Best Western Rewards Visa Signature Card
- Best for: Road-trippers who stay at Best Western several times a year
- What Sets It Apart: Automatic Gold Elite status; 10,000 anniversary points after $5,000 in card-year spending; no annual fee
- Cost: $0 annual fee; no foreign transaction fee; 25.99% to 29.99% APR
- Features: 4 points per $1 at Best Western hotels booked direct; 2 points per $1 on everything else; 10,000 to 40,000-point welcome bonus; cell phone protection up to $800 per claim
- Pros: No annual fee; points never expire; Gold status without five qualifying nights
- Cons: Points worth half a cent each through Pay with Points; no anniversary free night; no nights toward higher status
Carry the Best Western Rewards Visa Signature only if you already stay at Best Western several times a year. The no-fee card’s points and Gold status pay off at Best Western hotels, so if you split your stays among chains, pick a general travel card whose points work at any hotel.
The card replaced the Best Western Rewards Mastercard in 2024 and comes from Mercury Financial, with First Bank & Trust as the issuing bank. Points redeem for free nights, gift cards, and airline miles, or through Pay with Points, which takes $5 off your room rate for every 1,000 points, with a 5,000-point minimum.
Key Features
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
- 4 points per $1 at Best Western hotels when you book with Best Western, 2 points per $1 on everything else
- 10,000 bonus points, worth $50 through Pay with Points, each card year you spend at least $5,000
- Automatic Gold Elite status, which adds 10% bonus points on qualifying nights and 500 bonus points on arrival
- Welcome bonus between 10,000 and 40,000 points after qualifying spending, with your offer shown before you apply
Pros
- Card points come on top of the 10 points per $1 members earn on most Best Western room rates
- Gold Elite status without the five qualifying nights a year it normally takes
- Points never expire
- Cell phone protection up to $800 per claim, after a $100 deductible, when you pay your monthly phone bill with the card
Cons
- Points worth half a cent each at the Pay with Points rate, so 2 points per $1 on everyday spending is worth 1% back
- No anniversary free night, which only the $89-a-year Premium version includes
- Card spending earns no nights toward higher status, so Platinum still takes seven qualifying nights a year
- Welcome bonus can be as small as 10,000 points
- A 25.99% to 29.99% APR, the yearly interest rate on balances you carry
Get it if Best Western is your usual road-trip stop, and put $5,000 a year on it to collect the anniversary points. If you book whichever hotel costs least, a general travel card from our list of the best travel rewards credit cards earns points that aren’t tied to one chain.
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