- Review: Is the Hotels.com Rewards Visa the best credit card for you?
- Comparison: Hotels.com Rewards Visa vs other no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
- How to earn rewards from the Hotels.com Rewards Visa
- How to use rewards
- Benefits and features
- Fees and costs
- Hotels.com Rewards Visa — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card, Citi® Double Cash Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
The Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card is not tied to a specific hotel chain, but is instead usable for hundreds of thousands of hotels and properties around the globe. However, the card's effective return rate barely outpaces no-annual-fee cash back cards such as the Citi® Double Cash Card — which earns rewards that are much more flexible.
Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card
Insider’s Rating A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Icon of check mark inside a promo stamp It indicates a confirmed selection. Perks Info icon Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on purchases with your card and collect 1 stamp for every night you stay at any eligible property booked on Hotels.com. When you collect 10 stamps, you'll get 1 reward night to redeem on future bookings through Hotels.com.Annual Fee$0
Intro APRN/A
Regular APR17.99% to 25.99% Variable
Intro Offer Info icon two reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first six monthsEarn up to three reward nights (each worth up to $125)
Recommended CreditGood to Excellent
Pros- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn reward nights without worrying about complex hotel loyalty programs
- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No annual fee and no foreign currency conversion fees
- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Automatic Silver Membership that comes with VIP perks as long as your card remains open
- con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Rewards are only good for reward nights hotel stays
- con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No bonus rewards categories
Hotels.com Rewards Visa Overview
We all have varying goals for what we want our credit card rewards to achieve for us — from cash back to cheap flights to free cruises. If your primary credit card rewards goal is not discounted hotel stays, the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card is not for you.
If discounted hotel stays is your goal, this card still may not be the best option for your wallet. It certainly offers a nice upside when compared to many other hotel credit cards in that you can stay in almost any hotel instead of being tied to a specific hotel loyalty program. You can even stay in other forms of accommodation, such as apartments and home rentals.
Hotels.com lets you book at more than 500,000 properties around the world, whereas even a huge hotel loyalty program like Marriott only has 7,600+ properties worldwide. This means the rewards you earn with the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card will be significantly easier to redeem than other hotel credit cards. You also won't have to worry about blackout dates. And because it comes with a $0 annual fee, there's no risk to opening it and deciding later that it doesn't fit your lifestyle.
The one thing this card doesn't offer that you'll find with other hotel credit cards is a way to achieve outsized value for your rewards. If your goal is to stay in luxury (or even four-star) hotels, this card isn't your best bet. Instead consider cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or Hilton Honors American Express Card. You'll be married to one specific loyalty program, but the value you receive for swiping can potentially be exponentially more valuable.
Compare the Hotels.com Rewards Visa
Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card | Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Bilt Mastercard® | |
Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rewards rate | Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on card purchases (10 stamps = 1 rewards night) | 2% cash rewards on purchases | 1x points on rent purchases (on up to $100,000 every year)* 2x points on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, car rentals, or cruise lines* 3x points on dining (including food delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub)* 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
|
Welcome bonus | two reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first six months | $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening | N/A |
Card benefits | Hotels.com Silver status for as long as your card is open Cell phone protection Secondary car rental insurance Trip interruption and cancellation insurance Travel accident insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement | Cell phone protection Visa Signature Concierge Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement Access to the Visa Signature Hotel Collection | World Elite Mastercard® benefits including: Cellular Telephone Protection Purchase assurance Lyft Credits Mastercard Luxury Hotel & Resorts Concierge Service |
Review | Wells Fargo Active Cash card review | Bilt Mastercard review |
*Bilt cardholders must make at least five purchases per billing cycle to earn rewards on this card
How to earn rewards from the Hotels.com Rewards Visa
Once you sign up for the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card, you'll receive two reward nights (each worth up to $125) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and a third reward night after spending $4,000 on total purchases in the first six months.
Beyond the initial offer, you'll earn another "stamp" on your card worth $110 for every $500 you charge to your credit card. These stamps accumulate until you've earned 10, at which point you'll earn a reward night valued at the average number of all 10 stamps.
The reason this is important is because there are other ways to earn stamps — namely, booking stays through Hotels.com. For example:
- If you spend $2,000 on your card, you'll receive four stamps worth $110 each
- If you book four nights at a rate of $150 per night, you'll get four stamps worth $150 each
- If you book two nights at a fancy hotel costing $350 per night, you'll get two stamps worth $350 each
Once you reach your tenth night, you'll receive the average value of these above nights, which is $174.
