Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® Review
Overview
The Choice Privileges Select is the paid version of the Choice card, at a $95 fee, adding higher earning, status, and an annual bonus. But like the premium Wyndham card, paying a fee for a budget hotel program is a harder sell, since the free Choice card already earns toward cheap award nights.
The perks are fine, but unless you stay at Choice frequently, the free version likely gives you most of what you need without the fee.
Think twice if: you are a casual Choice guest, since the free Choice card covers most of the value for no fee.
Our 2.5 out of 5 rating
Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.
Rewards: how it earns
You earn 5x on gas, groceries, and phone bills, plus points and status perks at Choice. The rates are strong and the status adds some value, but Choice is a budget program where award nights are already cheap, so the extra earning matters less than it would in a premium program.
| Category | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | 5x | Bonus category |
| Groceries | 5x | Bonus category |
| Phone and internet bills | 5x | Bonus category |
| Travel | 1x | Base rate |
| Everything else | 1x | Everything else |
Brand and bonus rates: beyond the everyday categories above, this card also earns:
- 10x points on stays at participating Choice Hotels
Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.
Pros and cons
- 5x on gas, groceries, and phone bills
- Elite status and an annual bonus with Choice
- Solid welcome bonus
- $95 fee is hard to justify for a budget program
- Points locked to Choice
- Free Choice card covers most of the value
The welcome bonus
The welcome bonus is solid: 60,000 points after $3,000 in three months, plus ongoing status benefits. Good, though the free card's bonus comes with an easier spending requirement.
Is it worth the annual fee?
The $95 fee needs the status and annual bonus to justify it, and for a budget hotel program that is a stretch unless you stay at Choice a lot. Most Choice guests are better served by the free version, which already earns toward inexpensive nights.
First-year value vs ongoing value
| Welcome bonus | 60,000 points |
| To earn it | $3,000 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $1,123 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $523 |
The welcome bonus makes year one the high point: roughly $1,123 in value once you count the bonus, this card’s rewards, and its credits, minus the $95 fee. After that, the honest figure is about $523 a year, so judge whether it earns its keep on the ongoing number, not the first-year headline.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent, on average spending.
Benefits and protections
Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:
- 30,000 anniversary points each year
- Complimentary Choice Privileges Platinum Elite status
Statement credits
This card does not come with recurring statement credits. Its value is in the rewards rate and welcome offer.
Who should get it, and who should skip it
If you stay at Choice frequently and will use the status and annual perks, the Select can work, but that is a fairly narrow group.
For most people, the free Choice card delivers the same cheap award nights without a fee. Step up only if heavy Choice stays genuinely justify the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Best-card guides featuring this card
Offer details verified against issuer sources as of August 2026. Editorial opinions are our own. Cardocrat values all points at a flat 1 cent and never inflates redemptions.
