AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
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)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
This card is on my radar when I drop back under 5/24. Having low-level elite status isn’t a big deal, as I get Hilton Silver from the Amex Hilton. However, I’ve ironically been doing many more stays with Hyatt this year due to Amex offers and credits, so this card has become all the more compelling to add to my wallet.
Huge fan of this card. I’ve had it since 2018 and will be getting upgraded to the new World of Hyatt Card this month. I’ve always found it easy (and rewarding) to get value from the annual night certificate.
Sounds good. But I’d wait for an increased welcome offer.
Love this card and the Chase 1:1 transfer. Hyatt has the best redemption program in my opinion. I wish I didn’t have it so that I can benefit from the 50k welcome bonus, Thanks for highlighting it.
Chase is really dominant in the loyalty credit card sector. That makes getting more loyalty credit cards harder than ever.
If I cancel my old existing Hyatt credit card. How long do I have to wait to apply for the world of Hyatt credit card to be eligible for the bonus?
The current T&C state: “The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.” So, as long as your old Hyatt card bonus was earned >24 months ago, you should be eligible!
I have the legacy card, which I’ve read is going to be changed to the WoH card, but I’ve still not heard anything from Hyatt.
If you stay at hotels that are part of the Hyatt ecosystem this is a great card We really like the Hyatt touch so we have this card
I’m not pursuing new travel cards during the pandemic, but the WOH card is on my radar for future reference. .
I really want to like this card but the rewards just aren’t that great. I wish they would add more 2x options or change the existing ones to 3x (or maybe even 2.5). I need to look again where Hyatt properties are to see if this is even viable for me.
This new card is worth considering but I think I should cool it with Chase for now.
How soon do you become a Discoverist after being approved for the card? (I’ve got a Hyatt stay coming up in just a few weeks.)
It doesn’t specifically say how long it takes to “activate” the benefit — but indicates that as long as you have the card you’ll have Discoverist.
Just switched from the old card to the new one. I got 2000 points for switching, but really did it for the new benefit of 1 qualifying night per 5k spend.
Me as well.
New to using Hyatt. I really wish they had something that didn’t have an AF.
At this time in my life I just can’t have several cards with an AF. Maybe later. I prob feel this way since I don’t really book them much but if they have more rooms that can accommodate 2adults and 2 kids. I’m finding with Hilton it’s more difficult to find that.
Is there something that can show me who has the most hotels that can accommodate me? So I could focus on them with points and stays?
You really shouldn’t have much of an issue with 2 adults and 2 kids — unless you’re only in Europe, which is where you’ll regularly run into trouble with more than 2 people in a room. Where are you seeing this problem?
I personally like this – a tiered bonus based on spend. Some will greatly benefit from this.
I’m glad you made the point that you shouldn’t chase top-tier status if you aren’t going to use it. Many people aim for status for their one annual vacation, when using a cashback or similar card instead could have allowed them to simply pay for the upgrade with much less fuss…
So I guess it’s upgrade or nothing for those of us with the old Hyatt card.
Should I cancel my existing hyatt card and go for this one? Has anyone successfully done so? Is there a waiting period after cancellation before I should apply for the new one?
You’ll need to decide that for yourself.
1) You could consider upgrading your card to the new card. Some have shared an offer of 2,000 points to upgrade the card.
2) If you received the bonus on your current card more than 24 months ago, you could close the current card and open up the new card. You’d be eligible for the welcome bonus at that point if you met the spend requirements.
3) If it has been less than 24 months since you received the welcome bonus, your only option would be to upgrade.
This is the card I have been waiting for! Thank you for this great write up
Thanks a lot, I didn’t know their miles went as far as they do. Looking at a few areas, I’m finding 12,000 point accommodations that will suit my needs fine, that means 5 free nights from the bonus, not including the 6000 points from spending $6000 to get it. Just applied and got approved, before Chase applies 5/24 to everything (as I read here and elsewhere).
nice to see the new options
I am going to do some calculations to determine is I switch my hat to Hyatts.
Definitely an interesting offer.
Good details. Seriously considering as I have an August stay with Hyatt planned and no current CC with them.
Whenever I’ve stayed at a Hyatt property I have never been disappointed. Love that this is such a tempting offer.
Also worried about 5/24.. but this is a nice bonus.
Very convincing!
Thank you for the analysis!
Not being subject to the 5/24 rule is pretty awesome. But I think that it will count against the 5/24 rule, for when I apply for other cards, so I’m going to have to pass on this one.
$1k per month to earn the full bonus on this card should likely be super-easy for most, but that is indeed a sharp up-tick from the days of the old $1k total spend for 2 free night certs, and also the more recent $2k for 40k points Hyatt CC offers.
Other than the signup bonus, I don’t see why someone with the other card (Free anniversary night) would switch…..although, I guess you could use that for the free night and just keep both.
Reaching level 2 in 6 x months is relatively easy to bag 60k points, I’m liking the free night certificate also, thanks!
Even the 60k bonus is great let alone the elite status and free night cert.
So, with all the new hotel card bonuses out recently (Marriott with big bonuses, the IHG Rewards re-configuration with a big bonus, Hilton with big bonuses), in what order would you recommend getting them – or, would you recommend skipping one or more and focusing on only a subset? Assume no particular pre-existing loyalty to any of the chains.
Based on where they’re all at right now, the Hyatt one is of most interest to me, personally. That said, I’d look at where your balances are now and what trips you have coming up. Identify the property(ies) you’d ideally look to stay at and figure out which one makes the most sense for you.
I have some Hyatt points expiring, what is the best way to use/keep them without staying at a hotel?
There are many activities you can perform: https://awardwallet.com/blog/world-hyatt-points-expire/. The easiest is probably to transfer the points to someone else that you know.
Thanks!
Definitely considering this one. Glad Hyatt finally made a CC spend way to pick up nights/status like Marriott and Hilton.
Having 60K points is slightly better than the free 2 nights offer that they’ve had before. However, the increased spend can be burdensome.
I am currently at 4/24. If I apply for this credit card then I will still be 4/24. At a later if Chase changes their policy on the World of Hyatt Credit Card do I stay 4/24 or do I get bumped to 5/24?
If you apply for and are approved you’ll be 5/24. While as of this posting we have no evidence to indicate that this card currently considers your 5/24 status when reviewing eligibility, it does count towards your 5/24 status. More details here: https://awardwallet.com/blog/chase-524-policy-work/
Thank you for this information. I will save my application until the next time United Explorer comes with a 60,000 mile bonus.
Sounds like a lot of new positives for this card.
Are bonuses available for someone who already holds the older Chase Hyatt card?
No, it is not.
Sign me up. Need those nights in Vietnam this winter!
If you’re staying in HCMC, you should also consider the InterContinental Asiana Saigon for your stay. It’s definitely right up there, on par with the Park Hyatt Saigon.
Thanks for the firsthand hotel reviews for HCMC, as should have a trip coming up there within the year.
Thank you. 60,000 point sign up bonus doesn’t sound that high to me for a hotel card, but 60,000 points redemption averae equalling 6 nights sounds really high. And no 5/24 at this time, means, possibly, it’s now or never.
Exactly. No two points have the same value — it all depends on what the award charts look like and of course availability.
Thanks for the overview of this card, I’ve been waiting for a new card with some great offers like this one.