Wells Fargo Choice Privileges Mastercard

This is a no annual fee hotel card built around Choice Privileges, earning 5x points at participating Choice Hotels properties and 3x on gas, groceries, home improvement, and phone plans, which is a wider everyday footprint than most free hotel cards offer. The signup bonus was recently raised from 40,000 to 60,000 points after $1,000 in the first three months, so the entry value is better than it was in May. Automatic Gold Elite status plus 10 elite qualifying nights each year keeps that status intact without any stay requirement, and there is no foreign transaction fee. The obvious limit is that the 5x rate applies only at Choice properties, so the card is worth carrying mainly if Choice is a brand you actually book; everything outside the bonus categories earns 1x. Cell phone protection of up to $800 per claim, with a $25 deductible, applies when you pay your monthly bill with the card.