Wyndham Rewards Visa Cardholders Earn Free Nights Faster

PARSIPPANY, NJ–(Marketwire – July 7, 2010) –  Wyndham Rewards®, the world’s largest loyalty program based upon its more than 6,500 participating hotels, and Barclaycard US, the payments business of Barclays in the United States, today introduced the new Wyndham Rewards Visa® card, which offers cardholders accelerated reward-earning power and a suite of new benefits.

The card comes in two versions, offering program members their choice of either no annual fee with generous rewards or a low annual fee card with even greater earning potential.

“Customers want to earn rewards quickly and they want to earn points even when they aren’t traveling,” said Robin Korman, Wyndham Hotel Group senior vice president of loyalty marketing and strategic partnerships. “This new credit card gives them a chance to do just that!”

The no-fee card offers cardholders the opportunity to earn three points for every $1 spent on stays at Wyndham Rewards participating hotels and two points for every $1 spent everywhere else. Cardholders will receive 12,000 bonus points upon first usage — enough for up to two free nights at select participating hotels.

The premium card offers cardholders five points for every $1 spent on stays at Wyndham Rewards participating hotels and two points for every $1 spent everywhere else. Cardholders will receive 18,000 bonus points upon first usage — enough for up to three free nights at select participating hotels. This card program carries a $39 annual fee.

“We’re very excited about our new alliance with Wyndham Rewards,” said Scott Young, General Manager-Partnerships, Barclaycard US. “Frequent travelers who love Wyndham now have a fantastic way to earn points and make their next vacation a great one.”

Both versions of the Wyndham Rewards Visa Card allow members to redeem their points at over 6,500 hotels around the world. Points may also be used for tickets for airlines, sports events, concerts and theme parks as well as for gift cards for major department and discount stores.

Both cards offer Visa® Signature benefits to qualified members. Visa Signature cardholders enjoy access to complimentary concierge services and a warranty manager service as well as special savings for travel, wine and food, sports and entertainment events. Perks range from everyday values such as special offers on movie tickets and discounts at select retailers, to VIP tickets for premier concerts, Broadway shows, epicurean events and once-in-a-lifetime packages for occasions such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Cardholders also enjoy Emergency Card Replacement and Emergency Cash Disbursement, No Pre-Set Spending Limit, Purchase Security and Year-end Summary Statements and Travel and Emergency Assistance Services. For more information about Visa Signature, visit www.visa.com/signature.

About Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Rewards loyalty program members earn valuable points redeemable for reward options including free hotel nights with no blackout dates in the U.S. and Canada, airline tickets, movie and theme park tickets and gift cards for leading retailers and restaurants. More information is available at www.wyndhamrewards.com.

About Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), encompasses nearly 7,200 hotels and more than 606,000 rooms under the hotel brands: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Wingate® by Wyndham, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inns & Suites®, Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham, TRYP by Wyndham, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®.

All hotels are independently owned and operated excluding certain Wyndham and international Ramada hotels which are managed by our affiliate or through a joint venture partner. Wyndham Hotel Group is based in Parsippany, N.J. Additional information is available at www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

About Barclaycard US
Headquartered in Wilmington, Del., Barclaycard US creates customized, co-branded credit card programs for some of the country’s most successful travel, entertainment, retail and financial institutions. The company employs 1,600 associates and was named a Top Employer in Delaware in 2009. For more information please visit www.barclaycardus.com.

Barclaycard, part of Barclays Global and Retail Banking division, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.

The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organizations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.

In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle and Far East.

For further information about Barclays, please visit www.barclays.com.

Click here to see all recent news from this company