Choice Hotels is one of the largest hotel chains, but with a focus almost exclusively on value accommodations, you very rarely see its properties in travel magazines, blogs, and the like.
Unfortunately, many associate getting “excellent value” with booking ultra-luxe hotels, especially if you’re using points. In this regard, Choice Privileges is one of the most underrated hotel programs in the world.
With 7,000+ hotels spread out across more than 40 countries — including a unique partnership with Preferred Hotels and Nordic Choice Hotels — it’s easier than ever to redeem Choice Privileges points for phenomenal value.
If you’re able to accumulate lots of Choice Privileges points, you’ll find yourself footing a much smaller hotel bill when you’re traveling — and that’s what this guide is for!
In this piece, we’ll explore the numerous different ways you can earn Choice Privileges points. Let’s get started!
1. Start by Joining Choice Privileges
Joining Choice Privileges is easy! Just submit the online form and you’re good to go! Image Credit: Choice Privileges
Joining Choice Privileges is as easy as visiting this link and filling out the online form! After you submit the form and create an account, you’ll be redirected to your new account page, which includes your member number.
Whenever you have any activity earning Choice Privileges points, you’ll want to make sure you include your Choice Privileges number so that points get credited to your account.
Once you earn the points, you can redeem them for gift cards, hotel stays, or transfer them to airlines!
Earning Points With the Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card
2. Choice Privileges Card Welcome Bonus Points
The best (and only) card to earn Choice Privileges points directly is the Choice Privileges card. This credit card is issued by Barclays, and it offers these benefits:
- A welcome bonus of 32,000 to 64,000 Choice Privileges points
- Choice Privileges Gold status after activation
- An anniversary bonus of 8,000 points every year after spending $10,000 or more on purchases
- Earn 15 points per $1 spent at eligible Choice hotels
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Points never expire when you use your card (any purchase on this card is a qualifying transaction to reset your points expiration timer)
- Your points will still expire if you just hold the card and never make any purchases
- $0 annual fee
As you’ll find out, holding this card is incredibly valuable because of the ability to enjoy a hefty welcome bonus, earn up to 15 points per dollar on just credit card spending alone, and never have your points expire.
3. Category Bonus Points
By paying with your Choice Privileges card for stays at Choice Hotels, like the renowned V8 Hotel Koln @MOTORWORLD, Ascend Hotel Collection, you can earn tons of Choice Privileges points very quickly. Image Credit: Choice Hotels
The most logical way to earn Choice Privileges points with credit cards is to make a transaction on the Choice Privileges card. And although you might not use this card daily, it makes sense to use it when you’re planning on staying at a Choice Hotels property.
This card earns a whopping 15 points per dollar at almost all Choice Hotels properties, which is worth around 9% return on spending, according to our points and miles valuations.
This includes the 10 points per dollar you’ll earn when you book a stay at Choice Hotels, so the card earns you a surplus of 5% return on spending. On all other purchases, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar, which is worth around 1.2%.
Bottom Line: Although the Choice Privileges card earns just 2 points per dollar on most purchases, you’ll earn up to 15 points per dollar at eligible Choice hotels — a fantastic deal worth around 9% back!
4. Account Anniversary Spending Bonus
The Choice Privileges card has a cardmember anniversary bonus whereby you can earn 8,000 bonus Choice Privileges points after spending $10,000 in purchases every cardmember year.
You can only earn this anniversary bonus once per cardmember year, so keep that in mind.
If you happen to put a lot of spending on this card, particularly at Choice Hotels, this is an excellent way to get extra value from your existing spending!
Earning Points With Other Credit Cards
Although the Choice Privileges card is the only credit card option to earn Choice Privileges points directly, it may not always make sense to earn Choice Privileges points, given the relatively lackluster earning power for non-Choice Hotels spend.
5. Citi ThankYou Points Credit Cards
Citi’s first hotel transfer partner has launched itself out of the gate at a 1:2 ratio, which means you can transfer 1 Citi ThankYou Point into 2 Choice points. This can represent a great value, especially when using Choice points to book pricey hotels in Scandinavia and Japan.
Recommended Citi Cards (Personal)
6. American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards
Amex Membership Rewards is one of the most incredible rewards programs in the world. With so many transfer partners (including Choice Privileges) and so many ways to redeem Amex points for amazing value, there’s a lot to love about Amex Membership Rewards. Plus, there are many ways to earn Amex points easily!
Although it doesn’t really make sense to transfer Amex points to Choice Privileges at its 1:1 ratio, it can make sense if you’re just short of a required amount for a specific redemption.
Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)
Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Amex business cards that earn Membership Rewards.
