Wyndham Rewards - Changes Coming

[bbodb1]

I find the Wyndham card very useful for a reason not mentioned so far and that is its extremely generous loan provision. I use it for financing things that otherwise I'd have to use a home equity draw for or pay outright. At the greater of $5 or 1% of the amount financed it is a cheap source of funds.

Repayable with no charge other than the initial 1%, I currently have wedding costs and advance airfares outstanding and while I'm paying off monthly to have paid off at the end of the usual around 12-13 mth advance period I could also wait until the end and pay off in a lump sum.

To me this is reason alone to have the card. I don't use it for any other reason.

That is a fair point, Mark - BUT - let me ask you this....have you noticed the initial charges increasing with recent offers?
I too used a couple of promotion like this to briefly finance a $3K-$4K debt, but the more recent offers from Wyndham's credit card issuer now include initial charges of $10 or 5% of the balance whichever is greater.
Definitely not as attractive of terms as they used to be.

To be fair though, over the years we have (on a few occasions) used the points for a discounted hotel stay to break up a long trip with an overnight stay - as long as the hotel is clean and comfortable and gets us on our way again the next morning, that's a successful stay in my book.....

 

[HitchHiker71]

I find the Wyndham card very useful for a reason not mentioned so far and that is its extremely generous loan provision. I use it for financing things that otherwise I'd have to use a home equity draw for or pay outright. At the greater of $5 or 1% of the amount financed it is a cheap source of funds.

Repayable with no charge other than the initial 1%, I currently have wedding costs and advance airfares outstanding and while I'm paying off monthly to have paid off at the end of the usual around 12-13 mth advance period I could also wait until the end and pay off in a lump sum.

To me this is reason alone to have the card. I don't use it for any other reason.

Good to know. I’ve got some potential wedding expenses and a few other large expenses on the horizon as well, so I will be on the lookout for these types of offers moving forward.


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[dagger1]

Essentially the Wyndham Grand hotels, of which there are about 200, went from 15k to 30k points. There are over 7000 hotels in the program, so that’s a small percentage really. Sure it stinks that we cannot stay at the Grands for 15k any longer, that was a really nice benefit, but this is already the case for the competing programs from Hilton, Marriott, etc. I’m not surprised as a result that Wyndham is simply adapting to the majority market.

We’re not really interested in staying at a dump so any hotels that fall in the 7500 point range won’t be something we will take advantage of most likely.


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We got the Wyndham card purely to stay at their nicer hotels, like the Galvez. $6K spend for a $200 hotel is only slightly better than the $180 in cash we would get from our Costco Citicard. I’m not sure what 30,000 UR points would get (or 45,000 points used in the UR portal....)

 

[dagger1]

I find the Wyndham card very useful for a reason not mentioned so far and that is its extremely generous loan provision. I use it for financing things that otherwise I'd have to use a home equity draw for or pay outright. At the greater of $5 or 1% of the amount financed it is a cheap source of funds.

Repayable with no charge other than the initial 1%, I currently have wedding costs and advance airfares outstanding and while I'm paying off monthly to have paid off at the end of the usual around 12-13 mth advance period I could also wait until the end and pay off in a lump sum.

To me this is reason alone to have the card. I don't use it for any other reason.

I didn’t know about this provision... How long do you have to pay off the loan (plus one percent) 12-13 months? Do you do this with the card or those “checks” which occasionally show up in the mail?

 

[kaljor]

I saw it with the checks they mail out. The fee is clearly listed in the mailing. They allowed for more than a year to pay it off, I think 14 months. Of course you have to pay off your entire new purchase balance to keep the rate at 0%.

Usually any offers I get I get in the mail from my credit card issuers are also available on the account website. Sometimes you have to poke around a bit looking for words like "Special Offer" or "Card member benefits"

 

[dagger1]

Just found out 1. Our Wyndham Barclay cars renewed 3/31 (charged $75!!!) and 2. My wife was accepted for the CSR card.. Good news and bad....

