Choice Privileges® Select
Wells Fargo's Choice Hotels Travel Card
Practical Recommendation
This is a classic sleeper card: low annual fee, easy value. The 30,000 anniversary points can wipe out the fee by themselves, and the 10x earn at Choice hotels stacks with your program points. If your travels include Scandinavia and the rest of Europe where Choice has value pockets, it gets even better.
The tradeoff is simple: perks are lighter than Hyatt or Marriott, and the brand lineup can be hit-or-miss. Bottom line: if you stay with Choice even occasionally, this is a painless keeper you do not have to babysit.
Credits
Practical Advice
This is what makes or breaks a card for you. If you can use these credits in your normal spend, the perks and protections are all bonus for you. We have a calculator at the bottom of this section to help you calculate that. Below we break down exactly what every credit is to show you if it's easy or if they're going to make you jump through 17 hoops to redeem it.
- Trusted Traveler Program credit (up to $120 every 4 years) – One statement credit (up to $120) when you pay an application or renewal fee for Global Entry or Transportation Security Administration PreCheck with the card. No portals or hoops beyond using this card; credit posts after the charge. If your airport lines are already short or you are already enrolled, this can be $0 value.
| What It Is: | A statement credit up to $120 every 4 years for one Global Entry or Transportation Security Administration PreCheck application or renewal. |
| How It Works: | Pay the application or renewal fee with the card; a statement credit posts within about 60 days. You can use it for yourself or someone else. |
| Gotchas: | It is one credit per four-year window, and only fees paid directly to the official program sites count. Government processing times can be slow. |
| Who Actually Benefits: | Flyers who want shorter security and reentry lines at least a couple of times per year. |
| Practical Value: | Easy, near-certain value if you are not already enrolled; otherwise, assume $0. |
This is effectively what you are paying for this card. It is now up to you if the perks, protections, and earning rates are worth this fee to you over other cards.
Perks
- Earning rates (detail) – 10x at choice hotels and on Choice points purchases; 5x at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plan services; 1x on everything else. Use it for Choice stays and everyday categories you already spend in.
- 30,000 anniversary points – Awarded every account anniversary if your account is open and in good standing. Often covers the annual fee on its own.
- Automatic Platinum Elite + 20 elite night credits – You get Platinum Elite status and 20 elite night credits each calendar year, which boosts earn on paid stays and helps with rollover nights.
- No foreign transaction fees – Use the card abroad without extra percentage fees.
- Mastercard World Elite extras – Concierge, travel and lifestyle services, and golf access; useful occasionally, not a reason to apply.
Protections
- Cell phone protection – Up to $800 per claim, 2 claims per 12 months, $25 deductible, when you pay your monthly wireless bill with the card. Handy if you skip insurance on your phone.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver – Coverage for damage or theft of a rental car (up to $50,000) when you pay with the card and decline the agency's coverage; useful for short rentals.
- Trip cancellation & interruption protection – Reimburses non-refundable common-carrier tickets for covered reasons, up to $5,000 per covered traveler per trip (caps apply).
- Lost baggage reimbursement – Reimburses eligible items if your bags are lost due to theft or misdirection by the carrier.
- $1,000,000 common carrier travel accident insurance – Accidental death and dismemberment coverage on covered trips.
- Mastercard ID theft protection – Monitoring and resolution help (enrollment required).