World of Hyatt Credit Card Overview

With a rewarding loyalty program and generous credit card benefits, the World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of the top hotel cards on the market. Cardholders earn 4 points for every $1 spent on all purchases at Hyatt hotels, and you’ll earn free night awards in Categories 1-4 each year you keep the card, and when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year USD, you will receive another reward. Hyatt points are the most valuable hotel points, and free nights start at just 3,500 points. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Card ratings are based on the opinions of TPG editors and are not influenced by card issuers.

World of Hyatt is one of our favorite TPG loyalty programs with its solid redemption possibilities and elite benefits.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card doesn’t come with the significant benefits offered by premium hotel cards, but the benefits are enough to justify the $95 annual fee.

The recommended credit score for this card is above 670 points.

But does it deserve a place in your wallet? Let’s dive into the details below.

Pros and Cons of World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt Credit Card Welcome Offer

Currently, new World of Hyatt Cardholders can earn up to 65,000 bonus points: 35,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months, plus 2 bonus points for every $1 spent, plus Earn an additional 30,000 bonus points on purchases that would normally earn 1 bonus point, up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening.

TPG valued Hyatt at 1.7 cents per share in January 2024, making the offer as high as $1,105.

As always, please note the restrictions: If you received a sign-up bonus with a Hyatt card within the past 24 months, you will not be eligible to receive these bonus points. Since this is a Chase card, it is subject to the infamous 5/24 rule. Before applying, you need to make sure you qualify for the card and its bonuses.

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Related: How to Maximize World of Hyatt Redemptions

World of Hyatt Credit Card Benefits

The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers some notable benefits:

Annual free accommodation certificate

The best ongoing benefit of the World of Hyatt Card is the annual free night certificate at a Hyatt Category 1-4 hotel, which you’ll receive on each account anniversary. You’ll also get a second free night after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.

Whether at home or abroad, you can get incredible value from this certificate. Here’s what TPG Senior Editorial Director Nick Ewen said about this benefit:

I love getting Category 1-4 certificates with my World of Hyatt credit card. There are a lot of great options in this bonus tier, as I’ve stayed at the Hyatt Centric in Fort Lauderdale, the Andaz Savannah, and even after a Taylor Swift concert. It was the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, and the room rate at that time was over $900 per person per night! But the place I use these certificates most often is at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport. When I have an early morning flight with my family (or arrive late at night), it’s nice to have a place to stay within the terminal.

No matter your destination, your free night voucher alone is worth the $95 annual fee.

Related: Best Hyatt Category 4 Hotels

elite status

Simply holding the card automatically earns you Discoverer status, which includes benefits like late checkout, preferred rooms, and 10% points bonus on qualifying purchases. The late checkout perk is invaluable to me, especially when I have a late night flight and want to freshen up beforehand.

On top of that, you can have five Elite Nights credited to your account each year, and you can earn additional nights through spending—two nights for every $5,000 you spend on the card . In other words, hold the card and spend $15,000 in a year to earn a second Category 1-4 credential, and you’ll earn 11 night points — the equivalent of nearly 20 percent toward top-tier Hyatt Globalist status.

travel protection

Chase Bank issues the World of Hyatt Card, so you’ll get many of the travel protections we’ve come to expect from Chase credit cards, including:

• baggage delay insurance: If your baggage is delayed by more than 6 hours on a passenger airline, you can be reimbursed for up to $100 for 5 days for essential purchases such as toiletries and clothing.
• Lost luggage compensation: If you or an immediate family member’s checked or carry-on baggage is damaged or lost by the carrier, you may receive up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Trip Interruption and Trip Cancellation Insurance: If your trip is canceled or shortened due to illness, severe weather and other covered circumstances, you may be reimbursed up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours and hotel expenses.
• Car Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Provides theft and collision damage coverage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad. In the United States, insurance coverage is second only to personal insurance.

Again, this card’s list of benefits isn’t as extensive as some other fancier hotel cards, but it offers value that goes well beyond the card’s $95 annual fee.

Related: Is the World of Hyatt Credit Card Worth the Annual Fee?

Earn points with the World of Hyatt Credit Card

Cardholders can earn 4 points per dollar spent at all Hyatt hotels and 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants, nonstop flights, local transportation and commuting (including ride-hailing services), and gym memberships. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

You can earn 4 points for every $1 you spend on Hyatt stays, more points than you can earn with any other card, and it’s worth noting that as a Discoverist member of the World of Hyatt program, you can earn 4 points for every $1 you spend on Hyatt stays. You can also earn an additional 5 points, which makes this category particularly profitable. Plus, this is one of the few cards that allows you to earn bonus points when purchasing a gym membership.

However, you’re better off using the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for dining and general travel purchases. You’ll earn even more bonus points for travel to Hyatt hotels or any of Chase’s other 14 airline and hotel partners.

Related: The Best Credit Cards for General Travel Shopping

Redeem points with your World of Hyatt credit card

By far the best use of Hyatt points is for award stays. The redemption price for a standard room starts at 3,500 points for a stay in a Category 1 hotel during non-peak hours, and goes up to 45,000 points for a stay at a Category 8 hotel during peak periods.

TPG Credit Card Writer Chris Nelson got great value when he redeemed just 12,000 points for three nights at Stockholm’s Story Hotel Riddargatan during the busy summer weekend season.

You can also choose to book points and cash rewards and pay half the normal points price and half the standard cash price.

Additionally, you can use points to upgrade paid accommodations. Redeeming points for free nights is often a better deal, but it’s worth upgrading to a paid night without draining your points stash.

You can also transfer points to multiple airline partners, but the transfer ratio is 2.5:1, which is less than ideal. Hyatt also lets you redeem points for dining, spa, and other experiences, but it’s almost always better to use points to buy a hotel room.

Related: How to redeem points through the World of Hyatt program

What cards compete with the World of Hyatt Credit Card?

If your stay at a Hyatt hotel isn’t long enough to get a great deal with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, one of the following might be a better fit:

For other options, see our lists of the best hotel rewards credit cards and the best travel credit cards .

Related: The best credit cards for Hyatt stays

bottom line

The World of Hyatt Card is a must-have for Hyatt loyal customers because it’s the only personal co-branded credit card the hotel chain currently accepts for registration, and it’s the only card that helps you earn elite status in the World of Hyatt program.

You’ll likely get enough value from the card to make it worth paying the $95 annual fee. And since the card is a Visa credit card, there are no foreign transaction fees, so you won’t have any problems using it around the world.

However, if you stay at other hotel brands more frequently or want more flexible rewards, you may want to use a different card.

Apply here: World of Hyatt Credit Card

Related: Why I’m aiming to spend $15,000 a year on my World of Hyatt credit card