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With over 4,500 properties worldwide, there’s a good chance you’ll run across a Best Western brand as you travel. And if you appreciate the abundance and affordability of Best Western hotels, it might be worth considering the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®.
This card offers several ways to save on Best Western hotel stays, starting with Best Western rewards points earned through bonus offers and card use. You can then redeem your points for discounted or free hotel stays.
We’ve pulled together this Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard review to give you more insight into this card and its perks.
Get up to 20X points per dollar spent
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Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®
Current Offer
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in first 3 billing cycles
Annual Fee
$89
Rewards Rate
20 points per dollar spent on Best Western stays (10 points as a Best Western Rewards member and 10 points for using the card), and 2 points per dollar spent everywhere else
Who should get this card?
The Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard is best for people who expect to stay regularly at Best Western-branded hotels. Maybe you’re already a frequent guest as these hotels, or you’d like to be — while getting more bang for your buck. The Best Western Rewards Premium card will help you earn rewards points faster — and redeem them for free nights and other perks.
If you’re not a loyal Best Western customer, you may be better off considering one of the general travel credit cards that offers more flexibility on redemptions.
Card basics
| Card Type | Travel |
| Annual Fee | $89 |
| Intro Bonus | Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in first 3 billing cycles |
| Recommended Credit Score | Excellent, Good |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None |
Top card benefits
- Generous welcome offer: With the Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard, you can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in first 3 billing cycles.
- Annual spending bonus: Bonus offers aren’t just for new cardholders with the Best Western Reward Premium card, either. Cardholders can also get 20,000 in bonus points each year. To qualify, simply spend $5,000 on the card during the 12-month billing cycle.
- Big rewards at Best Western hotels: Best Western Rewards members earn 20 points per dollar spent on Best Western stays (10 points as a Best Western Rewards member and 10 points for using the card), and 2 points per dollar spent everywhere else.
- Qualify for 10% off at Best Westerns: Not only can you earn more rewards on Best Western stays, but you’ll also save upfront as well. You’ll get 10% off hotel rates when you book with your card through Best Western.
- Redeem points for free nights: You can use Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard points to claim free hotel stays at a Best Western. A free night can run for as little as 8,000 reward points and up to 36,000 points, with an average of 16,000 points per night.
Earning & redeeming
Best ways to earn
By far the best way to rack up rewards points with a Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard is, of course, by using it at Best Western locations. You can earn 20 points per dollar spent on Best Western stays (10 points as a Best Western Rewards member and 10 points for using the card), and 2 points per dollar spent everywhere else. Best Western also occasionally partners with companies such as car rentals or flower retailers to provide extra ways to earn rewards points.
You also will get chances to earn point bonuses. You can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in first 3 billing cycles, for one. And all cardholders who spend $5,000 or more on their Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard in a year will get 20,000 bonus points.
Lastly, you can also opt to earn miles with a Best Western partner airline’s frequent flyer program.
| Categories | Rewards rate |
| Best Western purchases | 20X points on Best Western stays |
| All other purchases | 2X points on everything else |
Maximizing your redemptions
Best Western Rewards points can be redeemed for a range of travel benefits. As mentioned, you can trade them in for free stays a Best Western-branded hotels. You can also redeem points for a Best Western Travel Card, a gift card that can be used for lodging charges.
Finally, Best Western Rewards points can also be exchanged for airline miles to cover flights.
Common questions
How many Best Western points do you need for a free night?
While the points rates for a free night stay can vary, you’ll need to at least 8,000 rewards points on your Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard to get a free night’s stay. That’s the starting rate, but the average free night is 16,000 points and some stays may be up to 36,000 per night.
What are the Best Western rewards levels?
The Best Western Rewards program has five rewards levels:
- Blue level earns 10 points per $1 with no blackout dates
- Gold level earns 10 points per $1 plus 10% bonus points per stay, with added benefits including room upgrades, and thank-you gifts or points at check-in
- Platinum level earns 15% bonus points per stay, along with other benefits of the Gold and Blue levels
- Diamond level gets 30% bonus points per stay, along with other bonuses
- Diamond Select level earns a 50% bonus points per stay, along with all previous membership perks
You’ll be upgraded in membership as you use your card to book stays with Best Western licensed hotels. With the Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard, you’ll be automatically upgraded to the Platinum Select rewards tier.
Is the Best Western Rewards Premium card worth it?
The Best Western Rewards Premium card can definitely pay off for people who travel frequently and prefer to stay at Best Western-branded hotels. You’ll quickly earn points and rewards on stays and purchases made through Best Western. And these can be redeemed for free or discounted hotel stays.
A potential downside is the $89 annual fee, which could offset savings for some cardholders. Additionally, it might not be right for all travelers, so you might want to compare it to other options to find the best hotel credit card for you.
Do Best Western rewards expire?
No, Best Western Rewards points don't expire.
Other cards to consider
The Best Western Rewards Premium card could be right for many travelers. But it’s always wise to compare this card to other options.
Another hotel-branded card with similar rewards, for example, is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase. With this card, you can earn 3 free night awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (each night valued up to 50,000 points), and a free night stay at Marriott-branded hotels every year on your account anniversary.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could also be an option for travelers who want big rewards without being tied to any one hotel brand. With this card, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, and points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel purchases through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Plus, cardholders get a $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠.
Get up to 20X points per dollar spent
Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®
Why We Like It
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in first 3 billing cycles
See how these cards compare:
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (each night valued up to 50,000 points)
- up to 17X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 3X points at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year
- One free night each year at account anniversary
- No foreign transaction fee
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 25% more value when redeeming rewards for travel through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary point bonus each year
- $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠
- Premium travel protection benefits