 

[ausman]

That is a fair point, Mark - BUT - let me ask you this....have you noticed the initial charges increasing with recent offers?
I too used a couple of promotion like this to briefly finance a $3K-$4K debt, but the more recent offers from Wyndham's credit card issuer now include initial charges of $10 or 5% of the balance whichever is greater.
...

I have been using this for a few years now and around the months leading up to Xmas they increase the percentage rate and shorten severely the repayment period . Just when most people, me included, would like to use for Xmas expenditures. It reverts to normal rates and time periods after Xmas. I don't know if the special offers are tied to a credit rating, they may be. Rising to $10 and 3% for that period is what I think the last Xmas rate was, but I just did another $1500 at the 1% rate in March.

Just as an aside, my card is the no fee card, receives the lower 3X for Wyndham charges. Since I have no requirement for hotel rooms I put those Wyndham charges on a 3% cash back card and don't pay a fee for the Barclay Wyndham card.

 

[Sandy VDH]

did NOT get an immediate approval.

This happens often with this card. Call the Chase remediation line in a day or two. Offer to move limit off another chase card your holding.

There are 3 reason they decline.
1. You hit the 5/24 Rule, where you have applied to 5 cards in 24 months. https://thepointsguy.com/guide/ultimate-guide-chase-5-24-rule/
2. You too low a credit score.
3. You have too much credit line.

1 & 2 you just can't overcome. But 3 you can work with Chase to make it work. Never Close a CC down without transferring that credit limit to another card first. It will impact your Credit score.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Just found out 1. Our Wyndham Barclay cars renewed 3/31 (charged $75!!!) and 2. My wife was accepted for the CSR card.. Good news and bad....

You can call Barclays and get them to refund it, just tell them you don't want it. It just happened a week ago.

 

[dagger1]

You can call Barclays and get them to refund it, just tell them you don't want it. It just happened a week ago.

I considered doing just that, and then remembered we have 64000 Wyndham points. Maybe I should book 2 nights at the Galvez and then cancel? I wonder how much of a window I have if I want to be refunded the $75...?

 

[dagger1]

This happens often with this card. Call the Chase remediation line in a day or two. Offer to move limit off another chase card your holding.

There are 3 reason they decline.
1. You hit the 5/24 Rule, where you have applied to 5 cards in 24 months. https://thepointsguy.com/guide/ultimate-guide-chase-5-24-rule/
2. You too low a credit score.
3. You have too much credit line.

1 & 2 you just can't overcome. But 3 you can work with Chase to make it work. Never Close a CC down without transferring that credit limit to another card first. It will impact your Credit score.

I called a Chase number I found and checked the status of my wife’s application. It said she was approved!? But no email from Chase confirming this yet.

 

[dagger1]

I have been using this for a few years now and around the months leading up to Xmas they increase the percentage rate and shorten severely the repayment period . Just when most people, me included, would like to use for Xmas expenditures. It reverts to normal rates and time periods after Xmas. I don't know if the special offers are tied to a credit rating, they may be. Rising to $10 and 3% for that period is what I think the last Xmas rate was, but I just did another $1500 at the 1% rate in March.

Just as an aside, my card is the no fee card, receives the lower 3X for Wyndham charges. Since I have no requirement for hotel rooms I put those Wyndham charges on a 3% cash back card and don't pay a fee for the Barclay Wyndham card.

Can you let me know the card that gives you 3% cash back? That is a card I will definitely try to get!!

 

[WyndhamBarter]

let me know the card that gives you 3% cash back?

Dagger1, the Costco Citi Visa currently does 4% on most gas stations, 3% on restaurants and travel,
2% on Costco purchases, and 1% on everything else.

JTTH. I'm sure there are better experts on TUG on CC rewards.

 

[ausman]

I have 2 no fee cards that give 3% cash back on travel.