7. Capital One Miles Credit Cards
Choice Privileges is now a 1:1 transfer partner with Capital One Miles.
Recommended Capital One Cards
Earning Points with Choice Privileges Activity
In this next section, we’ll touch on the top ways to easily earn points with direct activity on Choice Privileges.
8. Choice Hotels Stays
Staying at Choice Hotels is an excellent way to rack up a bunch of points on travel you’re already taking. Be sure to pay with your Choice Privileges card to maximize your earnings! Image Credit: Choice Hotels
On base-level stays at Choice Hotels properties, you will earn 10 points per dollar spent, as long as you’re booking an eligible rate. There are a few exceptions and distinctions that must be made about which hotel rates aren’t eligible to earn points.
Hot Tip: Choice has an alliance with Penn National Gaming, Inc. that offers reciprocal earning and redemption benefits for Choice Privileges members and members of Penn’s mychoice loyalty program.
WoodSpring Suites aren’t eligible for points accrual at all. Plus, several regions do not participate:
- Asia-Pacific region (except for Japan)
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Europe (specific countries — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden)
- Middle East
- Mexico
As you can see, there are quite a few regions that don’t allow you to earn Choice Privileges points. The following Choice Hotels rates are also ineligible to earn points:
- Rooms booked at rates below $40 per night
- Certain hotel-initiated promotions
- Reward night stays
- Complimentary rooms
- Points Plus Cash reservations
- Rooms paid for as part of a convention or meeting
- Rooms booked through a travel agent or third-party online retailer, including online travel agencies, wholesale packages, group tours, and stays booked using the employee discount or the friends, family, and associate account (except certain Egencia rate plans)
In essence, you can only earn points if you make a reservation through Choice Privilege’s toll-free express reservation line (800-521-2121), the program website, mobile app, or directly with the hotel.
You may earn points for up to 4 rooms per night at the same hotel, but the rooms must be in your name and the reservations must include your Choice Privileges member number. You will only receive elite status bonus points on 1 room per stay, and you must stay in one of the rooms with the rooms paid in full to earn the points.
Bottom Line: Overall, it’s important to pay close attention to the terms and conditions of Choice Privileges to ensure you’re not missing out on earning any points! But doing so will guarantee you earn at least 10 points per dollar on eligible rates.
9. Bluegreen Vacations
If you’re looking for vacation rental properties, check out the partnership with Bluegreen Vacations, which will help you earn lots of Choice Privileges points. Image Credit: Choice Privileges
Bluegreen Vacations is a vacation ownership and timeshare company based in Boca Raton, Florida. Bluegreen Vacations is the official vacation ownership partner of Choice Privileges.
There are currently more than 40 Bluegreen Vacations properties, all of which fall into the broader Ascend Hotel Collection brand, which is one of the most upscale brands in the portfolio.
While Bluegreen Vacations isn’t currently participating in the Choice Privileges program, you can earn Choice Privileges points by booking a special timeshare presentation stay.
These promotions are typically structured as a massively discounted hotel stay whereby you attend an approximately 2-hour sales presentation and tour of the property you’re booking.
Objectively speaking, this is an excellent deal — if you can sit through a persuasive sales pitch that lasts around 2 hours while you’re at the resort. There are a few criteria to qualify for these deals. You have to:
- Have at least $50,000 in gross annual household income (income requirement may be waived if you’re 62 or older)
- Have a minimum FICO credit score of 600
- Have not filed for bankruptcy or been adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent within the last 7 years
When you book your stay, you’ll usually be able to choose an extra bonus — a prepaid gift card or Choice Privileges points. And you can often get as much as 20,000 Choice Privileges points on top of an excellent deal for a resort stay.
10. Choice Privileges Elite Status Bonuses
Choice Privileges, just like most other hotel brands, has elite status/membership tiers that come with a slew of benefits. And although it’d be easy to see the immense value from its elite tiers, we’ll focus on the elite point bonus.
| Benefits |
Member |
Gold |
Platinum |
Diamond |
| Qualifying nights per calendar year |
0 to 9 |
10 to 19 |
20 to 40 |
40 |
| Exclusive member rate |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Your Extras |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Double Your Extras and $10 Cambria Credit at Cambria Hotels |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Theme park discounts |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Elite point bonus |
|
10% |
25% |
60% |
| Elite gift cards |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Early check-in and late checkout |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Elite reserved parking |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Rollover nights |
|
Up to 9 nights |
Up to 19 nights |
Up to 39 nights |
| Elite customer hotline |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Elite welcome gift |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Avis Preferred Plus |
|
|
X |
X |
Depending on your specific Choice Privileges status level, you will earn elite bonus points on your stays. Currently, the elite point bonus is broken down as follows:
- Member (0 to 9 nights per calendar year): No bonus
- Gold (10 to 19 nights per calendar year): 10% bonus
- Platinum (20 to 39 nights per calendar year): 25% bonus
- Diamond (40+ nights per calendar year): 60% bonus
As you can see, achieving top-tier Choice Privileges Diamond status is a bit easier than other hotel brands — it only requires 40 nights!
