Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Review 2024

• Introducing the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
• Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Quick Facts
• What Is the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Best For?
• Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Rewards
• Other Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Benefits
• Fine Print
• How the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Stacks Up
• Is the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard for You?
• Methodology

If you’re a fan of Choice Hotels, the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* could be the card you’ve been waiting for. For a $95 annual fee, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar at participating Choice Hotels properties, 5 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans from landline and cell phone providers and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Plus, new cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within 3 months, which is enough to redeem for several reward nights at select Choice Hotel properties.

You’ll receive an additional 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary—enough for up to three nights at any eligible Choice Hotels property. Cardholders also receive 20 Elite Night Credits each year, which instantly earns you Platinum status, and gets you halfway to top-tier Diamond status.

The benefits continue with an available statement credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee reimbursement. Those who often travel abroad will appreciate that this card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. It also comes with World Elite Mastercard benefits including cellphone protection of up to $800 (subject to a $25 deductible).

However, this card’s base earnings rate of 1 point per dollar is less than what some competing hotel cards earn and the points you do earn will be less flexible than other travel card currencies. It’s also worth noting that some flexible rewards card points can be transferred to Choice Privileges. The most valuable include cards that participate in the Citi ThankYou® program as ThankYou points transfer to Choice Privileges at a ratio of 1:2 or 1:1.5 depending on which Citi card you hold. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card also allow points transfers to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio.

• $95 annual fee
• Earn 10 points per dollar at participating Choice Hotels properties, 5 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans from landline and cell phone providers and 1 point per dollar on other purchases
• Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within 3 months
• Get 30,000 bonus points each year on your account anniversary
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years
• Enjoy World Elite Mastercard benefits

The card is ideal for someone who prefers Choice Hotels and is seeking a status boost from holding the card. Although Choice properties are typically associated with value stays in the U.S., the hotel portfolio encompasses properties in over 40 different countries and includes a handful of highly rated all-inclusive properties in Mexico and the Caribbean, for international travelers. The high-end Preferred Hotels & Resorts collection of properties are also bookable with Choice Privileges, unlocking multiple luxury options for excellent redemption values.

Earning Rewards

The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* earns 10 points per dollar at participating Choice Hotels properties, 5 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans from landline and cell phone providers and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. The card is also offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within 3 months.

Redeeming Rewards

Choice Hotels encompasses a wide variety of brands from the economical Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Comfort Inn and Suites brands, to the upscale Ascend Hotel Collection and Cambria Hotels. Award nights range start at 8,000 points per night or 6,000 Choice Privileges points plus a cash copay. Through Choice’s partnership with the Preferred Hotels & Resorts collection, you can also book nights at participating hotels for between 25,000 to 55,000 points. Notably, all award stays can only be booked 100 days in advance.

Choice Hotels also offers point transfers to partners through the Choice Privileges Rewards Exchange. You’ll need at least 5,000 points to make an exchange and the transfers involve a loss of value. Partners include Aeromexico Club Premier, Air Canada Aeroplan, Alaska Mileage Plan, Qantas FrequentFlyer, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Rapid Rewards and Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage earners bring in $118,438 annually and have $39,337 in expenses that can reasonably be charged to a credit card. We base our sample household spending on these numbers.

One benefit of Elite Platinum membership (which comes with this card) that’s easy to overlook is that it gives you a 25% points-earning boost on eligible hotel stays. So you’ll actually earn 12.5 points per dollar on stays: 10 points per dollar spent as a cardholder plus 2.50 points per dollar via your Platinum status.

Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* Rewards Potential
Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Eligible Choice properties	12.5X	$2,858	35,725 points
Gas, groceries, telephone plans, home improvement	5X	$13,017	65,085 points
All other purchases	1X	$23,462	23,462 points
			Total: 124,272 points

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The Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* offers a handful of valuable additional benefits.

• Elite Platinum Status perks. As an Elite Platinum member, you earn an additional 25% points bonus on spend at select Choice Hotels properties. Plus you’ll get early check-in and late check-out, reserved elite parking spaces and an elite welcome gift in the U.S. and Canada.
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit. Enroll in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and receive a statement credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®*.
• Cellphone protection. Get reimbursed up to $800 of coverage if your phone is lost or damaged provided that you pay your monthly cellphone bill with your card (a $25 deductible applies).
• World Elite Mastercard benefits. Other notable World Elite benefits include ID Theft Protection as well as special offers from Peacock, Instacart, Lyft and ShopRunner.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.99% - 29.99% variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $95
• Balance transfer fee: 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* vs. Choice Privileges® Mastercard®*

If you’re a Choice Hotels fan, but you don’t want to pay an annual fee, you may want to consider the Choice Privileges® Mastercard®*. The card carries no annual fee and earns 5 points per dollar at participating Choice Hotels properties, 3 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans from landline and cell phone providers and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

While the card is more cost-effective than the Select card, it also lacks some of its benefits, including the 30,000 bonus points each card anniversary and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement. Cardholders do receive 10 Elite Night Credits per year, but that’s only good enough to achieve automatic Gold status as opposed to the higher-tier Platinum.

Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* vs. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (terms apply, see rates & fees) is the mid-tier option among the family of Hilton Honors credit cards. It has a $150 annual fee that offers solid Hilton benefits at a reasonable cost.

For starters, the card earns 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations, 4 points on eligible U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points for other eligible purchases. It also comes with Hilton Honors™ Gold elite loyalty status which offers a daily food and beverage credit or breakfast at participating hotels and room upgrades when available.

If you spend $15,000 within a calendar year on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, you’ll earn a Free Night Award.

The Choice Privileges reward program is often overshadowed by larger hotel loyalty programs like World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Rewards and Hilton Honors. But the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®* is a unique credit card offering that could put the program back on the map for credit card points and travel enthusiasts.

Enhanced spend bonuses at useful shopping categories make the card useful every day and the 30,000 bonus points earned every account anniversary make renewing the card valuable. However, if you want the option to redeem your points at any hotel brand, you should opt for a flexible rewards credit instead.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points of miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor rates credit cards

To view rates and fees for Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card please visit this page.