Choice Privileges Mastercard review: A no-annual-fee option for travelers
Choice Privileges Mastercard overview
The Choice Privileges® Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is a no-annual-fee option for travelers who enjoy staying at Choice Hotels properties. The card offers several perks, including 5 points per dollar spent when you use it to pay for qualifying Choice Hotels stays and 10 elite night credits per calendar year. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
If you frequently stay at Choice Hotels, you might consider the Choice Privileges Mastercard. This card has no annual fee (see rates and fees), so it can be a good option to earn Choice points on purchases if you want a no-annual-fee card.
The Choice Privileges Mastercard launched in early 2023 ahead of Choice Privileges’ integration of Radisson Rewards Americas. Successful applicants usually have a credit score of at least 670; here’s what else you need to know about the Choice Privileges Mastercard to decide if it’s right for your wallet.
Choice Privileges Mastercard pros and cons
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Choice Privileges Mastercard welcome offer
New Choice Privileges Mastercard cardholders can earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
As of December 2024, TPG values Choice points at 0.6 cents each. So, you should be able to get about $240 worth of value from this welcome offer. This isn’t the most valuable welcome offer we’ve seen on this card; previously, new cardholders could earn 60,000 Choice points for the same amount of spending.
Related: Your complete guide to earning and redeeming with Choice Privileges
Choice Privileges Mastercard benefits
As a no-annual-fee card, the Choice Privileges Mastercard doesn’t offer many benefits. But cardholders will enjoy:
- 10 elite night credits each calendar year, which is enough for Gold status and can give you a head start toward higher status tiers
- No foreign currency conversion fees when you use your card for purchases outside the U.S.
- Up to $800 per claim of Cellular Telephone Protection that may cover damage to or theft of a cellphone when you pay your monthly cellphone bill with your card (subject to a $25 deductible, maximum of two claims per 12-month period)
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, including additional security benefits and services
Choice Privileges Gold status provides nice benefits, including a 10% bonus on points when you stay with Choice, some on-site perks, and the ability to match your status to Penn Play Rewards.
However, if you frequently stay with Choice Hotels or are striving for a higher tier of Choice Privileges elite status, the $95-annual-fee Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® (see rates and fees) might be a better choice.
Related: How and why to register for Choice Hotels Personalized Weeknight Benefits
Earning points on the Choice Privileges Mastercard
You’ll earn Choice Privileges points with your Choice Privileges Mastercard. Specifically, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent when you use your card to pay for stays at participating Choice Hotels properties that you booked directly.
However, check the list of eligible locations before paying for your stay since some international Choice Hotels locations aren’t eligible.
You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar spent when you use your card to pay for qualifying purchases of Choice Privileges points and 3 points per dollar spent on phone plan services and purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and home improvement stores.
Finally, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases with your Choice Privileges Mastercard.
Related: How to earn points with the Choice Privileges Eat & Earn dining rewards program
Redeeming points on the Choice Privileges Mastercard
There are many ways to redeem Choice Privileges points earned with the Choice Privileges Mastercard. But you’ll usually get the most value when redeeming for Choice Hotels stays.
The Choice Privileges loyalty program offers set rates for each hotel based on the day of the week you stay. The rates for a specific property may change every few months but are clearly defined on each hotel’s landing page.
You can expect to redeem between 6,000 and 35,000 points per night at most Choice Hotels properties. This means you can stay in the heart of most major U.S. cities for 35,000 Choice points per night or less.
I like to redeem Choice points for stays in Europe and Japan, where I can usually snag a centrally located hotel for just 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 points per night.
One drawback of the Choice Privileges program is that you can only book award nights within 100 days of your stay. However, this is changing in early 2025, when Choice will extend the booking window to a much more reasonable 50 weeks.
Finally, if you’re a fan of college sports, you might get significant value by redeeming Choice points for a unique experience with your favorite team.
Related: Unique ways to redeem Choice Privileges points
Transferring points on the Choice Privileges Mastercard
You can transfer Choice points to select airline loyalty programs, including Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and United Airlines MileagePlus.
However, transferring Choice points to airline loyalty programs will usually provide less value than redeeming for hotel stays. As such, we recommend getting a card that earns transferable points, cash-back rewards or airline miles if you aren’t interested in redeeming Choice points for stays.
Which cards compete with the Choice Privileges Mastercard?
Unless you’re specifically looking for a no-annual-fee credit card that earns Choice points, another card may be a better fit. Here are some other cards you should consider before applying for the Choice Privileges Mastercard:
- If you’re willing to pay an annual fee: The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard will likely be a better option. This card offers higher earning rates on purchases, 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary, 20 elite night credits every calendar year, and more. These benefits will provide more value than the card’s $95 annual fee for many travelers. To learn more, check out our full review of the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard.
- If you want to earn more general rewards: You can transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio if you have a card like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees). The benefit of getting one of these cards instead of the Choice Privileges Mastercard is that there are more ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points. To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi Strata Premier.
- If you want a different hotel brand: The World of Hyatt Credit Card has a $95 annual fee but comes with perks like an annual free night award and complimentary Discoverist status. Hyatt points are very valuable, so if you’re flexible with hotel brands, this card is worth considering. To learn more, check out our full review of the World of Hyatt card.
For additional options, check out our picks for the best hotel cards.
Related: 3 reasons you need a credit card with your favorite hotel brand
Is the Choice Privileges Mastercard worth it?
If you’re not open to paying an annual fee for a hotel card and you stay with Choice Hotels at least a couple of times each year, the Choice Privileges Mastercard is worth applying for. Its complimentary Gold elite status and bonus earnings on Choice purchases are nice perks. If you’re a big Choice Hotels fan, consider the higher-tier Choice Privileges Select Mastercard instead.
Bottom line
Most travelers considering a cobranded Choice Hotels credit card will find the extra perks on the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard make it a better value than the Choice Privileges Mastercard.
But, if you’re only in the market for a no-annual-fee card, the Choice Privileges Mastercard does offer 10 elite night credits each year — enough for Gold elite status in the Choice Privileges program — and 5 points per dollar spent on eligible Choice Hotels stays.
Apply here: Choice Privileges Mastercard