If you can swing that, you’ll receive a sweet 60% bonus on your points earnings. That means you can earn up to 16 points per dollar on Choice Hotels stays, and that number goes up to 21 points per dollar if you have the Choice Privileges card.
Earning 21 points per dollar is equal to a 12.6% return, according to our valuations!
11. Choice Privileges for Business Meetings and Events
When you’re traveling with Choice Hotels, you can earn a ton of points by utilizing event-ready spaces at select U.S. and Canada properties for your meetings or events via the Choice Privileges Planner Rewards program.
You will earn 3 points per $1 on eligible charges, including meeting space, guest rooms, and food and beverages with no minimum spend requirement!
You can earn a maximum of 150,000 Choice Privileges points through this program, which equates to a maximum of $50,000 in spending as a meeting planner.
“Qualifying Events” are at least 10 rooms on a single night reserved by the meeting planner. Whether you’re booking a wedding, sports travel, or corporate travel, you’ll rest assured that your transactions will earn Choice Privileges points.
You’ll also have the convenience of using the Choice Hotels Group Management Platform, which allows you to easily manage, edit, and review reservations in 1 place when you book 10+ rooms.
Hot Tip: Don’t book your next big event until you see what kind of bonus points you could be earning at major hotels worldwide! We’ll show you how to maximize your earnings in our article on how to earn points and status by holding business events.
12. Choice Privileges Car Rental Partners
Choice Privileges has exclusive partnerships with car rental companies. And while the list may grow or shrink from time to time, its main car rental partners are Avis and Budget.
When you book your Avis or Budget car rental, you have the potential to enjoy 2 unique benefits:
- A discount off of your base rate (up to 25% off)
- The ability to earn Choice Privileges points on your rental (up to 1,000 points)
To book your car rental with Avis, you will need to enter offer code O418908 to receive the discount.
To book your car rental with Budget, you will need to enter the offer code T134904 to receive the discount.
13. Choice Privilege Cruises
Booking cruises through Choice Privileges Cruises is a great way to earn lots of points. Image Credit: Choice Privileges
Choice Privileges Cruises is a partnership with Cruise411 whereby you can book cruises directly and earn Choice Privileges points. You can book cruises on the following partners:
You’ll earn 5 Choice Privileges points per dollar spent on Choice Privilege Cruises, plus any other available deals like cruise credits, discounts, and more.
Hot Tip: Earning points is great, but make sure you’re getting the best deal! We detail the best websites to book cruises at the cheapest prices.
Earn Points With Special Offers
14. Golf by Choice
If you’re into golf, Choice Privileges has a program called Golf by Choice that’ll help you earn points on golf-related expenditures. Image Credit: Choice Privileges
Golf by Choice is a unique program set up by Choice Privileges to use and earn Choice Privileges points for golf-related activities. There are 3 main areas where you can earn Choice Privileges points:
- Shopping for golf equipment and apparel
- Booking tee times
- Using golf apps
To find the Golf by Choice shop, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Visit the Golf by Choice website
- Click the orange button that says Sign In
- Enter your Choice Privileges login information
- You’ll be redirected to the Golf by Choice catalog, where you can shop for golf merchandise
You can buy anything from golf clubs to shoes and even apparel. You’ll earn 4 Choice points per dollar with every Golf by Choice purchase.
You can also earn Choice points by booking tee times. To do this, you’ll want to follow the steps above to shop for golf merchandise, then:
- Scroll down to the GolfNow section
- Click the button that says Reserve Now
- Book tee times as you wish
When you book tee times at various courses around the world, you can earn 4 Choice points per dollar.
Lastly, you’ll be able to earn 250 Choice Privileges points when you sign up for either the GolfLogix’s GPS app or the $49.99 annual subscription — if you do both, you’ll earn 500 points total! And with the Tathatha Golf app’s $199.99 annual membership, you’ll receive 1,000 points.
All golf-related points will be posted within 45 days of your purchase.
15. Shop at the Choice Privileges Online Mall
Doing online shopping? Be sure to check out the Choice Privileges Online Mall to see if you can snag a handful of points, too. Image Credit: Choice Privileges
Choice Privileges has a merchandise portal called the Choice Privileges Mall, where you can shop at select retailers, including tons of nationwide brands like Apple, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, and more.
