points per dollar spent on stays at participating Choice hotels
5 points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases |
| Elite night credit per year | 10 (enough for minimum Gold Elite status per calendar year) | 20 (enough for at least Platinum Elite status per calendar year) |
| Annual fee | No annual fee (see rates and fees) | $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) |
| Other significant benefits | Up to $800 of cellphone telephone protection against loss or theft (subject to a $25 deductible)
No foreign transaction fees World Elite MasterCard Benefits |
Up to $800 of cellphone telephone protection against loss or theft (subject to a $25 deductible)
No foreign transaction fees 30,000 bonus points on every account anniversary TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit World Elite MasterCard Benefits |
Choice Privilege MasterCard: No annual fee
For a limited time, The Choice Privileges Mastercard New applicants are offered a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points when they spend $1,000 in qualifying purchases during the first three months. That’s enough points for up to seven award nights at select Choice properties and is worth $360, according to TPG’s July 2024 valuation.
This no-annual-fee card has many useful features, including cellphone protection, no foreign currency conversion fees and World Elite MasterCard benefits.
Here’s a look at the other benefits of the card.
earning rate
When you make eligible purchases with the Choice Privilege MasterCard, you’ll earn Choice Points as follows:
- 5 points per dollar spent on qualifying stays at participating Choice Hotels
- 3 points per dollar on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans
- 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
Choice Hotels acquired Radisson America in 2022 and integrated Radisson Rewards America into the Choice Privileges program. Therefore, you should also earn 5 points per dollar spent on Radisson brands in the US, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean as these hotels can now be booked through Choice.
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RELATED: From Yellowstone to Austria: 27 Hotels You Can Book for Less With Choice Hotels’ Sweet Spot Rewards
10 Elite Night Credits for Gold Elite Status
As a Choice Privilege MasterCard cardholder, you will receive 10 Elite Night Credits per year as a benefit to your card account. These Elite Night Credits will earn you automatic Gold Elite status and may also help you earn higher status in Choice Privileges.
I expect we will see changes to the Choice Privileges program, including elite status benefits, as Radisson Rewards Americas is now integrated. So, although Choice Privilege Elite status doesn’t currently offer many helpful benefits, it could become even more valuable later this year.
Related: Is Hotel Elite Status Right Now?
Select Privileges Select Mastercard: $95 annual fee
For a limited time, The Select Privileges Mastercard Offers new applicants a sign-up bonus of 90,000 points after spending $3,000 in qualifying purchases during the first three months. That’s enough points for up to 11 award nights at select Choice properties and is worth about $540, according to TPG’s July 2024 valuation.
Select Privileges Select MasterCard cardholders enjoy many ongoing benefits, including cellphone protection, no foreign currency conversion fees, World Elite MasterCard benefits and TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit. Now, let’s look at the other primary benefits of the card.
earning rate
The Choice Privileges Select MasterCard offers better earning rates on most purchases than the Choice Privileges MasterCard. Specifically, you’ll earn the following with the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard:
- 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying stays at participating Choice hotels
- 5 points per dollar spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans
- 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
This means you’ll get an effective 6% return on qualifying stays at participating Choice Hotels, according to TPG’s July 2024 valuation. This rate of return on hotel stays is competitive with some of the best travel rewards cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (See Rates and Fees).
Related: 8 Best Credit Cards for Common Travel Purchases
20 Elite Night Credits for Platinum Elite Status
As a select MasterCard cardholder, you will receive 20 Elite Night Credits per year. These Elite Night Credits are enough for automatic Platinum Elite status but can also help you earn Diamond Elite status (which requires 40 nights per year).
Bonus points every year
Select Privileges Select MasterCard travelers also receive 30,000 points on each account anniversary. Based on TPG’s July 2024 valuation, those points are worth about $180 — more than enough to justify the card’s $95 annual fee.
Put another way, you’re getting 30,000 Choice points for $95 per year. So, you are effectively buying Choice Points at 0.31 cents per point. This is under TPG’s July 2024 Choice Points valuation at 0.6 cents each, representing great value if you enjoy redeeming Choice Points.
Related: College sports fans: You can redeem Choice Points for exclusive events and experiences
Bottom line
Both Choice cards are currently offering attractive sign-up bonuses. The no-annual-fee Choice Privilege may be a good option for MasterCard Choice loyalists because it offers 10 Elite Night credits per year and no foreign transaction fees. However, the earning rates are likely too low to compete with other travel rewards Everyday Spending Card.
The Choice Privileges Select MasterCard is a more attractive offering for most Choice loyalists. The limited-time sign-up bonus and $95 annual fee are great reasons to get the card. Additionally, 30,000 points on each account anniversary and high earning rates should provide enough value to justify keeping the card long-term.
Learn more in our full review of the Choice Privileges Select MasterCard.
Apply here: Choice Privileges Mastercard
Apply here: Select Privileges Mastercard
For Choice Privilege MasterCard rates and fees, click here.
For rates and fees for select privileges, click here.