IHG One Rewards Premier vs Wyndham Earner Plus: Which Is Better In 2025?

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Breakdown

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Why We Like It

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Here’s a closer look at what makes the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card a compelling option for brand loyalists.

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• The card offers accelerated rewards on common spending categories like gas, dining, and groceries.
• Cardholders receive automatic Wyndham Rewards Platinum status and pay no foreign transaction fees, though the card does have an annual fee.
• The 7,500 anniversary bonus points can be enough to offset the annual fee, as they can be redeemed for up to one free night each year (publisher-formulated estimate).

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Pros

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• High earning rates on Wyndham stays as well as on gas, dining, and grocery purchases.
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Platinum status, which comes with perks like early check-in and rental car upgrades.
• Annual bonus points awarded each anniversary year, which can be enough for a free night at participating hotels.

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Cons

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• The card charges an annual fee, and the anniversary bonus points may not be enough to cover a free night at more desirable properties.
• Rewards lack flexibility, as points provide the most value only when redeemed for Wyndham hotel stays.
• It lacks certain perks offered by competing hotel cards, such as an automatic free anniversary night certificate.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus vs IHG One Rewards Premier

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, IHG One Rewards Premier or Wyndham Earner Plus, depends entirely on your travel habits and hotel loyalty.

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• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: This card is an excellent choice for frequent travelers, particularly those who regularly stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card: This hotel credit card is best suited for loyalists who are frequent guests of Wyndham properties, including its hotels and vacation rentals.

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Redemption

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IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Points earned with this card can be redeemed for reward nights across IHG's extensive portfolio of hotels and resorts. Cardholders may also find flexible redemption options, including using a combination of points and cash.

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Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card: This card allows you to redeem points for free or discounted nights at thousands of participating hotels, vacation club resorts, and rental properties. The program is known for its simple, tiered award chart for booking stays.

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Travel Perks

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• Foreign Transaction Fees: The IHG One Rewards Premier card is ideal for international travel as it typically does not charge foreign transaction fees. In contrast, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus card does include a foreign transaction fee on purchases made abroad.
• Elite Status: Both cards offer a shortcut to elite status. The IHG card grants automatic Platinum Elite status, while the Wyndham card provides complimentary Wyndham Rewards Platinum membership.
• Travel Credits and Perks: The IHG Premier card comes packed with valuable travel perks, including a statement credit for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, and a fourth-night-free benefit on award stays. The Wyndham Earner Plus card does not offer similar travel credits but does award bonus points annually on your cardmember anniversary.
• Airport Lounge Access: Neither of these cards offers complimentary airport lounge access as a cardholder benefit.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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Kudos is a comprehensive tool designed to help you compare top-rated credit cards and maximize your rewards.

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• Test drive credit cards using your real spending data to see potential earnings before you apply, without a hard credit pull.
• Receive personalized approval odds for various credit cards based on your credit report.
• Take advantage of a welcome offer guarantee, where Kudos will match a better offer if you find one within three months of approval.
• Earn extra rewards, called Kudos Boost, on top of your regular card rewards when shopping at participating stores.
• Get personalized card recommendations based on your unique spending history.

Who Should Choose the IHG One Rewards Premier?

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The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is tailor-made for travelers who frequently stay at IHG properties like Holiday Inn, InterContinental, or Kimpton. These cardholders will get the most value from its automatic Platinum Elite status, which offers perks like room upgrades, and the fourth-night-free benefit on longer award stays. Ultimately, if you can maximize the annual free night certificate, this card easily justifies its annual fee for any dedicated IHG loyalist.

Who Should Choose the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus?

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The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card is tailored for frequent guests of Wyndham properties who want to maximize rewards on their stays and everyday spending. Cardholders who can take full advantage of the accelerated earning on gas, dining, and groceries will find significant value, especially when combined with perks like automatic Platinum status and 7,500 anniversary points. As a comprehensive review notes, it’s best for brand loyalists comfortable with the $75 annual fee, rather than travelers seeking flexible rewards outside the Wyndham ecosystem.

Alternatives to Consider

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If our IHG One Rewards Premier vs Wyndham Earner Plus comparison has left you feeling like neither card is the perfect match, don't worry. There are plenty of other excellent travel rewards cards to consider that might better suit your spending habits and travel goals.

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_{Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.}

Tips for Application Success

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Before You Apply

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• Check your credit score – Most travel rewards cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
• Plan your spending – Make sure you can comfortably meet the minimum spend for the welcome offer.
• Understand the ecosystem – Review the hotel's properties and partners to ensure the points will be valuable to you.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application with a large purchase to help meet the welcome offer's spending requirement.
• Search for the best available welcome offer, as they can vary across different platforms or browsers.
• Be aware of issuer-specific rules, such as limits on how many cards you can open or welcome offers you can receive.

Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Do both the IHG One Rewards Premier and Wyndham Earner Plus cards have an annual fee?

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Yes, both the IHG One Rewards Premier and the Wyndham Earner Plus cards typically come with an annual fee. These fees grant cardholders access to premium benefits like elite status and anniversary rewards.

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Which card offers a better anniversary bonus?

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The value of the anniversary bonus depends on your travel habits, as the IHG Premier card offers a free night certificate while the Wyndham Earner Plus provides bonus points. The IHG free night is valid at properties up to a certain point value, whereas the Wyndham points offer more redemption flexibility.

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Can I use the points from these cards for anything other than hotel stays?

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Yes, both loyalty programs allow you to redeem points for other travel, merchandise, or gift cards. However, the redemption value for these options is often lower than when used for hotel stays.

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