The Complete Guide To Best Western Rewards: Earning and Redeeming Points

Launched in 1988 as the Gold Crown Club, Best Western Rewards is one of the oldest hotel loyalty programs around.

See our best credit card bonuses here.

The group caters to budget-minded business and family travelers who prioritize price over amenities. And with points that never expire, Best Western Rewards might offer a solid return for your hotel spending. Keep reading to find out if this hotel rewards program is right for you.

Best Western Rewards Quick Facts

Personal credit cards	Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard Best Western Rewards Mastercard
Business credit cards	No business credit cards
Redemption options	Hotel nights Travel cards Rental cars Gift cards Merchandise Transfers to airline partners Charitable donations
Average value per point	$0.007

How Do Best Western Rewards Compare To Other Programs?

Best Western Rewards	0.7 cents
Hilton Honors	0.6 cents
IHG One Rewards	0.7 cents
Marriott Bonvoy	0.7 cents
Radisson Rewards Americas	0.4 cents
World of Hyatt	2.1 cents
Wyndham Rewards	0.9 cents

Best Western Portfolio

The hotel group now offers more than a dozen types of hotels to meet a variety of travel needs:

There are over 4,000 Best Western properties in more than 100 countries, with plenty to choose from in the United States and Canada.

*Click here for a full list of hotel brands and properties.

Best Western Rewards Elite Status

Best Western Rewards has five elite tiers. Everyone that signs up gets access to an exclusive reservations line. Plus, your points never expire.

TIER	REQUIREMENTS	PERKS
Blue	None	10x points on stays No blackout dates on award nights Free nights count toward elite status Early check-in (when available) Late check-out (when available)
Gold	10 nights or 7 stays or 10,000 points	All Blue benefits 10% bonus points on stays (11x points) Room upgrades (where available) Complimentary Water and Points Upon Arrival
Platinum	15 nights or 10 stays or 15,000 points	All Gold benefits 15% bonus points on stays (11.5x points)
Diamond	30 nights or 20 stays or 30,000 points	All Platinum benefits 30% bonus points on stays (13x points)
Diamond Select	50 nights or 40 stays or 50,000 points	All Diamond benefits 50% bonus points on stays (15x points)

*Currently, Best Western is extending your current tier level through January 31, 2022 (excluding Blue tier). For updated information, click here for our source.

Earning Best Western Rewards Points

Hotels Stays

Earn 10x Best Western Rewards points on eligible stays, including taxes in certain locations abroad.

As an elite member, you’ll earn bonus points for your stay. For example, if your stay totaled $100, you’d get:

TIER	BONUS	POINTS
Blue	0%	1,000 points
Gold	10%	1,100 points
Platinum	15%	1,150 points
Diamond	30%	1,300 points
Diamond Select	50%	1,500 points

For the stay to be eligible, you cannot book:

• Through an online travel agency (Expedia, Orbitz, etc.)
• Through a tour operator.
• With a special discount rate (employee, wholesale, etc.)

Credit Cards

First Bankcard (of First National Bank of Omaha) issues two credit cards that earn Best Western Rewards points, as you can see below.

Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard

Welcome bonus	50,000 points – spend: $1,000 – time: first 3 billing cycles
Ongoing rewards	10x bonus points at Best Western (+10x points as a loyalty member) 2x points everywhere else 10% discount on flexible rates (when booking on bwrcarddiscount.com)
Spend bonus	20,000 points (per year) – spend: $5,000 – time: 12 billing cycles
Elite status	Automatic Platinum status
Annual fee	$59, waived your first year

Best Western Rewards Mastercard

Welcome bonus	16,000 points for your 1st purchase 16,000 points for your first Best Western stay
Ongoing rewards	3x bonus points at Best Western (+10x points as a loyalty member) 2x points everywhere else 10% discount on flexible rates (when booking on bwrcarddiscount.com)
Spend bonus	No spend bonus
Elite status	Automatic Gold status
Annual fee	$0

*The above information was independently collected by MoneysMyLife. It is current at the time of publishing but is subject to change. Click here for the latest deals from First Bankcard for their Best Western credit cards.

Rental Cars

Earn Best Western Rewards points for renting a car from:

COMPANY	PERKS
Alamo	3x points on time & mileage Special discounted rate
Avis	1,000 points on every car rental Up to 25% off base rates
Budget	1,000 points on every car rental Up to 25% off base rates
Enterprise	Special discounted rates
National	3x points on time & mileage Up to 25% off base rates
Sixt	1,000 points on every car rental 2,000 points on limousine service Up to 15% off base rates

*For the complete list of Best Western travel partners and updated information, click here for our source.

