Best Western Rewards® Mastercard review

Quick highlights

• Rewards rate: 13 points per $1 on Best Western bookings, 2 points per $1 on other transactions
• Welcome offer: 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened. 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles
• Annual fee: $0
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
• Regular APR: 20.99 percent or 24.99 percent variable APR based on creditworthiness

Current sign-up bonus

Signing up for the Best Western credit card gives you automatic Gold status with the hotel chain. That includes 10 percent bonus points for eligible stays, early check-in and late checkout, complimentary water and points upon arrival. Plus, any free night redemptions count toward Best Western Elite status.

You’ll also get 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened. 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles. Since the average free night stay is 16,000 points, that works out to two at least free nights. Best Western says cardholders must allow six to eight weeks for bonus points to be added to their point balance, so it might be a couple of months before you can use your free stays.

Rewards

With the Best Western Mastercard, you’ll earn points for every purchase, though you will earn more when you spend with Best Western.

Earning rewards

When you book with Best Western, you’ll get three points per dollar, plus an additional 10 points per dollar for being a Best Western Rewards member. You’ll earn two points per dollar for all other transactions.

Redeeming rewards

You can redeem Best Western points on the website on hotel stays, or Best Western gift cards. You can also donate points to charity through the website.

How much are points worth?

Using the hotel stay examples above, points are worth about 0.45 cents to 0.54 cents per point. For other options, you might not get as much value out of your points.

The main Best Western Mastercard benefit is lowering costs for staying at Best Western hotels. The more you stay at Best Western, the higher you can climb on the Rewards status, all the way up to 50 percent bonus points on eligible stays as a Diamond Select member.

Hotel benefits

Get 10 percent bonus points on eligible stays as a Gold member, plus early check-ins, late checkouts and complimentary water upon arrival. Earn extra points for booking Best Western stays.

Exclusive partner benefits

Earn bonus Best Western points by spending with Best Western partners, like Teleflora and Vinesse Wine Club.

Travel benefits

There are no foreign transaction fees when using this card.

Rates and fees

The Best Western credit card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee. Both purchases and balance transfers have a 20.99 percent or 24.99 percent variable APR depending on creditworthiness. The APR for cash advances is 25.24 percent variable. The Best Western Mastercard charges a balance transfer fee of either 5 percent of the total or $10, whatever is more. The cash advance and cash equivalent fees are both either $15 or 5 percent of each transaction, whatever is more. A late payment fee is up to $40, and a returned payment fee is up to $35.

If you enjoy Best Western hotels, you might be interested in the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®. The card has an annual fee of $89 but comes with extra perks. You can earn up to five free nights with 80,000 bonus points once you’ve made $3,000 in transactions during your first three billing periods and 40,000 bonus points after spending at least $5,000 during each 12-billing cycle period. The card provides automatic Platinum Elite status and 20 points per $1 on Best Western bookings.

For those who are flexible on hotel stays, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a steeper annual fee at $95 but better travel rewards. Cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. 

Best cards to pair Best Western Rewards Mastercard with

Because the Best Western credit card’s biggest rewards are for hotel stays with the brand, it’s best to pair this card with a cash back credit card to earn more on everyday purchases. You can use this card to book hotel stays with Best Western and then use a card like the Citi Double Cash® Card to get more cash back for non-hotel purchases. For flight points, you might want to use a travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card when booking air travel.

The Best Western Rewards® Mastercard is only worth it if you’re a loyal Best Western hotel fan. If you stay at Best Western frequently, you can save on hotel bookings by using your points. With no annual fee, there’s not much the card will cost you. However, you could save much more with a general travel credit card if you’re a frequent traveler who’s flexible with where you stay or if you’re not impressed with Best Western reviews.

If you want maximum credit card rewards but don’t travel frequently, a cash back credit card makes more sense so you earn cash back with every purchase. You can compare the best card offers to find beneficial options in various categories.
The information about the Best Western Rewards® Mastercard and Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.