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The World of Hyatt Credit Card
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card makes your Hyatt stays more rewarding and helps you get coveted World of Hyatt elite status faster. This card is a must-have for any traveler who regularly stays at Hyatt hotels, or even for anyone who’s able to take advantage of the card’s annual free night certificate.
When you factor in all the benefits the World of Hyatt card offers, it’s easy to see why it is one of the best co-branded hotel credit cards on the market.
Card Details
Card Snapshot
Welcome Bonus & Info
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
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
2x points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit, rideshares, and fitness clubs/gym memberships
1x point per $1 on all other purchases
1 Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary (Category 1 to 4)
A second Free Night Award when you spend $15,000 on the card
Hyatt Discoverist status
5 automatic elite night credits each year
2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card
DoorDash DashPass subscription (if activated by January 31, 2025)
No foreign transaction fees
Purchase protection
Trip cancellation/interruption and luggage insurance
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The ratings for these cards have been determined
by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards
as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect
our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
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1094+ Expert Credit Card Guides
Great Card If
You’re a Hyatt loyalist or enjoy visiting its hotels a few times each year
You want to earn Hyatt elite status
You see value in the benefits of the card and feel they’re more valuable than the annual fee
Don’t Get If
You’re not a fan of Hyatt hotels or don’t travel very much
You prefer a card with more flexible travel rewards
You want a card with no annual fee
World of Hyatt Card — Is It Worth It?
The World of Hyatt card doesn’t just offer you the ability to earn more World of Hyatt points. You’ll also receive automatic elite status to immediately enhance the benefits you receive on all Hyatt stays, and a clear way to help you achieve higher levels of elite status through card spend.
Plus, you’ll receive travel and purchase protection, a free night certificate on your cardmember anniversary, and the ability to earn another free night certificate after spending $15,000 on the card.
Put simply, if you’re someone who stays in Hyatt hotels often, and is looking to make the most out of these stays by earning more points and reaching higher levels of elite status, the World of Hyatt card would be very worth it to you.
World of Hyatt Card Top Benefits
Anniversary Free Night Certificate
The card’s annual free night certificate is likely one of the benefits that will excite cardholders the most. After all, this benefit alone can easily cover the cost of the card’s $95 annual fee. You can redeem 1 of these certificates each year at any Category 1 to 4 hotel in Hyatt’s portfolio. Certificates are valid for an entire year after they are issued.
While this certificate won’t get you a free night at the most luxurious properties, there are some pretty stellar Hyatt hotels that are Category 4 or lower that can cost upwards of $300 a night.
Hot Tip: Need some ideas of where to redeem your Hyatt free night certificate? We’ve got you covered! You can also earn a second free night certificate when you spend $15,000 on your card each year.
Discoverist Status
Even though Hyatt Discoverist status is the lowest elite level in the World of Hyatt loyalty program, it will still make your stays with Hyatt more rewarding, especially if you did not have status with Hyatt to begin with.
Hyatt Discoverist comes with perks like:
10% bonus points on stays
2 p.m. late checkout (subject to availability)
Preferred Room upgrades
Waived resort fees
These benefits can help enhance your Hyatt stays — after all, who doesn’t love late checkouts, bonus points, and room upgrades? Keep in mind that “Preferred Room” upgrades generally just include rooms on a higher floor or with a nicer view.
Elite Night Credits/Spend Your Way to Status
The World of Hyatt card allows you to spend your way to elite status without ever needing to step foot in a Hyatt hotel.
How is this possible? For starters, all cardholders receive 5 elite night credits at the start of each year. This means you’d need an additional 25 elite nights to reach the Explorist level, and 55 additional elite nights for Globalist, the top level in Hyatt’s program.
In addition, cardholders will earn another 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 they spend on the card. Spending $65,000 would earn you 26 elite night credits, pushing you over the threshold for Explorist status, and spending $140,000 would earn you 56 elite night credits, pushing you over the threshold for Globalist status.
While that is a bit of an extreme example, and would only be suited for those with large levels of annual spending, it does showcase how reaching high levels of Hyatt elite status can be made even easier if you regularly spend on the World of Hyatt card and regularly stay in Hyatt hotels.
Consider a more realistic example where a cardholder spends $15,000 on their World of Hyatt card each year ($1,250 per month) — this would leave them with 11 elite night credits (5 for holding the card plus 6 for the annual spend), plus a second free night certificate, and leaves just 19 elite nights needed from actual stays throughout the year in order to reach Explorist status.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Hyatt Points
Naturally, if you’re a fan of staying at Hyatt hotels, you’re likely wondering what you can do to earn even more Hyatt points outside of staying at Hyatt hotels. Well, we have you covered! Our dedicated guide breaks down all of the very best ways to help you rack up World of Hyatt points!
It’s no secret that the World of Hyatt program is one of our favorite hotel programs thanks to its strong award chart. However, not every redemption within the program is a great use of your points. Having said all of that, we’ve put together a guide to some of the best ways to redeem your Hyatt points for maximum value.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.
An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.
Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
165,000 points
$825
$150
19.99%-28.99% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card
If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.
Pros & Cons
Pros
12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
6x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club® program is required. Terms apply.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
$150 annual fee.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
If you’re not a Hyatt loyalist and prefer Hilton hotels instead, then the Hilton Surpass card is worthy of consideration. The Hilton Surpass card earns 12x points per $1 on Hilton stays, 6x points per $1 at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and 4x points per $1 on U.S. online retail purchases. You’ll also receive Hilton Gold elite status, up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for Hilton purchases, and complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status upon enrollment.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 bonus points
$1,200
$95
20.74% - 27.74% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cardson the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
Pros & Cons
Pros
5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
Cons
$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
If you prefer a card that earns flexible rewards that can be used for both flights and hotel stays, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. It earns 2x Ultimate Reward points per $1 spent on dining and travel, 5x points per $1 on Lyft rides, and flexible redemption options (including transfer partners).