Diners Club

Transfer your Diners Club Rewards points to Best Western Rewards.

7,576 Diners Club points = 20,000 Best Western points

Retail Partners

Earn Best Western Rewards points from shopping with the following retail partners:

PARTNER	PERKS
Teleflora	1,250 points on every order (starting at $29.99)
Vinesse Wine Club	Up to 12,500 points $41.94 for 6 bottles of wine

*For updated information, click here to see our source.

Purchase Points

If you’re short on points, you can purchase 1,000 for $10 (maximum 20,000 points per transaction). Which means you’re buying one point for $0.01.

We discourage you from purchasing points because they’re worth (on average) $0.007 when you redeem.

Redeeming Best Western Rewards Points

Hotel Nights

Best Western Rewards free nights range from 8,000 to 36,000 points depending on several factors, including dates, location, brand, season and demand.

Because we value Best Western Rewards points at $0.007 apiece, you’ll want to go with awards that can get you at least that much per point.

Travel Cards

Use your points for cash toward a hotel room. Travel cards have different point pricing based on your elite status:

TIER	RATE	POINT VALUE
Blue	2,400 points for a $10 card 6,000 points for a $25 card 12,000 points for a $50 card 24,000 points for a $100 card 60,000 points for a $250 card	$0.004
Gold & Above	5,500 points for a $25 card 11,000 points for a $50 card 22,000 points for a $100 card 55,000 points for a $250 card	$0.0045

*Click here for more information on the Travel Card.

Airline

Transfer your Best Western Rewards points for miles with 10+ airlines as transfer partners, including Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, British Airways Executive Club and Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards.

The program’s transfer partners, and the Best Western Rewards points to airline miles/points transfer rates, are below:

Aeroplan	5,000:1,000
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan	5,000:1,000
Asia Miles	5,000:1,000
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club	5,000:1,000
Air France / KLM Flying Blue	6,000:1,000
Avianca LifeMiles	5,000:1,000
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards	5,000:1,200
Aeromexico Club Premier	5,000:1,600
Aer Lingus AerClub	5,000:1,000
British Airways Executive Club	5,000:1,000
Iberia Plus Avios	5,000:1,000
MilleMiglia	6,000:1,000
Vueling Club Avios	5,000:1,000

You can check the prices for various partners here. For airline partners, you currently can transfer 5,000 Best Western points to 1,000 airline miles (a 5:1 ratio).

Rental Cars

Use your Best Western Rewards points for car rental gift cards with:

Gift Cards

Use your Best Western Rewards points for various gift cards, including:

Each point is worth around $0.004 if redeemed for gift cards. Shop with your Best Western points here.

Merchandise

Use your Best Western Rewards points for merchandise rewards. The redemption mall offers a variety of items, from home electronics and backpacks to jewelry. The point value varies according to merchandise.

Donations

Donate your Best Western Rewards points to the following charities:

Five-hundred points equals a $2 donation, which comes out to $0.004 per point. Click here for more information.

Best Western Rewards Tips & Tricks

Promotions

Best Western Rewards does regular promotions for hotel stay bonuses and discounted award nights. For example:

• 3,000 bonus points per stay
• 10,000 points per night for stays between Sunday through Thursday.

Sign up for the newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Best Western Rewards deals.

Status Match

If you have elite status with another hotel loyalty program, Best Western Rewards will match your status for free. Simply fill out the Status Match Form and provide proof of elite status.

AAA Perks

Best Western Rewards offers perks for AAA members, including:

• Automatic Gold status.
• Discount on room rates.
• Exclusive promotions.

Business Perks

Best Western Business Advantage offers various benefits to small businesses, like:

• Exclusive discounted member rates.
• Business owners get automatic Diamond status.
• Employees get automatic Gold status.
• Owners earn points bonus on their employees’ stays.
• Exclusive member-only promotions and special offers.

Military Perks

Best Western Service Rewards is open to United States and Canada veterans, military and government personnel. Benefits include:

• Automatic Gold status.
• At least 10% discount with government or military rate.

To qualify, you must provide your official identification card when you check-in.

Share Points

Best Western Rewards points can be shared between accounts if the two accountholders share the same physical address. It’s a solid solution if you’re short on points.

Bottom Line

As one of America’s biggest hotel groups, Best Western Rewards can be valuable if you often travel and stay in the United States or Canada. With an average value of $0.006 per point, you’ll get less bang for your buck than with Marriott Bonvoy or World of Hyatt.

But if you just want a clean room – and not any fancy amenities – Best Western Rewards may be a good fit for you.

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