Does the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard have an annual fee?

Yes — $95 a year, according to the issuer information in our record.

What does the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earn?

10x on Choice Hotels, 5x on gas stations, 5x on grocery stores, 5x on home improvement stores, and 1x on other purchases.

Is the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard worth it in the first year?

Using our illustration ($12,000 of yearly spending, $3,000 of it in Choice Hotels), the first year comes out around $499 before credits, including a welcome bonus valued at $360. Year two drops to about $139 before credits.

What credit do I need for the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard?

Our record lists "Good to Excellent" credit as the typical target for the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard. Wells Fargo makes the final decision based on its own criteria.

Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®

Wells Fargo

$95

Annual Fee

mastercardGood → Excellentchoice-privilegeshotel4 months ago

Welcome Offer

60,000 pts(≈ $360)Spend $3,000 within 3 months

Check issuer terms ↗

OpenCard analysis

Is the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard right for you?

The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard is a $95-a-year Choice Privileges card from Wells Fargo. Its strongest everyday earning is 10x on Choice Hotels, with 1x on most other purchases. It needs to earn at least $95 more a year than a no-fee alternative to justify the fee.

Who it's for

✓ People who spend steadily on Choice Hotels, where it earns 10x
✓ Regular Choice Privileges customers who will redeem with that program
✓ People willing to pick or activate bonus categories on schedule

Who should skip it

— People who want a set-and-forget card
— People with no loyalty to Choice Privileges
— Heavy spenders outside Choice Hotels — everything else earns 1x

First-year value estimate

Welcome bonus

$360

Rewards on spending

$234

Annual fee (year 1)

−$95

Year 1, before credits

$499

Year two, without the welcome bonus: about $139 before credits ($234 in rewards minus the $95 fee).

Assumptions

$3,000 a year in Choice Hotels (10x) and $9,000 on everything else (1x) — $12,000 total, about $1,000 a month.
Rewards valued at 0.6¢ per Choice Privileges (OpenCard valuation; cash-out value can be lower).
Welcome bonus: 60,000 Choice Privileges at 0.6¢ each (OpenCard valuation) ≈ $360.
Annual fee of $95 in year one and every year after.

An illustration, not a promise of value. Change the spending to match yours; rewards are not cash until redeemed. Card data reviewed 2026-06-14.

How it compares

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass →

American Express, higher fee ($150 vs $95); earns 12x on Hilton Hotels.

Wyndham Earner Plus →

Barclays, lower fee ($75 vs $95); earns 6x on Wyndham Hotels.

Chase IHG Premier →

Chase, higher fee ($99 vs $95); earns 10x on IHG Hotels.

Compare side by side →

Rules and gotchas

The welcome bonus requires $3,000 in 3 months — roughly $1,000 a month. That fits inside the $1,000 a month in our illustration.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard have an annual fee?: Yes — $95 a year, according to the issuer information in our record.
What does the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earn?: 10x on Choice Hotels, 5x on gas stations, 5x on grocery stores, 5x on home improvement stores, and 1x on other purchases.
Is the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard worth it in the first year?: Using our illustration ($12,000 of yearly spending, $3,000 of it in Choice Hotels), the first year comes out around $499 before credits, including a welcome bonus valued at $360. Year two drops to about $139 before credits.
What credit do I need for the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard?: Our record lists "Good to Excellent" credit as the typical target for the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard. Wells Fargo makes the final decision based on its own criteria.

Earning Rates

10×Choice Hotels10x points on qualifying stays at participating Choice Hotels properties.

5×Gas stations5x points on eligible gas station purchases.

5×Grocery stores5x points on eligible grocery store purchases.

5×Home improvement stores5x points on eligible home improvement store purchases.

5×Phone plans5x points on eligible phone plan payments.

1×All other purchases1x point per $1 on all other purchases.

Other Benefits

Hotel Status

Choice PrivilegesPlatinum

Other Benefits

30,000 anniversary bonus points

Earn 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary, enough to redeem up to 3 reward nights at select Choice Hotels properties.

No foreign transaction fees

No foreign transaction fees on international purchases.

Insurance

Sources

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026