Travel & Lifestyle

Select Privilege Mastercard review: The no-annual-fee option for travelers

Select Privileges Mastercard Overview

The Choice Privileges® Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is a no-annual-fee option for travelers who prefer to stay at Choice Hotels hotels. The card offers benefits including 5 points per dollar spent when you use the card to pay for eligible stays at select hotels, and 10 Elite Stay points per calendar year. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card ratings are based on the opinions of TPG editors and are not influenced by card issuers.

If you frequently stay at Select hotels, you might consider using the Select Privileges Mastercard. The card has no annual fee (see rates and fees), so if you want a no-annual-fee card, it might be a good option for earning Choice points on purchases.

The Choice Privileges Mastercard launches in early 2023, prior to the integration of Choice Privileges with the Radisson Rewards Americas program. Successful applicants typically have a credit score of at least 670; here’s what else you need to know about choosing a Privilege Mastercard to determine if it’s the right fit for your wallet.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Choosing Privilege Mastercard

advantage shortcoming
  • No annual fee
  • Golden elite status
  • cell phone protection
  • No foreign currency exchange fees (see rates and fees)
  • Doesn’t provide generous benefits to Choice loyalists

Select Privileges Mastercard Welcome Offer

New Choice Privilege Mastercard cardholders can earn 40,000 bonus points when they spend $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Point master

As of December 2024, TPG values ​​Choice points at 0.6 cents each. So you should be able to get about $240 worth of value from this welcome offer. This isn’t the most valuable welcome offer we’ve seen on this card; previously, new cardholders could earn 60,000 Choice points on the same amount of purchases.

Related: Your complete guide to earning and redeeming select perks

Select Privileged Mastercard Offers

As a card with no annual fee, the Choice Privileges Mastercard doesn’t offer much. But cardholders will enjoy:

  • 10 Elite Night Points per calendar year, which is enough to earn Gold status and give you a head start on moving to higher status levels
  • No foreign currency exchange fees when you use your card to make purchases outside the United States
  • When you use your card to pay your monthly cell phone bill, you’re eligible for up to $800 per Cell Phone Protection claim, which may cover your phone if it’s damaged or stolen (subject to a $25 deductible, up to every 12 months Filed two claims)
  • World Elite Mastercard benefits, including additional security benefits and services
Senior woman using phone and laptop in boutique hotel
10,000 Hours/Getty Images

Choice Privilege Gold status comes with great benefits, including a 10% points bonus when you stay at Choice, several on-site benefits and the ability to match your status to Penn Play Rewards.

However, if you frequently stay at Select hotels or are seeking higher levels of Select Privilege elite status, the $95 annual Select Privilege® Select Mastercard® (see rates and fees) may be a better option.

RELATED: How and Why to Sign Up for Boutique International Hotels’ Personalized Weekend Night Package

Earn points with select privileged Mastercards

You’ll earn Select Privilege Points with your Select Privilege Mastercard. Specifically, you’ll earn 5 points per $1 spent when you use your card to pay for stays at select participating hotels booked directly.

However, please check the list of eligible locations before paying for your stay, as some International Select Hotel locations are not eligible.

Woman shopping online
City/Getty Images

Earn 5 points per dollar when you use the card to pay for eligible Choice Privileges points purchases; earn 5 points per dollar on phone plans and on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and home improvement stores. Earn 5 points and 3 points per dollar spent on phone plans and purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and home improvement stores.

Finally, you can earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases with the Choice Privileges Mastercard.

Related: How to earn points with Choice Privileges Eat & Earn

Redeem points with select Mastercard privileges

There are several ways to redeem Choice Privileges points earned with the Choice Privileges Mastercard. But you usually get the best value when redeeming for select hotel stays.

The Choice Privileges loyalty program offers a fixed price for each hotel based on the day of the week you stay. Rates at a specific hotel may change every few months, but are clearly stated on each hotel’s landing page.

You can redeem 6,000 to 35,000 points per night at most select hotels and restaurants. That means you can stay in the heart of most major U.S. cities for 35,000 Choice points per night or less.

Bruce Totsuki BI/Getty Images

I like to use my Choice points for accommodation in Europe and Japan, where I can usually stay at a hotel in the city center for only 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 points per night.

One disadvantage of choosing the Privilege Program is that you can only book award nights within 100 days of check-in. However, that will change in early 2025, when Choice will extend the pre-order window to a more reasonable 50 weeks.

Finally, if you’re a fan of college sports, you can get great value by redeeming Choice points for unique experiences with your favorite teams.

RELATED: A Unique Way to Redeem Select Privilege Points

Transfer Choice Privileges Mastercard Points

You can transfer Choice points to certain airline loyalty programs, including Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, Alaska Airlines Mileage Program and United Airlines MileagePlus.

Zach Grieve/Point Guard

However, the value of transferring Choice points to an airline loyalty program is generally less than the value of redeeming them for a hotel stay. So if you don’t want to redeem your Choice points for stays, we recommend getting a card that earns transferable points, cash back rewards, or airline miles.

Which cards compete with Select Privilege Mastercard?

Unless you’re specifically looking for a no-annual-fee credit card that allows you to earn Choice points, another card may be a better fit. Before applying for the Select Privilege Mastercard, here are some other cards you should consider:

  • If you are willing to pay the annual fee:Select Mastercard may be a better choice. This card offers a higher earn rate on purchases, 30,000 bonus points per account anniversary, 20 Elite Stay points per calendar year, and more. For many travelers, these benefits are worth more than the card’s $95 annual fee. To learn more, check out our full review of the Select Privilege Mastercard.
  • If you want a more general reward: If you have a card such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, you can convert CitiThankYou Rewards points into Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio (see rates and fees). The benefit of getting one of these cards instead of opting for the Privilege Mastercard is that there are more ways to redeem Citi Thank You Points. To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi Strata Premier.
  • If you want a different hotel brand: The World of Hyatt Credit Card has an annual fee of $95, but comes with perks such as annual free night awards and free Explorer status. Hyatt points are extremely valuable, so if you’re flexible about hotel brands, this card is worth considering. To learn more, check out our full review of the World of Hyatt Card.

For other options, check out our picks of the best hotel cards.

Related: 3 Reasons You Need a Credit Card from Your Favorite Restaurant Brand

Is the Mastercard Select Privilege worth it?

If you’re not willing to pay the annual hotel card fee and stay at Select hotels at least a few times a year, it’s worth applying for the Select Privileges Mastercard. Its free Gold Elite status and bonus earnings on select purchases are nice perks. If you’re a fan of Choice Hotels, consider using the Select Mastercard for higher levels of Choice privileges.

bottom line

Most travelers considering a Select Hotel co-branded credit card will find that the additional benefits of choosing the Privileges Select Mastercard make it a better value than choosing the Privileges Mastercard.

However, if you just want a card with no annual fee, the Choice Privileges Mastercard does offer 10 Elite Night Points per year, which is enough to earn Gold Elite status in the Choice Privileges program and earn 5 points per dollar spent on qualifying Boutique international hotel accommodation.


Apply here: Select Privilege Mastercard


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