Choice Privileges has announced that they’ll be updating their loyalty program in 2026, making it easier to earn elite status, adding a new top tier elite status, adding points pooling, and more.
We don’t know the exact date when these changes will take place; only that the program will be revamped in early 2026. You can find the full details of the changes here, but here’s a quick summary.
Easier elite status earning
At the moment, Choice only lets you earn status by earning enough elite night credits:
- Gold – 10 nights
- Platinum – 20 nights
- Diamond – 40 nights
When these changes come into force, the elite night requirement will drop by five nights at each level. That means the new requirements will be:
- Gold – 5 nights or 10,000 Elite Qualifying Credits
- Platinum – 15 nights or 30,000 Elite Qualifying Credits
- Diamond – 35 nights or 70,000 Elite Qualifying Credits
Elite Qualifying Credits are a new feature, so more about that in a moment.
New Titanium elite status tier
In addition to the member, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond status levels, Choice will introduce a new top tier of elite status: Titanium. This will require 55 elite night credits or 110,000 Elite Qualifying Credits.
At the moment, there’s only one benefit that’ll be available for Titanium members: the ability to get a 50% discount on an up to seven night consecutive stay at a selection of properties including Ascend, Cambria, Radisson Blu, Radisson Red, Radisson Individuals, Westgate Resorts, Bluegreen, and other premium locations. This certainly has the potential to save you a significant number of points if you’re interested in booking an award stay at an eligible property. However, it is a little bizarre that this new elite status tier is being added with that solitary benefit that can only be redeemed once per year, especially considering it’s not even valid at all Choice properties.
Points pooling
Choice will be adding the ability for members to pool their points with family and friends. Full details are scant at the moment, but we have confirmed with Choice that this feature will allow you to transfer points for free. That’s a great development, especially if you or someone you know has a small number of points that’ll expire soon without further activity.
Earn status through spend
Choice is giving cardholders – and potential cardholders – an added incentive to put spend on Choice credit cards.
When these program changes are implemented, cardholders will be able to earn Elite Qualifying Credits (EQCs) for every dollar they spend on their card(s). What makes this feature particularly interesting is that if that spend occurs in bonused categories, you’ll earn an equivalent number of EQCs as redeemable points.
That’s different to how some other travel cards work. For example, if you have an American Airlines Platinum Select card, there are some bonused categories, but you’ll only earn one Loyalty Point per dollar of spend regardless of which category the spend occurs in.
With Choice though, you’ll be able to earn up to 10x EQCs per dollar spent. Here are the bonus categories on the Choice cards:
Choice Privileges Mastercard (no annual fee)
- 5x per $1
- Choice Hotels stays
- 3x per $1
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Home improvement stores
- Phone plan services
- 1x per $1
- All other purchases
Choice Privileges Select Mastercard ($95 annual fee)
- 10x per $1
- Choice Hotels stays
- 5x per $1
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Home improvement stores
- Phone plan services
- 1x per $1
- All other purchases
Being able to earn 5x on groceries and gas with the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard while also earning towards status could be interesting for some people, especially if you think you’d get good value from the Titanium 50% award discount seeing as the 110,000 EQCs required for Titanium could be achieved through only $22,000 of spend.
Milestone Rewards
More and more travel loyalty programs are adding milestone rewards as a way to reward and incentivize members to continue flying/staying with them and Choice has decided it wants part of that action.
For every five elite qualifying nights you earn between status tiers, you’ll earn a milestone reward. Those rewards will include bonus points, gift cards, and more, although full details are yet to be announced. Choice will give you six months to make a selection and if you don’t make a choice in that time, it’ll default to awarding bonus points rather than losing the reward in its entirety.
It’s interesting that Choice is listing the rewards as taking place between status tiers as it makes it sound like there won’t be milestone rewards awarded at each next status level itself.
Bonus points on second & third stays
You’ll earn 1,000 bonus points after your second and third stays each year. This is only valid on paid stays. We’ve verified with Choice that award stays won’t be eligible, although award stays will still count towards status and the new milestone rewards as normal.
Quick Thoughts
Overall, I’m impressed with the changes that Choice will be implementing in early 2026 as each new feature really is an enhancement compared to the existing program and it doesn’t look like they’re taking anything away.
Hopefully this doesn’t mean that they’ll implement an award pricing devaluation at the same time as these new benefits come into play, but for now there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic.
That said, it’s still hard to get excited about the Choice Privileges loyalty program from an elite status benefit point of view. There’s a nebulous room upgrade policy, no guaranteed suite upgrades, no 4th or 5th night free on award stays, no lounge access (if many – or any – of their properties even have a lounge in the first place), etc. For a Choice loyalist, these are likely to be great changes. For everyone else, I’m not convinced it’ll move the needle all that much.
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