When you sign in to your Choice Privileges account and shop here, you’ll earn bonus points.
You will only earn an additional 2 Choice Privileges points per dollar on transactions here by using your Choice Privileges card, so be aware of that.
Bottom Line: Don’t miss an opportunity to earn points with a few extra clicks when shopping online. Read more in our guide on how to use the Choice Hotels shopping portal to earn more points.
16. Get Rewarded With Quicken Loans
By closing on a new home loan or refinancing your existing mortgage with Quicken Loans in partnership with Choice Privileges, you can earn 50,000 Choice Privileges points!
You can visit this Quicken Loans link for more information.
17. Purchase a LifeLock by Norton Subscription
Currently, Choice Privileges has partnered with LifeLock by Norton to offer up to 6,500 Choice Privileges points and 10% off when you set up a LifeLock Ultimate Plus membership.
You can visit the Choice Privileges page on LifeLock’s website to check out the terms and details. You can also call 800-LifeLock and mention promotion code CHOICE33.
18. Shop for Flowers at 1-800-Flowers.com
When you shop for fresh flowers at 1-800-Flowers.com’s Choice Privileges link, you will earn 15 points per dollar spent here. All you have to do is provide your Choice Privileges number when you check out!
19. Shop for Gourmet Gift Baskets at 1-800-BASKETS.com
If flowers aren’t a common purchase in your life, you can also earn lots of Choice Privileges points for purchasing gourmet treats at 1-800-BASKETS.com.
You’ll earn 15 points per dollar spent here. Simply quote your Choice Privileges number during the checkout process to earn your points.
20. Join Vinesse’s American Cellars Wine Club
When you join Vinesse’s subscription club, the American Cellars Wine Club, you can earn 1,000 Choice Privileges points with your first shipment.
After that, you can earn 7 points per dollar spent on subsequent shipments!
Convert to Choice Privileges Points
Choice Privileges has a couple of unique transfer partners that can be useful if you happen to earn the right types of points.
21. Diners Club International
Diners Club offers a transfer partnership to Choice Privileges. Image Credit: Diners Club International
If you have any Diners Club cards that earn Club Rewards points, you can transfer your Club Rewards points to Choice Privileges at a ratio of 1,250:2,400.
To do this, you’ll need to either visit the Club Rewards website and log in or call 800-234-4034 and inform the representative of your name, your Choice Privileges number, and the number of points you want to transfer.
22. Amtrak Guest Rewards
Amtrak Guest Rewards is the loyalty program of Amtrak, and if you have Amtrak Guest Rewards Select, Select Plus, or Select Executive status, you can transfer your Amtrak points to Choice Privileges at a ratio of 5,000:15,000.
Other Ways To Earn Choice Privileges Points
There are a couple of miscellaneous ways to earn Choice Privileges points:
23. Refer a Friend to Choice Privileges
By referring your friends to Choice Privileges, you can earn 500 points after they complete their first points-eligible stay. Plus, they will earn 500 points after their first points-eligible stay is completed, too!
24. Take Surveys With e-Rewards and Earn Choice Privileges Points (Currently Not Open to New Members)
e-Rewards is a survey platform that allows you to earn Choice Privileges points for providing your opinions.
500 bonus points are available to new members who complete their first survey within 3 months of enrolling. After that, the earning structure is different.
While e-Rewards is currently not open to new members, there’s a strong possibility that this will be restored in the near future!
25. Buy or Gift Points
The very last method to earn Choice Privileges points is to simply buy them! You can buy or gift up to 250,000 points before any bonuses. The purchase price is anywhere from 0.99 cents per point to 1.21 cents per point.
If you buy 1,000 to 4,000 points, you will pay 1.21 cents per point. If you buy 5,000 to 9,000 points, you will pay 1.1 cents per point. If you buy 10,000 to 180,000 points, you will pay 0.99 cents per point.
Also, Choice Privileges has, in the past, offered a bonus of up to 50% when purchasing points, so you’ll definitely want to wait for one of these promotions if possible because this can reduce your price to as little as 0.73 cents per point!
We generally don’t recommend buying points, but it can be worth it if you need to top up your balance for a redemption.
Final Thoughts
There are tons of ways to earn Choice Privileges points. From spending on the co-branded Choice Privileges card to booking stays at Choice Hotels and even downloading golf apps, there are tons of unique ways to rack up a respectable balance of Choice Privileges points.
We hope that you’ve found this guide useful to show you some of the more out-of-the-box ways to earn Choice Privileges points. Happy earning!
The information regarding the Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