It's certainly possible to earn rewards nights without ever stepping foot in a hotel by just using your card. For every $5,000 you spend, you'll get a credit worth $110 toward a hotel stay. But this return rate amounts to just 2.2% back. There are many cash back credit cards that also come with a $0 annual fee which can compete or exceed this return for everyday spending — and cash back can be used for more than just hotels.
How to use rewards
You can redeem your reward nights for any of the 500,000 properties listed on Hotels.com without blackout dates or restrictions. This makes the process remarkably easy, which adds value to the rewards that come from the Hotels.com program.
Even better, Hotels.com lets you book more than just hotels. You can use your rewards to book vacation homes, apartments, all-inclusive resorts, bed-and-breakfasts, etc. You'll get a lot more variety than had you invested in a traditional hotel loyalty program.
Benefits and features
Cell phone protection
When you pay your phone bill each month with the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card, you'll receive automatic cell phone coverage worth up to $600 per claim. You can make two claims per 12-month period. Plus, your deductible is only $25 — notably more reasonable than many other phone insurances offered by competing credit cards.
Hotels.com Silver status
You'll qualify for a Hotels.com Silver membership for as long as you keep the card open.
Silver membership can get you free breakfast, free airport transfers, free internet access, and other perks at select VIP properties. Benefits vary depending on the hotel you stay at — not all hotels participate in this Hotels.com program, after all.
Rental car insurance
When renting in the US, you'll receive secondary rental car insurance covering you for theft and damage (up to the actual cash value of the car) when using your Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card to pay for your rental. This covers things that your personal insurance won't cover.
When renting outside the US, your coverage will be primary. In other words, if you ding your car, your personal insurance doesn't have to know anything about it — your credit card will cover you for theft, damage, and valid loss-of-use charges.
Travel accident insurance
When you pay for travel with this card, you're covered for up to $150,000 for travel accident insurance when the accident is caused by the common carrier. A common carrier is defined as a motorized land, water, or air conveyance such as airlines, cruises, etc.
Accidents such as bodily injury, loss of speech, loss of sight, loss of a hand or foot, etc.
Travel and emergency assistance services
If you experience an emergency during your travels, you've got local emergency and assistance resources available to you 24/7 with this card. You can get assistance with things like:
- Medical referrals
- Legal referrals
- Emergency transportation
- Lost luggage locator services
- Prescription assistance
- Valuable document delivery arrangements
While this assistance is free, you'll have to pay for any services you need.
Roadside dispatch
For a $69.95 fee, you can take advantage of a suite of roadside dispatch benefits. Here's what you'll get:
- Standard Towing — Up to 5 miles included (you'll have to pay extra for a longer distance)
- Tire Changing — must have good, inflated spare
- Jump Starting
- Lockout Service (no key replacement)
- Fuel Delivery — up to 5 gallons (plus the cost of fuel)
- Standard Winching
This is a pay-per-use program, so you'll pay the flat fee for each service call. There's no limit to the number of times you can use this, and there's no enrollment or membership required.
Fees and costs
This card comes with a $0 annual fee. That's great, as you're able to keep it forever for absolutely free. It also doesn't incur foreign currency conversion fees.
However, you'll still be charged for things like balance transfer fees, cash advance fees, and late or returned payments.
Hotels.com Rewards Visa — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the Hotels.com credit card worth it? Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Because the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card comes with a $0 annual fee, it's certainly worth opening to see if it fits your travel style. There are also no foreign currency conversion fees, so it's a great companion when traveling abroad.
However, the card is hardly more rewarding than a bog-standard no annual fee 2% cash back credit card.
Where can I use Hotels.com credit card rewards? Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.You can use your rewards at any hotel, apartment, bed and breakfast, etc. that appears on Hotels.com — currently over 500,000 properties worldwide.
What are my Hotels.com credit card approval odds? Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Insider generally recommends that you not open a travel rewards credit card unless your credit score is at least 700. You could certainly be approved for this card with a lower credit score, but you'll have the best odds with a score in the 700s or above.
How do I pay my Hotels.com credit card? Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Wells Fargo issues the Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card. Your Hotels.com credit card login is through the Wells Fargo site. That's where you'll find your card balance and benefits, and you can pay your card bill from there.
Joseph Hostetler Credit cards reporter Joseph Hostetler is a credit card expert who specializes in helpful miles and points tricks. He is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).Joseph has more than six years of experience writing professionally about credit cards, previously authoring and editing for The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets. Read more Read less 
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