Not all co-branded hotel credit cards come with the most attractive features — such as travel credits or lounge perks — but that doesn’t mean they offer no value at all.
The Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® is particularly useful in conjunction with the Best Western Rewards program, but it’s no secret that this program’s points aren’t worth the most among the available choices (0.7 cent a piece). The program doesn’t offer the most innovative perks, but its rewards earning rate on stays is quite high.
Overall, the card gets the job done for guests who often stay at Best Western properties, whether it’s for work, for leisure or both. Here’s how to get the most from the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®.
Ways to maximize the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®
Use your card at Best Western locations
As a Best Western Rewards member, you can choose a lodging option from more than 4,200 properties in over 100 countries and territories. Using the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® to book your stay allows you to maximize your rewards earning capability.
As a card member, you’ll earn 20 points per dollar spent at Best Western locations when you book directly with the chain: 10 base points for being a Best Western Rewards program member, and another 10 points for using your Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard®. Earning double rewards helps you get to free nights faster.
Book rooms online
If the bonus points aren’t enough to entice you to book directly with Best Western, your stay will also be cheaper if you book it at a special rate available to cardholders.
Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® members receive a 10% discount on flexible-rate rooms booked online at Best Western’s site. Every bit of savings adds up, and the discount is worthwhile for brand loyalists who regularly spend money on nights with the chain.
Book free nights using the welcome bonus
The card also comes with a nice welcome bonus: 80,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened, plus 40,000 points when you spend $5,000 every 12 billing cycles.
Free award nights within the Best Western Rewards program start at 5,000 points, which means that you can book several free nights with no blackout dates using your welcome offer.
Nerd tip: The more expensive your award nights are, the fewer free nights you’ll be able to book. It all depends on the property you wish to visit.
Take advantage of Platinum Rewards status
Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® customers earn automatic Platinum Rewards status. This membership tier comes with a few extra perks, such as 15% bonus points on an eligible stay and complimentary water on arrival.
Although it’s not a huge rewards boost, it’ll help you earn free nights a little quicker than you would without any elite status.
Meet the annual spending threshold to earn bonus points
To earn even more bonus Best Western Rewards points, make sure to keep using your Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® on everyday purchases. Once you spend $5,000 on the card during each membership year, you’ll earn another trove of bonus points to pad your point balance.
Whether you visit family in another city or go on a long weekend road trip, the extra points could come in handy.
The bottom line
The Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® comes with a $89 annual fee, which means you have to consider its benefits and whether they outweigh the fee in your situation.
One easy calculation to determine its potential value is to multiply the annual fee by 10. If you spend this amount on stays at a flexible rate every year, and get the 10% discount back on every stay, your out-of-pocket cost will be $0. Everything you save beyond that will be an added bonus.
How to Maximize Your Rewards
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Source: nerdwallet.com