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Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® Review: Cobranded Hotel Card That Pays for Itself in Perks

Review Updated
Brittney Myers
Author: Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers
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Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
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Great travel cards make travel better -- or at least more affordable. The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® can do both for the right cardholders. Its welcome and anniversary bonuses make this a keeper card that can pay for itself if you're a regular with the brand. See all of its potential perks, and a few areas it could improve, in our detailed Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® review.

Ratings Methodology

Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®

Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

19.99%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Rewards

1X - 10X

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

95

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.

90,000 bonus points

  • A good cobranded hotel card that can pay for itself for Choice Hotels regulars.

    • Welcome bonus
    • Rewards points on purchases
    • Platinum elite status
    • Anniversary bonus
    • No foreign transaction fees
    • Annual fee
    • No intro APR offer
    • Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
    • Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - enough to redeem for up to 7 reward nights at select Choice Hotels® properties. Additional fees may apply.
    • Earn 10X points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties.
    • Earn 5X points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plan services. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.
    • $95 annual fee.
    • Up to $800 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
    • Receive 20 Elite night credits qualifying for at least Platinum level status each calendar year.
    • No foreign transaction fee.
Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® is unavailable on Motley Fool Money. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® review

This credit card is a good fit for: Choice Hotels regulars who can maximize the perks and rewards.

Top perks

This card has a lot of perks worth discussing.

Welcome bonus worth 90,000 points

For some folks, the big draw of this card will be its welcome bonus. New cardholders can earn 90,000 bonus points Choice says this is enough for up to 90,000.

Poking around, it seems an award booking starts at about 8,000 points and goes up to 35,000 points. So you can expect the bonus to get you anywhere from two to 11 nights, depending on where and which brand you book.

Earn up to 10X Choice Privileges points on purchases

Even beyond the bonus, this card earns some decent purchase rewards:

  • 10X points per dollar on Choice purchases
  • 5X points per dollar at gas stations
  • 5X points per dollar at grocery stores
  • 5X points per dollar at home improvement stores
  • 5X points per dollar on cellphone services
  • 1X points per dollar on other purchases

The Choice Privileges points are generally worth $0.003 to $0.01 each, depending on the specific booking. So, at the low end, you're looking at an effective 3% back on Choice purchases and 1.5% back in the other categories. This isn't great. At the upper end, you're looking at an effective 10% back on Choice Hotels and 5% back in the other bonus categories. This is downright fantastic.

If you split the difference and say points are worth an average of $0.0065 each, then you're earning a respectable 6.5% back on Choice purchases and 3.25% back in the other bonus categories. Not too shabby.

Complimentary Platinum elite status

One awesome thing about a lot of hotel rewards cards is that they come with complimentary elite status. This one unlocks Platinum status in the Choice Privileges program, which is the second-highest tier. You don't get free breakfast, but you do enjoy a welcome gift, room upgrades, and reserved parking. If you stay with Choice Hotels regularly, this could be a shortcut to getting top-tier status, which would get you the extra perks like free breakfast.

30,000-point anniversary bonus

The best travel rewards cards pay for themselves in perks and rewards, and the Choice Privileges Select Card has the potential to do just that. Each year, after your cardholder anniversary, you'll receive 30,000 bonus points. As discussed above, that's enough for a free night at the majority of Choice Hotels, and has a monetary value between $150 and $300 depending on how you redeem.

No foreign transaction fees

A travel card with a foreign transaction fee isn't much of a travel card after all. These pesky fees, which some cards charge on transactions in foreign currencies or on transactions that route through foreign banks, can add 3% or more onto your purchases. The Choice Privileges Select Card charges 0% foreign transaction fees, so you don't need to worry about extra fees when you're traveling or purchasing abroad.

Global Entry or PreCheck credit

Cardholders can get a credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership when they pay with their card. You'll get up to $100 back on a qualifying application fee every four years. Note that the charge to your card needs to be at least $68 to trigger the credit. This particular perk is something nearly every travel card offers, but it's still worth a mention, especially because it's typically possible to pay for a family member's application and trigger the credit.

What could be improved

Arguably, no card is perfect, and this one has some flaws.

$95 annual card fee

The most obvious drawback to this card is its $95 annual fee, which kicks in after the $0 introductory fee after your first year. This is what you're paying every year for the privilege of having it in your wallet. Considering the perks you also get -- primarily the welcome bonus and anniversary bonus -- this card can be well worth the annual fee for many users. And, even better, the annual fee is typically waived for the first year. Just make sure you're using your perks if you're going to keep the card after that.

No introductory APR offer on purchases or transfers

One super useful perk a lot of cards offer these days is an intro rate on your APR for new purchases, balances transfers, or both. Unfortunately, this card doesn't offer an intro rate on either. (And the go-to rate isn't fantastic, so pay in full each month to avoid accruing interest.) It's worth noting that the lack of an APR offer is typical of travel cards, though I have seen it here and there and think it's something more travel cards should do since they tend to see a decent amount of spend.

Branded points aren't flexible

One common downside to a lot of cobranded travel cards, including this one, is that the points you earn go right into your branded loyalty account. In this case, you'll earn Choice Privilege points. You can only use these points in the Choice Privileges program. While there are some higher-end brands in the Choice Hotels portfolio, like Park Plaza, Choice does seem to more heavily favor affordable properties, such as Quality Inn and Econo Lodge. In contrast, the best travel cards earn flexible rewards points that you can transfer to a range of hotel and airline loyalty programs, giving you way more flexibility.

Suggested credit score

The Choice Privileges Select Card is issued by Wells Fargo, which doesn't post its specific credit score requirements. However, most travel rewards cards are aimed at folks with at least good credit, which is generally considered to be a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. Wells Fargo will look at your entire credit history, so you could potentially be approved with a lower score.

The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® is right for you if:

Anyone who stays at a Choice Hotels property at least a couple times a year can probably make this card at least cost neutral thanks to the welcome bonus and anniversary bonus. If you stay more often, then the elite status and purchase rewards could also be quite valuable. If you rarely stay with Choice Hotels, or would prefer a rewards card that's more versatile, stick with one of the transferable rewards cards from our reviews.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • Reward nights cost between 8,000 and 35,000 points per night, depending on the location and brand.

  • In general, points can be redeemed for a value of $0.003 to $0.01 per point. Value varies a lot based on the specific redemption, and there's no public award chart.

  • If you stay with Choice Hotels at least a couple times a year, the Choice Privileges Select Card can be worth it. If you only occasionally stay with Choice Hotels, a good travel rewards card with transferable rewards may offer more flexibility.