Card benefits change often, and this page may be out of date by the time you read it. Always check the bank’s page and your card’s guide to benefits for the current terms before you rely on a benefit.
The Choice Privileges Mastercard is Wells Fargo’s no-annual-fee Choice Hotels card: 5x at Choice Hotels booked direct, 3x on gas and EV charging, groceries, home improvement and phone plans, 1x elsewhere, automatic Choice Gold Elite status, and up to $800 of cell phone protection.
The limited-time 60,000-point bonus for just $1,000 of spending is the headline. Below is how it earns, what Choice points are actually worth, the protections, the application rules (they differ from Wells Fargo’s other cards), and my verdict.
Choice Privileges (no fee) at a glance
- Annual fee: $0
- Current public offer: 60,000 Choice points after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (as of October 14, 2026, per Doctor of Credit)
- Is it the best ever?: It’s a good one: Wells Fargo marks it as a limited-time offer, up from the usual 40,000 points, and it needs only $1,000 of spending.
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Best for: People who stay at Choice brands (Comfort, Quality Inn, Cambria, Ascend, Radisson in the U.S.) or want cheap award nights in places where Choice points go far, such as Scandinavia and Japan.
- Skip it if: You don’t stay at Choice Hotels: the points are worth about 0.6 cents each, so 3x on everyday categories is roughly 1.8% back.
- Bank’s page: Choice Privileges Mastercard on wellsfargo.com
Jump to: Highlights · Earning · Status and perks · Insurance · Application rules · My take · The catch · Keep it? · Offer history · Quick Answers
The highlights
- 5x at Choice Hotels booked direct (choicehotels.com, the hotel or Choice’s service center) and on Choice point purchases
- 3x at gas stations and EV charging, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans; 1x elsewhere; no bonus through digital wallets, online marketplaces or third-party payment accounts
- Choice Privileges Gold Elite status through 10 Elite Qualifying Nights each calendar year, plus Choice’s new Milestone Rewards
- Cell phone protection up to $800 per claim ($25 deductible) when you pay your phone bill with the card
- Mastercard World Elite benefits; no annual fee; no foreign transaction fees
How it earns
| Category | Rate | Caps and fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Choice Hotels stays booked direct, and Choice point purchases | 5x | Stays booked on choicehotels.com, directly with the hotel or through the Choice Hotels Service Center |
| Gas stations and EV charging | 3x | Including automated fuel dispensers |
| Grocery stores | 3x | Grocery stores, supermarkets, delis and bakeries |
| Home improvement | 3x | Home improvement and hardware stores, nurseries and garden supply, furniture and appliance stores |
| Phone plans | 3x | Landline and cell phone providers |
| Everything else | 1x | No cap |
Bonus points aren’t earned on purchases made through digital wallets, mobile card readers, online marketplaces or third-party payment accounts, so paying with Apple Pay or PayPal can drop you to 1x. I value Choice points at about 0.6 cents each, so 5x is roughly 3% and 3x is roughly 1.8%. Wells Fargo points from an Autograph Journey also transfer to Choice at 1:2 if you need to top up.
Status and perks
- Choice Privileges Gold Elite status: the card adds 10 Elite Qualifying Nights to your Choice account each calendar year (within 14 days of opening, then each January if the card was open on December 31), which guarantees Gold. Gold’s perks are modest, such as bonus points on stays.
- What are Milestone Rewards? Choice’s program that pays bonus points or gift cards when you hit nights or spending thresholds in a calendar year. Card spending counts toward the credits threshold, but the 10 card nights don’t count toward the nights threshold.
- Mastercard World Elite benefits: concierge, travel and lifestyle services, and Mastercard’s merchant offers.
- Where Choice points go far: Choice-affiliated hotels in Scandinavia and Japan often price much lower in points than their cash rates. In the U.S., the value is mostly at budget and mid-range brands.
- No anniversary bonus, no statement credits and no Global Entry credit on the no-fee card; those come with the $95 Choice Privileges Select (30,000 anniversary points, Platinum status).
Insurance and protections
| Benefit | What the bank says |
|---|---|
| Cell phone protection | Up to $800 per claim for damage or theft, $25 deductible, two claims per 12 months, when you pay your monthly phone bill with the card (phones that just disappear aren’t covered) |
| Auto rental collision damage waiver | Not listed on the card page |
| Trip delay, cancellation and baggage coverage | None listed |
| Other | Mastercard World Elite security benefits and zero liability; details are in the Choice Privileges World Elite Mastercard Guide to Benefits |
From Wells Fargo’s Choice Privileges page and footnotes (checked October 14, 2026). The page only lists cell phone protection and refers to the World Elite guide for the rest.
For how this compares with other cards, see my card travel benefits comparison.
Application rules for this card
- You may not get the bonus if you opened a Choice Privileges Mastercard or Choice Privileges Select Mastercard in the last 15 months, even if it’s closed (Wells Fargo’s card page wording). That’s shorter than the 48 months on Wells Fargo’s own cards.
- You may not be approved for a Choice Mastercard at all if you currently have either Choice card open, so you pick one: the no-fee card or the $95 Select.
- Like any personal card, it counts toward Chase’s 5/24 rule. More in my Wells Fargo rules.
The full rules for every bank are in my credit card application rules guide.
My take
60,000 points for $1,000 of spending on a no-fee card is an easy bonus to earn. At about 0.6 cents a point that’s roughly $360 of budget hotel stays, though Choice points go surprisingly far in Scandinavia and Japan, where the same points can be worth a lot more.
The real fee is zero, so the only question is whether you’ll use Choice points. If you will, grab it while it’s at 60,000 rather than the usual 40,000; if you won’t, the bonus is still about $360 for $1,000 of spending, which isn’t bad.
As an everyday card it’s weaker than it looks, because 3x Choice points is about 1.8% back, less than a plain 2% card.
The catch
Choice points are worth about 0.6 cents, so the earning rates look bigger than they are, and digital wallet or marketplace purchases earn only 1x. Gold status is a modest perk.
You can only hold one of the two Choice cards, and the 15-month bonus rule applies across both, so decide between this and the $95 Select before you apply.
Keep it after year one?
The fee is $0, so the real fee is $0. It’s fine to keep since it’s free, and the yearly 10 nights keep you at Gold, but I wouldn’t use it for everyday spending unless you’re saving toward a specific Choice redemption.
Offer history
Quick Answers
No. The Choice Privileges Mastercard has no annual fee; the Choice Privileges Select costs $95.
As of October 14, 2026 it’s 60,000 points after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, a limited-time offer up from 40,000.
Choice Privileges Gold Elite, through 10 Elite Qualifying Nights added to your account each calendar year.
I value them at about 0.6 cents each in the U.S., so 60,000 points is roughly $360, though they can be worth much more at Choice partner hotels in Scandinavia and Japan.
No. Wells Fargo says you may not be eligible for a Choice Mastercard if you already have either Choice card open.
Last checked: October 14, 2026. Card terms change often, so confirm on the bank’s page before you apply. There are no affiliate or referral links on this site, ever; links go to the bank’s own page.