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You can use rewards from this card to stay at properties like the Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara.
Hotel Californian/Facebook
Bottom line: 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.
Review: Is the Hotels.com Rewards Visa the best credit card for you?
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 Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card 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.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Comparison: Hotels.com Rewards Visa vs other no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card
IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
Annual fee
Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit CardHilton Honors American Express CardIHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
Rewards rate
Collect 1 stamp each time you spend $500 on card purchases
(10 stamps = 1 rewards night)
7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels
5 points per dollar spent at eligible US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations
3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
5x points at IHG Hotels and Resorts
3x points on monthly bills, gas stations, and restaurants
2 point per dollar on everything else
Welcome bonus offer
Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit CardHilton Honors American Express CardIHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
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
Hilton Silver elite status
Upgrade to Gold status after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
Secondary car rental insurance
Global Assist Hotline
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers
No foreign transaction fees
Fourth reward night free on award stays of three or more nights
IHG Gold elite status when you spend $10,000 or more on purchases in a calendar year
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
Cell phone protection
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Travel accident insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Baggage delay insurance
Travel and emergency assistance services
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
20% discount on IHG point purchases with your card
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Hilton Honors American Express card reviewIHG Rewards Traveler card review
Hotels.com Rewards Visa vs other Wells Fargo credit cards
Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card
Bilt Mastercard®
Annual fee
Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit CardWells Fargo Active Cash℠ CardBilt Mastercard®
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 $50,000 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
Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit CardWells Fargo Active Cash℠ CardBilt Mastercard®
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:
Cell phone insurance
Purchase assurance
Lyft, Doordash, and Shoprunner discounts
Mastercard Luxury Hotel & Resorts
World Elite Concierge
Review
Wells Fargo Active Cash card reviewBilt Mastercard review
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 Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card.
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 eachIf you book four nights at a rate of $150 per night, you’ll get three stamps worth $150 eachIf 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 referralsLegal referralsEmergency transportationLost luggage locator servicesPrescription assistanceValuable 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 spareJump StartingLockout 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 Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card 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?
Because the Hotels.com Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card comes with a Hotels.com®️ Rewards Visa®️ Credit Card 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?
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?
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?
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.