The Complete Guide to Earning Wyndham Points

Wyndham is one of the largest international hotel chains in the world, with over 9,000 properties in 90 countries. There are 20 hotel brands in Wyndham’s portfolio, spanning from luxurious to budget. Wyndham’s loyalty program is called Wyndham Rewards, and points earned through the loyalty program can be redeemed for stays at hotels, vacation resorts and rentals. Members can also use points for gas, online merchandise and experiences when they don't have a trip lined up.

But in order to redeem Wyndham points at any property among that plethora of options, you first need to earn some Wyndham Rewards points. Thankfully, Wyndham makes earning points very easy through its credit cards, hotel properties and various partners. In this article, we highlight 14 ways to earn Wyndham points, broken into four categories:

Credit cards

Travel

Shopping

Miscellaneous

Earn points with credit cards

1. Sign up for Wyndham Rewards credit cards

Wyndham offers two co-branded credit cards that can help you earn points fairly quickly:

• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card (annual fee of $0): Earn 30,000 bonus points, enough for up to 4 free nights after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card (annual fee of $75): Earn 45,000 bonus points, enough for up to 6 free nights after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

• Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Credit Card (annual fee of $95): Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

If you are a Wyndham loyalist, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card will provide the highest earn on hotel stays and other bonus categories. However, if you already have several cards that you pay an annual fee on and are fine to earn some, but not all, of the perks, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card could make more sense. The Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Credit Card is for business owners who are interested in earning Wyndham points with their spending.

2. Earn Wyndham points on credit card bonus categories

Regardless of which Wyndham card you choose, you’ll be able to earn bonus points when using either card on specific categories. We’ve put together a handy chart detailing each card’s perks and bonus categories:

The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card offers 1 more points per $1 spent on Wyndham purchases and gas, and 2 more points per $1 spent on restaurants and grocery purchases.

If you want to build your Wyndham points balance and prefer a card with no fee, you could get the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card. Then, each time you need to go to the grocery store, refill your tank at the gas station or pay your utility bill, just grab your Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card and you’ll see your Wyndham points add up. Making small adjustments like using a card that offers bonus points on specific categories can make it much easier for you to get that hotel award night.

Although putting a lot of spending on cards to earn points can seem exciting, keep in mind that racking up credit card debt and then paying interest on it would negate any value earned from rewards. So budget your spending accordingly, whether you’re earning points or not.

3. Earn your cardmember anniversary bonus

If you keep the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card open after the first year, you will earn 7,500 points on each cardmember anniversary. Free nights start at 7,500 points, so the anniversary bonus alone might be enough to book a short award stay. The Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Credit Card earns double the bonus points (15,000) each cardmember anniversary.

4. Transfer credit card points to Wyndham

Wyndham is a transfer partner of Capital One and Citi ThankYou. If you have a credit card that earns Capital One miles, you can transfer your miles to Wyndham at a 1:1 ratio. Cardholders with Citi ThankYou points can transfer at a 1:1 ratio or 1:0.8 ratio, depending on the card.

Earn points while traveling

5. Stay at Wyndham hotels

The most obvious way to earn Wyndham points is by booking a stay at a Wyndham hotel. When you enroll in Wyndham Rewards, you earn 10 base points per $1 spent on qualifying stays or 1,000 points, whichever is greater.

A “qualifying stay” means a booking of one night or more at a participating property, with a minimum daily average rate of $25. You'll need to book through WyndhamRewards.com to earn points. Stays booked through third-party sites, such as Hotels.com or Expedia, won't earn points.

If you have elite status, you're eligible to earn even more points based on the percentages below.

6. Earn Wyndham points at Caesars casinos

Going to Las Vegas or Atlantic City for a special occasion? If you stay at a Caesars casino, you can earn 10 points per $1 thanks to Wyndham’s partnerships with more than 30 Caesars Entertainment casinos. To earn points, include your Wyndham number when making a reservation.

7. Host an event at a Wyndham property

Weddings are expensive, but you can earn rewards when you host it — or any other big event at a Wyndham property. Planners can earn 4 points for every $1 spent on qualifying revenue for event spaces, guest room blocks, and food and beverage charges for any sort of event hosted on-property, whether it's a business gathering, anniversary party, wedding or any other special event.

8. Book car rentals with Budget

If you need to rent a car while traveling, you can score extra Wyndham points when booking through Budget. You'll earn 3 points per dollar on all qualifying car rentals of three or more consecutive days in the U.S. or Canada. Plus, Wyndham Rewards members can save up to 30% on all rental base rates.

9. Book tours and activities

You can earn 10 points per $1 spent when you book an activity, tour or experience through Wyndham Experiences. This benefit could be particularly useful for those who like to book organized tours or activities when traveling. Spending $750 in Wyndham Experiences would net you enough for a free night at a lowest-tier hotel (7,500 points).

Earn points while shopping

10. Shop online through the Wyndham Rewards shopping portal

Shopping online is another way to scoop up Wyndham points. Through Wyndham’s shopping portal, you can earn bonus points for making online purchases at participating merchants. To start earning points, head over to Wyndham Rewards Shopping and log in with the same username and password that you use to access your Wyndham Rewards loyalty account.

Wyndham has ongoing point-earning offers as well as special limited-time bonuses with specific merchants. Make sure to bookmark the shopping portal and search for the merchant you’d like before you buy anything online.

Miscellaneous earning options

11. Take online surveys with Opinion Rewards Panel

Even if surveys aren’t your thing, you can earn 500 Wyndham points when you take your first survey with Opinion Rewards Panel. This is a quick and easy way to earn 500 points. Additional surveys can be taken too — for additional points earning.

12. Purchase Wyndham points

If you need additional points to book an award night, you could purchase them outright. Wyndham sometimes runs promotions on these purchases that could get you bonus points. While we don't generally recommend purchasing points, if you have a specific redemption in mind and can catch a sale, it can sometimes make sense.

» Learn more: When a miles or points purchase makes sense

Ways to earn Wyndham points recapped

Wyndham offers many opportunities to earn points with its loyalty program. If you’re looking to avoid an annual fee, the best way to rack up points would be to sign up for a Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card and use the card for everyday expenses. Since free hotel nights start at only 7,500 Wyndham points, the points earned from each of these methods could add up quickly.