Should I get the World of Hyatt Credit Card or transfer points from Chase instead?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Hyatt offers its loyal travelers a unique advantage over the other major hotel chains when it comes to earning points. Unlike other big hotel brands like Hilton, Marriott and IHG that have transfer partnerships with programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American …

Feb 11, 2025 - 15:37

Should I get the World of Hyatt Credit Card or transfer points from Chase instead?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Hyatt offers its loyal travelers a unique advantage over the other major hotel chains when it comes to earning points.

Unlike other big hotel brands like Hilton, Marriott and IHG that have transfer partnerships with programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, Hyatt is the only one that generally presents solid transfer values.

Given how popular the World of Hyatt program is, many people wonder whether it’s better to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the intention of transferring them to Hyatt or simply sticking to the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

World of Hyatt offers two cobranded credit cards from Chase: the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. Here are the important details on the personal card.

Welcome offer: Earn up to 65,000 bonus points: 35,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus up to an additional 30,000 bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening (more specifics in the chart below). In total, this welcome offer is worth up to $1,105 based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.
Annual fee: $95.
Earnings rate: Earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels; 2 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with the airlines, restaurants, local transit and commuting (including ride-hailing services) and fitness club/gym memberships; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Notable card benefits: Receive a free Category 1-4 free night certificate each year on your account anniversary and complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status, and earn five elite night credits each year, plus two additional qualifying nights for every $5,000 spent on the card.

For more details, read our full reviews of the World of Hyatt credit card and the World of Hyatt business credit card.

Earning potential and redemptions

Let’s start with an obvious disadvantage of sticking solely to the World of Hyatt credit card: You’re giving up access to all of Chase’s other transfer partners, including United Airlines, British Airways and Singapore Airlines.

Plane takes off in sunset — JOHN LUND/GETTY IMAGES

The flexibility of these programs drives much of the value of Ultimate Rewards points, which is why TPG’s February 2025 valuations peg them at 2.05 cents each compared to just 1.7 cents each for Hyatt.

Unless you’re sticking solely to road trips, you’ll need a way to travel to whatever Hyatt property you’re staying in, and Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of the best options for getting you there.

This flexibility is further enhanced by cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which offers a 50% bonus when you redeem your points through Chase Travel℠. This allows you to book a ticket on any flight you want without hunting for award space, making it even easier to plan your next vacation.

Hyatt points, on the other hand, can only be redeemed for stays and upgrades at Hyatt hotels. Even if you’re fiercely loyal to Hyatt over other hotel chains, you might be shortchanging yourself by not working toward free flights as well.

Now let’s turn our attention to bonus categories and welcome offers and see how the World of Hyatt card stacks up against the three most popular Ultimate Rewards-earning cards:

Bonus	Chase Sapphire Reserve	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	World Of Hyatt Credit Card
Annual fee	$550	$95	$95	$95
Welcome offer	Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.	Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.	Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of account opening.	Earn up to 65,000 bonus points: 35,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus up to an additional 30,000 bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point (on up to $15,000 spent) in the first six months from account opening.
Earning rates	10 points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel 10 points per dollar spent on dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides (through March 31) 10 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through March, with a maximum of 50,000 points 5 points per dollar spent on flights purchased through Chase Travel 3 points per dollar spent on all other travel (excluding the $300 annual travel credit) and dining purchases worldwide 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through March) 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through March, with a maximum of 25,000 bonus points) 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) 2 points per dollar spent on all travel not booked through Chase Travel 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	3 points per dollar spent on your first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (then 1 point per dollar thereafter) 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	4 points per dollar spent on Hyatt hotels 2 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with the airlines; restaurants; local transit and commuting (including ride-hailing services); and fitness club/gym memberships 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

At this point, you’ll have to take a hard look at your own spending patterns to see which card comes out ahead. Sure, the World of Hyatt card earns the most points for Hyatt purchases, but if you’re frequently booking award stays, that category bonus might not help you that much.

Plus, earning more points isn’t always the most important thing, as Hyatt points are less flexible (and therefore less valuable) than Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

If you’re trying to decide between the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the World of Hyatt card, the Sapphire Reserve has a clear edge in travel and dining purchases. Hyatt’s saving grace is the unique bonus category for fitness clubs and gym memberships.

Balancing perks and annual fees

Of course, welcome bonuses and bonus categories are only one component of picking the right credit card. Finding the most perks for the lowest annual fee is another important consideration.

The World of Hyatt card offers a free night certificate each year on your account anniversary that’s valid at any Category 1-4 hotel. You can really get outsize value if you time these redemptions well, such as the Category 4 Thompson Washington, D.C., which goes for almost $600 per night during peak season dates.

You’ll also enjoy complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status, which can add a few hundred dollars of value to your annual travels through perks like late checkout and bonus points. However, the perks of this card are limited to Hyatt stays.

If you want a card that will enhance your travel at the airport, hotels, when you’re renting a car and more, you’ll want the Chase Sapphire Reserve instead.

Even occasional travelers will get more value out of the Reserve’s Priority Pass Select membership and concierge service than they will out of the World of Hyatt card’s Hyatt Discoverist status. Plus, you can even use your $300 annual travel credit from the Sapphire Reserve to cover expenses at a Hyatt property.

The case for getting more than 1 card

At the end of the day, it’s possible for many Hyatt loyalists to hold both a Chase Sapphire card and the World of Hyatt card to get the best of both worlds. The biggest caveat is that all the cards mentioned in this post are restricted by Chase’s 5/24 rule, meaning you’ll be automatically rejected if you’ve opened five or more cards in the last 24 months.

Account for the opportunity cost of using up your 5/24 slots on these applications. It’s also important to note that Chase restricts Sapphire card sign-up bonuses to one per 48 months.

However, if you are near 5/24 and can only get one card, I recommend going the Sapphire route because it provides far more flexibility, especially if you are not a Hyatt loyalist and want other hotel transfer options.

Bottom line

Cobranded airline and hotel cards have a tough time measuring up against transferable points cards that offer a better return and more benefits, but there’s a compelling case to be made for the World of Hyatt card. At the very least, the free night certificate is enough to negate the annual fee. Plus, if you frequently find yourself paying for Hyatt stays, those 4 points per dollar spent will add up quickly.

If you prefer more flexibility in how you can redeem your points, consider an Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase card that’ll let you take advantage of several transfer partners. If you’re somewhere in the middle and want the best of both worlds, you can also apply for the World of Hyatt card and an Ultimate Rewards-earning card — just make sure you’re under Chase’s 5/24 rule when you apply.