The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Cardhas been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
For anyone who enjoys frequent stays at Hyatt properties and has Excellent/Good credit, the World of Hyatt Credit Card is worth carrying in your wallet — and worth the annual fee of $95 if you maximize its potential. Right off the bat, being a cardholder grants you Hyatt Discoverist status, which normally requires staying 10 nights to earn.
More than that, the card helps you earn bonus points — starting with a pretty generous welcome offer — that can translate into free nights and room upgrades. And, if you want to move up to the next tier status, the card awards five qualifying nights by having the card, plus two nights for every $5,000 you spend.
The main drawback is that World of Hyatt has fewer properties than Marriott and IHG, but you’ll still get a range of 1,250 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 75 countries across six continents from which to choose.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
21.49% – 28.49% variable
Intro BT APR
N/A
Regular BT APR
21.49% – 28.49% variable
Annual Fee
$95
Cash Advance Fee
Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
Large sign-up bonus
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.
This is a very valuable offer. For instance, if you manage to earn all the points available, you can use them to book two free weekend nights at the Grand Hyatt Nashville in May, or two weekend nights in a premium suite at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando in September.
Earn valuable Hyatt points at a high rate
Earn up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4 Bonus Points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member. You’ll also earn 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, on restaurant spending, on flights purchased directly through an airline, and on fitness and gym memberships. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar.
Overall, there is a lot of opportunity to score bonus Hyatt points, which are very valuable and otherwise hard to come by.
Great redemption options
While many hotel rewards programs feature inflated points and award nights that require tens to hundreds of thousands of points, you can stretch Hyatt points a long way.
Redemptions start at a very reasonable 3,500 points for an off-peak standard night, and you can find desirable properties and locations in even the lowest tiers of the Hyatt rewards chart.
| Hotel Category | Standard room points per night | Regency/Grand Club points per night | Standard suite points per night | Premium suite points per night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5,000 | 7,000 | 8,000 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 13,000 | 16,000 |
| 3 | 12,000 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 24,000 |
| 4 | 15,000 | 21,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 |
| 5 | 20,000 | 27,000 | 32,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | 25,000 | 33,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| 7 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 48,000 | 60,000 |
| 8 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 61,000 | 80,000 |
Free night award
One of the card’s best perks is its free night award certificate. Each year on your card anniversary, you’ll receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort. In addition, you can also get another free night if you reach $15,000 in spending for the calendar year. Considering that most stays are above $95, if you take advantage of this benefit, you will have already outearned your annual fee.
Elite status with genuine hotel perks
Once you become a cardmember, you’ll get automatic Hyatt Discoverist status, which comes with features like premium internet, late checkout, bottled water, waived fees on reward stays and other perks. This is a better status feature than competing hotel cards like Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. That card bumps you up to Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status, but the only real perk it provides is late checkout.
$95 annual fee
As long as you book a few stays with Hyatt per year, the perks easily justify the fee. If you’re more of a once-per-year traveler, however, a general rewards card, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ might be a better fit for you, since you’ll have more redemption flexibility.
Somewhat limited hotel footprint
First, the good news: Hyatt has expansive coverage, with 1,250 properties in 75 countries around the world. However, compared to the 6,000 in IHG’s portfolio, Hilton’s 7,100+ and Marriott’s 8,000+, you won’t have nearly as many options.
Free night certificate limited to category 1-4 properties
The World of Hyatt free night, which maxes out at category 4 properties, isn’t as valuable as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card’s free night certificate, which can be used at any Hilton hotel (with only a few exclusions). However, it’s not the only free award night with limitations. For instance, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card‘s certificate is restricted to properties at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Perks and rewards mostly limited to Hyatt
As is the case with most hotel-branded cards, your perks and rewards are all geared toward your Hyatt stays. If you don’t stay with Hyatt exclusively, or at least frequently, then this may not be the best card for you. Instead, consider a general travel card that lets you enjoy perks at a variety of hotels as well as for other aspects of your trip.
Points can expire with inactivity
You must have qualifying activity in the World of Hyatt program or on the credit card at least once every 24 months so you don’t lose your points.
If you’d like to keep your travel options open with another Chase card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent choice for the same $95 annual fee, and it has a phenomenal sign-up bonus. Since World of Hyatt is one of the card’s 1:1 hotel transfer partners (along with IHG and Marriott) — you can still offset your stays at Hyatt properties, but you’ll also have the flexibility to redeem your points on other things, too, like flights.
However, if you’re a Hyatt loyalist who prefers to stay with one brand and you’re aspiring to attain hotel status for extra perks, then the World of Hyatt Credit Card is a better fit.
If you’re torn between which hotel’s co-branded credit card is best for you, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is worth a look. Like the World of Hyatt Credit Card, it’s also issued by Chase and has almost the same annual fee ($99).
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a higher rate for hotel spending. You’ll Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases. At first glance, this appears to beat Hyatt’s 9 points per dollar on hotel stays.
Note that IHG points are not nearly as valuable as Hyatt points — IHG award nights generally require three times as many points as a Hyatt award night. On the plus side, however, IHG gives you the chance to stretch those points with a fourth night free whenever you book three nights with your points — a benefit Hyatt is lacking.
Like the World of Hyatt Credit Card, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card also offers a free night certificate on your card anniversary, but the World of Hyatt also gives you an additional free night if you spend $15,000 in the year.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card grants you automatic Platinum elite status, with similar benefits to Hyatt Discoverist status. Unfortunately, while the World of Hyatt Credit Card lets you earn qualifying nights to move up to the next level of status, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card doesn’t offer any boost beyond Platinum status.
Another general rewards card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers more premium travel benefits but comes at a higher annual fee of $395. If you earn the $300 airline credit per year, that will instantly offset most of the fee. You’ll also get complimentary airport lounge access for you and two guests.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card starts you off with a great sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. The overall rewards rate is higher, too: 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel. World of Hyatt is not one of the card’s transfer partners, but you can use your miles to cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. at a rate of 1 cent per mile.
If you’re someone who places a high value on airline perks and VIP benefits versus specifically wanting to earn free hotel nights with Hyatt, then the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card would suit you well. Keep in mind you’ll need to be a fairly avid traveler to really maximize a higher-level card like this one.
| Credit Cards | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Intro Purchase APR | Regular APR | Recommended Credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
World of Hyatt Credit Card
|
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. | $95 | Earn up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4 Bonus Points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member | N/A | 21.49% – 28.49% variable | Excellent/Good | |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
 Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | $95 | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more. | N/A | 21.49%–28.49% variable | Excellent |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | $99 | Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases. | N/A | 21.49% - 28.49% Variable | Excellent/Good |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel | $395 | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel | N/A | 22.24% - 29.24% (Variable) | Excellent |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
The main question to ask when evaluating this card is how often you stay at Hyatt properties. For the loyal Hyatt traveler, the World of Hyatt Credit Card has a lot to offer in terms of a generous rewards rate, an annual free night and annual Discoverist status. However, if you don’t want to be wedded to a specific hotel chain, a card such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card might offer you more flexibility.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is not a metal card — it is plastic.
To qualify for the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you will need good to Excellent/Good credit. Like other rewards cards that have an annual fee, it is a step up from a starter credit card and therefore might have slightly higher requirements to qualify.
By our estimates, Hyatt points are generally worth about $0.017 each (or $170 for 10,000 points). Therefore, 60,000 points would be worth $1,020.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is issued by Chase bank.
The information related to the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
The information related to the World of Hyatt Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
