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There are a lot of hotel credit cards you could apply for — some with limited perks for no annual fee or others with high-flying perks and a price tag to match. The World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of our favorite hotel cards; it offers a valuable suite of benefits for a modest $95 annual fee.
In this post, we'll walk through the top five reasons why you should add the World of Hyatt Card to your wallet.
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
Page Contents
- Score a Sign-up Bonus of up to up to 60,000 Hyatt Points
- Get Up to Two Category 1-4 Free Night Awards Every Year
- Enjoy Complimentary Discoverist Status
- Expedite Your Way To Higher Tiers of Hyatt Elite Status
- Earn Hyatt Points in Several Purchase Categories
- Who Is Eligible to Apply for the World of Hyatt Card?
- Final Thoughts
Score a Sign-up Bonus of up to up to 60,000 Hyatt Points
Of all the hotel points you can earn, World of Hyatt points are some of the most valuable. As a new applicant for the World of Hyatt Card, you can score up to 60,000 Hyatt Points — 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more Hyatt points with 2 points earned per dollar on up to $15,000 spent in the first 6 months after opening your account.
If earned in full, this sign-up bonus is worth over $1,300 toward Hyatt hotel stays — based on recent AwardWallet user redemptions.
A bonus of this magnitude can unlock several free nights at budget-friendly properties, such as the Lindner Hotel Leverkusen BayArena. Nights at Category 1 properties start at just 3,500 points.
Conversely, you could put your points towards more expensive nights at properties that fall into a higher category, such as The Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa. Nights here start at 21,000 Hyatt points, which is a sweet deal considering your proximity to the beach in beautiful Oceanside, California.
Related: The Best World of Hyatt Points Redemptions for Luxury Stays
Get Up to Two Category 1-4 Free Night Awards Every Year
Each year you renew your World of Hyatt Card by paying the $95 annual fee, you'll receive a Category 1-4 free night award. This certificate is valid at any property labeled Category 4 or below.
Depending on where you choose to redeem your free night award, it can be super easy to unlock value that exceeds the card's annual fee. For example, a night at the Category 4 Hyatt Regency Koh Samui Resort often exceeds $300, which spells significant savings.
But if one Category 1-4 free night award isn't enough, you can earn a second one if you spend $15,000 on your World of Hyatt Card in a calendar year. And you can earn up to five additional free night awards through Hyatt's Brand Explorer perk. That's a lot of free nights!
Related: Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Redeem Your World of Hyatt Free Night Awards
Enjoy Complimentary Discoverist Status
The World of Hyatt program offers three tiers of elite status: Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist. Just by holding the World of Hyatt Card, you can enjoy Discoverist status. Discoverist members have access to a reasonable assortment of perks, including:
- Complimentary premium internet
- Waived resort fees on award stays
- Elite check-in
- 2 p.m. late check-out upon request
- A 10% points bonus on Hyatt purchases
- Preferred room within the type booked
- Complimentary daily bottled water during each stay
- Reciprocal benefits with American Airlines
If you stay at Hyatt properties a few times per year, these benefits should be more than sufficient. But if you plan to shift your hotel loyalty from a competing brand to Hyatt, you might find yourself wanting a bit more. And that's another reason why the World of Hyatt Card is worth your attention.
Expedite Your Way To Higher Tiers of Hyatt Elite Status
Each calendar year, you'll receive five elite-qualifying nights thanks to your World of Hyatt Card. If you have plans of earning a tier of Hyatt status higher than Discoverist, it's a welcome boost. Additionally, cardholders can earn two elite-qualifying nights per $5,000 spent on the card.
World of Hyatt Explorist status requires collecting 30 qualifying nights or 50,000 base points. Top-tier Globalist requires 60 qualifying nights or 100,000 base points. If you combine the elite-qualifying nights you'll earn from planned paid stays, award stays (yes, those count), your cardholder bonus, and any spending-based elite-qualifying nights, the upper echelons of Hyatt elite status should reasonably be within reach.
Earn Hyatt Points in Several Purchase Categories
Like most credit cards, the easiest way to earn a bundle of points is to collect the sign-up bonus. And the same is true with the World of Hyatt Card, but one thing that differentiates it quite a bit from its competition is its ongoing earning rates. They're pretty useful, which can help you replenish your balance after you make a redemption.
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
It's also worth mentioning that the Hyatt hotels earning category is broad. While you can earn up to 9X at run-of-the-mill Hyatt Place or Hyatt House properties, the earning rate also applies to Homes & Hideaways vacation rentals, Under Canvas stays, and even Mr & Mrs Smith reservations, provided you book through Hyatt channels.
Related: How To Earn Hyatt Points On Hyatt Stays, Meetings, Card Spending, and More
Who Is Eligible to Apply for the World of Hyatt Card?
Chase issues the World of Hyatt Card, so it's beholden to the infamous Chase 5/24 rule. This unwritten restriction stipulates that Chase will more than likely deny your application for a new card if you have opened five or more card accounts in the previous 24 months — with any bank.
And if you happen to have had the card, currently hold the card, or received a sign-up bonus on the card in the past 24 months, you won't receive approval. According to the offer terms:
“The credit card is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.”
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Final Thoughts
It's not hard to like the World of Hyatt Card. Even if you only stay at Hyatt hotels and resorts a few times a year, justifying its reasonable $95 annual fee is a piece of cake. And if Hyatt is your brand of choice, you can't go wrong by adding it to your wallet.
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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