The Bank of America cash back and the Wells Fargo propel Amex card. The B of A has more comprehensive catagories but the Wells Fargo one has it on travel, dining and gas.

The B of A card you can nominate the desired 3% catagory and change on a monthly basis if wanted. Here is the blurb from one of the credit comparison sites:
"The Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card’s $150 bonus offer and 3% cash back is the best deal I’ve seen

• $150 online sign-up bonus offer.
• NEW 3% on online shopping, drug stores, travel, dining, home improvement and furniture, or gas. "

I have a couple of BofA cards and leave one nominated for travel and one for online shopping, the Amex one there is no need to do so.

 

[capital city]

I considered doing just that, and then remembered we have 64000 Wyndham points. Maybe I should book 2 nights at the Galvez and then cancel? I wonder how much of a window I have if I want to be refunded the $75...?

I believe you have 60 days, it's at least 30. Just did the same thing with the Barclay arrival card.

 

[dagger1]

Dagger1, the Costco Citi Visa currently does 4% on most gas stations, 3% on restaurants and travel,
2% on Costco purchases, and 1% on everything else.

JTTH. I'm sure there are better experts on TUG on CC rewards.

Gotcha, yes you are right, the Costco card gives 3% cash back on restaurants/travel. I have never thought about using it for our monthly Wyndham MF’s though. Does it reward 3% cash back on MF payments?

 

[dagger1]

I believe you have 60 days, it's at least 30. Just did the same thing with the Barclay arrival card.

Thanks, I will give that a try. My main concern about using the CSR card for Wyndham Mf’s Is that Chase won’t recognize the MF’s as a travel category.

 

[Cyrus24]

I'm curious about the Citi Costco Card for MF's. I recall testing it once and not getting but 1%. That was some time ago. I currently use the Citi Double Cash Card for MF's. The category says 'Lodging - TIMESHARES'. So, if Citi says this on one card, it might say it on the other. But, again, I recall not getting 3%. Does anyone have recent experience on this?

 

[JohnPaul]

Guess I was smart/lucky. 5 nights next August at The Wyndham Riverfront in Chicago at 15,000 points per night (all from presentations). Just checked and it is now 30,000 per night.

 

[paxsarah]

Thanks, I will give that a try. My main concern about using the CSR card for Wyndham Mf’s Is that Chase won’t recognize the MF’s as a travel category.

My Wyndham MFs are given 3x on our CSR card.

 

[WyndhamBarter]

Does it reward 3% cash back on MF payments?

Sorry, I don't know - cuz we put our MFs on our WR card. Some other TUGger must know.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Thanks, I will give that a try. My main concern about using the CSR card for Wyndham Mf’s Is that Chase won’t recognize the MF’s as a travel category.

It is considered travel, I pay my Wyndham MFs on my CSR card.

 

[dagger1]

One more dumb CSR question and I promise to shut up (for a while....). Once my wife gets her CSR card, she will be able to access certain airline clubs, the ones partnered with CSR. Will she be able to bring a guest (me) in, or will I be out with the waiting non CSR throngs?

 

[dagger1]

One more dumb CSR question and I promise to shut up (for a while....). Once my wife gets her CSR card, she will be able to access certain airline clubs, the ones partnered with CSR. Will she be able to bring a guest (me) in, or will I be out with the waiting non CSR throngs?

I think I found the answer to my question. According to the CSR’s benefits summary a guest of the cardholder must pay $27 to enter an airport club/lounge... Either that or get his/her own CSR card for another $450/year...

 

[TheHolleys87]

I think I found the answer to my question. According to the CSR’s benefits summary a guest of the cardholder must pay $27 to enter an airport club/lounge... Either that or get his/her own CSR card for another $450/year...

Smile - your wife can add you as an authorized user on her CSR account, and you can get your own Priority Pass for (certain limited) airport lounges for only $150 a year!