In the world of points and miles, hotel credit cards play an integral role, as they can help unlock your next hotel room door faster. One of the best parts of getting a hotel credit card is that you earn a lucrative welcome bonus that can get you a handful of free nights.
Unfortunately, the biggest welcome bonuses usually require significant spending (typically several thousand dollars) to earn them.
If you want to earn a hotel welcome bonus without breaking the bank, here are eight cards that require spending $3,000 or less. Even better, none of these cards have an annual fee higher than $99, with a couple even having no annual fee.
These cards are great if you’re opening your first travel credit card and aren’t certain you can meet a high minimum spending requirement. You’ll be able to earn a valuable bonus without spending more than you normally would.
Best hotel credit cards with low spending requirements
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card and the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Comparison of the best hotel credit cards with low spending requirements
| Card | Welcome bonus | Earning rates | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choice Privileges Mastercard | Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — enough to redeem for up to seven reward nights at select Choice Hotels properties. Additional fees may apply. |
|
$0 |
| Choice Privileges Select Mastercard | Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — enough to redeem for up to seven reward nights at select Choice Hotels properties. Additional fees may apply. |
|
$95 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | Earn 100,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Aug. 13. |
|
$0 (see rates and fees) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card | Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. |
|
$0 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card | Earn three free night awards (each night valued at up to 50,000 points, for up to 150,000 points total) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees. |
|
$95 |
| One Key+ Card | Earn a limited-time offer of $600 in OneKeyCash after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
|
$99 |
| Wyndham Rewards Earner Card | Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. |
|
$0 |
| Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card | Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. |
|
$75 |
Choice Privileges Mastercard
Welcome bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — enough to redeem for up to seven reward nights at select Choice Hotels properties. Additional fees may apply.
Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this bonus is worth $360.
Annual fee: $0.
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Why we like it: Cardholders get automatic Gold elite membership. Plus, they’ll receive 10 elite night credits each year and cellular telephone protection, a benefit usually found on cards with annual fees.
To learn more, read our full review of the Choice Privileges Mastercard.
Apply here: Choice Privileges Mastercard
Related: Choice Privileges program: How to earn and redeem points, elite status and more
Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — enough to redeem for up to seven reward nights at select Choice Hotels properties. Additional fees may apply.
Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this bonus is worth $360.
Annual fee: $95.
Why we like it: The Choice Privileges Select card offers benefits like 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary and an up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Plus, you’ll get 20 elite night credits, which grants you at least Platinum status (that tier includes benefits like a welcome gift, early check-in and late checkout) each year and also gets you halfway to Diamond status.
To learn more, read our full review of the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard.
Apply here: Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
Related: 12 truly special luxury hotels and resorts you can book with points
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Aug. 13.
Annual fee: $0.
Why we like it: The Hilton Honors American Express Card has no annual fee and grants complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, which gets you access to Hilton’s fifth-night-free benefit on award stays. It also has a solid earning rate at Hilton properties and a nice welcome bonus that can get you numerous award nights (especially if you take advantage of the fifth night free).
Even if you stay at Hilton properties only a few times each year, this card could be worth keeping in your wallet year after year.
To learn more, read our full review of the Hilton Honors Amex.
Apply here: Hilton Honors Card from American Express
Related: Ultimate guide to the Hilton Honors loyalty program
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this bonus is worth $210.
Annual fee: $0.
Why we like it: Bonvoy Bold cardholders receive Marriott perks like Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status and 10% bonus points. Plus, you’ll get a handful of travel protections and have the ability to pay purchases off over time. This card could be a solid addition to your wallet if you occasionally stay at Marriott properties and want to jump-start earning elite status without paying an annual fee.
To learn more, read our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
Related: 30 best Marriott hotels in the world that you can book with points
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn three nights (each night valued at up to 50,000 points, for a total of up to 150,000 points in value) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this bonus is worth up to $1,050.
Annual fee: $95.
Why we like it: The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is a solid sub-$100 annual fee option. You’ll receive a plethora of perks, like Silver Elite status, five elite night credits and an anniversary free night award (up to 35,000 points). This card could be an excellent addition to your wallet, whether you stay at Marriott properties regularly or not.
As a frequent Marriott traveler who doesn’t hold a cobranded card, this card would be my top pick for most Marriott travelers.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Related: How to earn and use a Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificate
One Key+ Card
Welcome offer: Earn a limited-time offer of $600 in OneKeyCash after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $95.
Why we like: While I’m not one to usually book hotels through an online travel agency like Expedia or Hotels.com, this is a solid option for those with no allegiance to any hotel chain.
Plus, if you prefer vacation rentals for stays, you’ll earn bonus rewards when booking with Vrbo. You’ll also receive perks like $100 in OneKeyCash each anniversary (which can fully cover the annual fee), a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, One Key Gold status and cellular telephone protection.
To learn more, read our full review of the One Key+ Card.
Apply here: One Key+ Card
Related: I rarely stay at major hotel chains — here’s how I maximize my reward travel anyway
Wyndham Rewards Earner Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this offer is worth $330.
Annual fee: $0.
Why we like: This card provides Wyndham Gold elite status (which includes many benefits, such as early check-in, late checkout and bonus earnings), good earning rates at Wyndham properties, discounts on award stays and 6,000 anniversary bonus points.
With no annual fee, this could be a solid long-term card if you like to stay at Wyndham properties. Plus, if you’re a fan of Las Vegas and have Platinum status, there’s the ability to match your status to Caesars Rewards status.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card.
Related: Which Wyndham Rewards credit card is right for you?
Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Welcome offer: Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this offer is worth $495.
Annual fee: $75.
Why we like it: The Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus is the big brother of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Card. You’ll receive the same perks, plus 7,500 bonus points each account anniversary and Wyndham Rewards Platinum status. Wyndham offers a fixed-rate award chart, making redemptions easy.
TPG lead writer Katie Genter has used Wyndham points for 15,000-point nights in Hawaii and 7,500-point nights in South Korea and has gotten excellent value redeeming points for Vacasa stays, though this is more difficult to do now with the lower cap on the average cost per bedroom for 15,000-point nights.
To learn more, see our full review of the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card.
Related: Wyndham Rewards: Guide to earning, redeeming and elite status
Pros and cons of hotel cards with low minimum spending requirements
Hotel cards with low spending requirements are generally entry or midlevel cards. Having one of these is a great way to get you started in a hotel chain’s ecosystem. By holding one of these cards, you’ll be able to get some free nights or points from the welcome bonus, earn points on your stays and jump-start or even receive automatic elite status.
Some of these cards are even easier to get approved for than their premium counterparts, as you just need a good credit score. Additionally, since the spending requirements are lower, you could even open multiple hotel cards and earn several different welcome bonuses to diversify your points.
The main downside of the minimal spending requirements is that the welcome bonuses generally aren’t as lucrative. However, you could start with these cards and upgrade to more premium hotel cards later on.
Many of the best rewards credit cards have minimum spending requirements of $5,000 or less, with even bigger and better welcome bonuses you can take advantage of once you get the hang of earning and redeeming points.
Bottom line
Staying in hotels doesn’t have to break the bank. There are numerous hotel rewards credit card options that can help you reduce the costs. Many offer valuable welcome bonuses that can be worth hundreds or even close to $1,000. These cards don’t have hefty minimum spending requirements, and you can meet them organically through everyday spending.
These cards provide the best of both worlds by allowing you to reward yourself for your everyday purchases without having to commit to putting a lot of expenses on a card.
Related: How to choose a hotel credit card
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here.
