Choice Hotels Credit Card
$95
32,000 Choice Points
$1,000 initial spend
($220 net value, .22/$)
Signup Bonus Chart5x Choice Purchases (≈3.75%)
2x Everywhere Else (≈1.5%)
3% Foreign Transaction Fee
Once you've signed up for more valuable cards, getting the Choice card is always worthwhile. There is really no downside, as there is no annual fee and you'll get some minor benefits with Choice. But their are many more attractive options to get first.
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Choice Points
You should be able to get values of more than .75 cents per point on many Choice award bookings and you can sometimes get much more on particularly good redemptions (when rates are higher than normal). How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
Outside of Europe, there aren't very many higher-end Choice hotels, but award nights at their less expensive hotels don't require very many points. The main downside is that you can't book award nights more than about a month ahead of time.
If you like fancier hotels, there is a less well known option to use your Choice points to book independent luxury hotels that participate in the Preferred Hotels program.
Collecting the Signup Bonus
- The normal signup bonus is not that great. The typical signup bonus is 32,000 Choice Points, valued at $240 (at .75 cents per point). After subtracting the opportunity cost of using the card for $1,000 of spending, the calculated net value for the initial year is $220 (22 cents per dollar spent). Your value may be higher or lower, depending on how much you value Choice Points. How Much are Hotel Points Worth?
- Once you get this card, you should probably just hold onto it. You'll get some ongoing benefits, and you won't waste another credit card application on a lower-than-normal signup bonus.
Notable Benefits
- Choice Gold elite status. Entitles you to a complimentary room upgrade (upon availability), a free snack or beverage upon arrival (or bonus points), and 2pm late checkout. Choice Status Benefits.
- 8,000 bonus points (with a $10,000 spending requirement). We would recommend forgoing the bonus and using a good general purpose reward card instead. Spending is based on each 12 month period, starting from when you open your account.
- Access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. As with all Visa Signature cards, you'll get access to Visa's luxury hotel program. Whenever you book one of the 900+ participating hotels, you'll receive a set of valuable benefits, including free breakfast, late check-out, and a $25 food and beverage credit. The Visa program has slightly weaker benefits than the other luxury hotel programs, but includes a larger number of more affordable hotel options and a best price guarantee. Take Advantage of Luxury Hotel Programs for Valuable Extra Perks.
- Access to Visa Signature Offers. Your card entitles you to a set of special offers available from Visa.
Bonus Categories
- You are better off making your Choice purchases with a card that earns a high reward rate on all your hotel purchases. 5x Choiice points are valued at 3.75 cents per dollar. That's not as good as what you'd earn from a card that offers good bonus rewards on travel spending.Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
- You don't want to use this card for your everyday spending. You'll earn higher rewards from a good general-purpose reward card. Get a Great General Purpose Reward Card and Use It for All of Your Spending.
Getting Rid of the Card
- You can cancel without worrying about losing your Choice points. Once you earn them, they are treated like any other points in your Choice account.
- If you keep a Barclays Card and don't spend on it, you can have a harder time getting approved for new Barclays cards.
- You might be able to receive a retention offer to keep your card. It could be enough to make it worthwhile to keep the card.