Wells Fargo and Choice Hotels To Launch a New Credit Card

Wells Fargo, Choice Hotels International, Inc., and Mastercard are joining forces to roll out a new co-branded hotel credit card. Previously, Choice Hotels had partnered with Barclays for its Choice Privileges^® Visa Signature^® Card, which is no longer available to applicants.

By partnering with Wells Fargo, the hotel chain hopes to boost card sign-ups and provide significant value to those who stay frequently at Choice Hotels.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Choice Privileges^® Mastercard^®.

Details of the New Choice Privileges^® Mastercard^®

The new Choice Privileges card will be available for applicants beginning on May 1, 2023. Current Choice Privileges cardmembers will be converted over to the new card on this date.

Among the many appealing aspects of this card is that there’s no annual fee and it comes with World Elite Mastercard benefits. Cardmembers will also earn 10 elite night credits each calendar year just for being a cardholder, which warrants automatic Gold Elite status with Choice Hotel brands, getting you early check-in and late check-out, access to a elite customer hotline, and more.

Another noteworthy benefit of the Choice Privileges card is that it features cell phone protection when using the card to pay your cell phone bill. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you may be able to be reimbursed for the value of the phone. This benefit requires a modest $25 deductible and is limited to a maximum of 2 paid claims per year with a maximum benefit of $800 per claim.

Earning Rates

The Choice Privileges card will earn points at the following rates:

• 5x points on stays at participating Choice hotels
• 3x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plans
• 1x points on other purchases

These points can be redeemed for award night stays at more than 7,500 hotels across more than 20 Choice Hotel brands, including Cambria Hotels, Radisson Hotels, Radisson Blu, The Ascend Hotel Collection, Country Inn & Suites, Everhome, Comfort, and more.

Is It Worth It?

It’s unclear at this time whether or not the Choice Privileges card will feature a welcome bonus when the card officially debuts in May.

What we do know is if you are loyal to Choice Hotel brands and want to earn extra points and benefit from elite status when staying at Choice Hotels, then this new card co-branded card may be worth considering.

Hot Tip: Considering a hotel co-branded credit card? Check out our guide to the best hotel credit cards!

Final Thoughts

It’s exciting when a new credit card is introduced, and the Wells Fargo and Choice Hotels Mastercard is no exception. But is it a card you should consider? If you’re loyal to Choice Hotels, the Choice Privileges card may be a nice companion for your hotel stays. We still don’t know whether there will be a sign-up bonus for this card, but we’ll make sure to keep you updated on any new information when it’s released in May.