Select Privileges Mastercard Overview
This Choose Choice Privileges® Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is an attractive option for travelers who enjoy staying at Choice Hotels® properties. The card offers valuable benefits, including 10 points per dollar when you use it to pay for stays at qualifying Choice Hotels, 30,000 bonus points on each account anniversary and 20 Elite Night credits each calendar year. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card ratings are based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and are not influenced by the card issuer.
If you enjoy the Choice Privilege hotel loyalty program or frequently book paid stays at Choice hotels, you can get serious value from the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard credit card. This card is high on my list of cards to add to my wallet because of what it offers in exchange for a typical fee of $95.
The recommended credit score to qualify for this card is at least 700, but it is possible to be approved with a lower credit score.
If you’re approved for this card, you can earn 10 points per dollar on stays at qualifying Choice hotels and 5 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plan services.
Cardholders also get a variety of benefits that can provide more value than the annual fee. Here’s what you need to know about the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard.
Select Privileges Select Mastercard Pros and Cons
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Select Privileges Select MasterCard Welcome Offer
For a limited time, if you apply Select Privileges Mastercard And granted, you can earn 90,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. That’s enough points for up to 11 award nights at select Choice properties.
TPG’s July 2024 valuation has Choice points at 0.6 cents each. So, the welcome offer provides a value of around $540.
Related: These are my top 3 cobranded hotel card picks
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Select Privileges Select MasterCard benefits
As is true with many Best hotel credit cards with annual fees under $100, perks on Select Privileges Mastercard This is the primary reason you might want to add a card to your wallet.
One benefit on the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard — 30,000 bonus points on each account anniversary — should provide significantly more value each year than the card’s $95 annual fee. Those 30,000 Choice points are worth about $180, according to TPG’s July 2024 valuation. So, assuming you enjoy redeeming Choice points, you should find value in keeping the card in your wallet for the long term.
Plus, you’ll get 20 Elite Night Credits every calendar year. These Elite Night credits are enough for Platinum status, but they can also help you reach the 40 Elite nights you need each calendar year for top-tier Diamond status. While Choice Privileges doesn’t offer the elite status benefits you get with other hotel loyalty programs, it does get you elite bonus points on stays and elite welcome gifts at participating properties.
You can also use your Choice Privileges Select MasterCard to enroll in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Global Entry has become a must for me, as it makes re-entering the US after traveling abroad quick and easy and includes TSA PreCheck. You can receive up to a $100 statement credit every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for any program charged to your card.
Select Privileges Select MasterCard does not charge a foreign transaction fee (see Rates and Fees), so when MasterCard converts your transactions to US dollars you can use it outside the US without incurring a fee.
You’ll also get up to $800 in cellphone protection (subject to a $25 deductible) against loss or theft when you pay your monthly cellphone bill with your card.
Select Privileges Select MasterCard cardholders also receive various World Elite MasterCard benefits as per card details. A guide to benefits.
RELATED: Register for your additional choice of hotels to receive gift cards or other perks on weekday stays
Earn points on the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard
you will Earn Choice Privilege Points with you Select Privileges Mastercard.
When you use this card to pay for a stay at a participating Choice Hotels property that you’ve booked directly, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent. However, some international Choice Hotel locations do not participate. So, check it out List of eligible locations Before you assume you’ll earn 10 points per dollar when paying for your stays with this card.
You’ll also earn 10 points per dollar when you use your card to pay for qualifying purchases with Choice Privilege Points.
And you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent when you use your Choice Privileges Select MasterCard to pay for purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plan services. Plus, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases with your Choice Privileges Select MasterCard.
You may already have other cards that earn more in some or all of the select privileges in MasterCard’s bonus categories. But, even if you don’t expect to use the card for many purchases after receiving the welcome offer, it may still be worth getting and keeping because of its cardholder benefits.
Related: How to Earn Points with the Choice Privileges Eat & Earn Dining Rewards Program
Redeem points on the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard
There are many ways to do it Redeem the Choice Privilege points you earn with the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard. But you’ll usually get the most value when you redeem for Choice Hotels stays.
Choice Privileges offers a set rate for each hotel based on the week you stay. May change every few months but is clearly defined on the landing page for each hotel.
Award nights at most Choice Hotels properties cost between 6,000 and 35,000 points. So you can stay in the heart of most major cities (including New York City) for 35,000 points per night or less.
I love redeeming Choice points for stays in Europe and Japan, where I can often snag a centrally located hotel for just 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 points per night.
You can also get discounts when you redeem points for hotel stays featured on Choice Hotels’ Sweet Spot Rewards list. However, know that you can only book Choice Privilege award nights within 100 days of your stay. I usually don’t have a problem booking within 100 days, but I occasionally struggle with availability at smaller hotels and bluegreen vacation resorts.
Related: Redeem Choice Points for Maldives Resorts, Half-Board Hotels, Suites and More
Transferring points to Choice Privilege Select MasterCard
You can transfer Choice points to select airline loyalty programs, including Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, United Airlines MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Qantas Frequent Flyer and Virgin Australia Velocity.
However, transferring Choice points to an airline loyalty program will almost always provide significantly less value than redeeming them for hotel stays. As such, we recommend getting an earning card Transferable points or airline credit cards if you’re primarily interested in earning airline miles.
Which cards compete with Choice Privileges Select MasterCard?
There are many reasons why you might be considering the Choice Privileges Select MasterCard. But, if you’re not entirely sure it’s the best card for you, here are some other cards to consider:
- If you don’t want to pay the annual fee: The Choice Privilege® MasterCard® (See Rates and Fees) Offers some select privileges with no annual fee. Plus, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on Choice Stays and 3 points per dollar on gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans. You’ll also get 10 Elite Night Credits and cellphone protection.
- If you want more general rewards: The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (See Rates and Fees) Earn more general rewards that you can transfer to Preferred Privileges or redeem for other travel. It earns 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on Citi.com, 3 points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, EV charging stations, air travel and hotels and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. . For more details, check out our full review of Citi Strata Premier.
For more options, check out our full list of the best hotel cards to find the best card for you.
Is the Choice Privileges Select MasterCard worth it?
Even if you don’t expect to spend much on the card, the Choice Privilege Select MasterCard may be worth getting and keeping because of its ongoing benefits. For example, the 30,000 points you get after each account anniversary should be worth significantly more than the card’s annual fee. However, those who rarely live in Choice properties will probably prefer a different card.
Bottom line
Choice Privileges Select MasterCard isn’t for everyone. Still, it offers enough benefits to justify the annual fee and is a solid option for those who enjoy redeeming Choice points or stay at Choice hotels frequently.
Apply here: Select Privileges Mastercard