Chase Hyatt Visa Credit Card Review
Hyatt Hotels is one of the smaller hotel franchises but they do boast over 700 properties in almost 60 different countries. They have a total of 13 brands under their umbrella including Park Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Zilara, Ziva, Andaz etc.
Hyatt’s co-branded credit card is a Visa card issued by Chase Bank. The Chase Hyatt Visa is not a part of Chase’s 5/24 rule which makes it available for all to get. The card comes with one of the best sign up bonuses on the market, a rewarding earning structure, and some of the most valuable points out there. Let’s take a look at the details.
Current Sign Up Bonus vs Historical High
The Chase Hyatt Visa card used to offer 2 free nights at any Hyatt hotel as the sign up bonus. Chase now offers points instead of 2 free nights. The current offer is as follows:
- 40,000 points after spending $2,000 within the first 90 days
- 5,000 points for adding an authorized user and making one purchase within 90 days
The public points offer has never been above 40,000 points plus 5,000 for adding and AU. Chase will occasionally add a $50 statement credit after first purchase to the offer.
Bonus Restrictions
The Hyatt card by Chase does NOT fall under the dreaded 5/24 rule. So you can get approved no matter how many recent applications you have had. Be aware that Chase has been cracking down on people with a lot of recent inquiries though.
It does have the standard 24 month bonus restriction language though:
“This product is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months.”
Click Here to get more details and learn how to apply for this card and other hotel rewards credit cards!
Earning Structure
The Chase Hyatt Visa card has the following earning structure:
- 3 points per dollar for all purchases at Hyatt hotels and resorts
- 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, and at car rental agencies.
- 1 point per dollar everywhere else
Cardmember Perks
The Chase Hyatt Visa comes with the following cardmember perks:
- A free night certificate is issued every cardmember year once the $75 annual fee is charged (key word there 😉 ). It is good for one night in a category 1-4 Hyatt hotel.
- You receive Discoverist status while a Hyatt Visa cardmember.
- No foreign transaction fees
Fees
There is a $75 annual fee which is not waived the first year.
Sign Up Bonus Value – $900 ($825 net value)
The 45,000 points, assuming you add an authorized user, is worth $900 with a 2 cents per point valuation. The net results will change some depending on your own personal valuation of Hyatt points.
Click Here to get more details and learn how to apply for this card and other hotel rewards credit cards!
Summary
The Chase Hyatt Visa is a great rewards card that has the most valuable sign up bonus in the hotel credit card market. The Chase Hyatt Visa also comes with a good earning structure and some decent perks all for a reasonable $75 annual fee.
While some may think the points offer is a step down in value from the 2 free nights offer, what you lose in value you gain in flexibility.
If you maximized the two free nights offer you would get a room worth 30,000 points a night for two nights. This offer is worth 15,000 points less if you maximized the free nights at a tier 7 property.
With that decrease you get a bonus that has a longer shelf life, they don’t expire after 12 months like the free night certificates do. You also get flexibility in redemptions. The sign up bonus of 45,000 points can get you 9 nights at a tier one Hyatt Place. The newer points offer allows you to use the points as you see fit instead of feeling like you have to get maximum value, like the two free nights offer did.
The earning structure of the card means that it could be an everyday spender for a road warrior type. It earns extra points at restaurants, on plane tickets, for car rentals, and of course Hyatt hotels. Those are all high spend areas for a typical business traveler.
The Chase Hyatt Visa could be a good alternative if you are unable to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Long Term Keep or Cancel
The Chase Hyatt Visa has a good earning structure, that covers some high spend areas for business travelers. Giving you the ability to amass Hyatt points in large chunks.
The free night certificate more than offsets the annual fee. If you are able to take advantage of that perk each and every year then you are getting guaranteed value from the card.
The question becomes tougher when you approach the end of year 2. Do you want to attempt to get the card again and receive another sign up bonus or do you want to keep your average age of accounts high. For most people it would make more sense to go for another sign up bonus, once the 24 months is up.
Click Here to get more details and learn how to apply for this card and other hotel rewards credit cards!
Conclusion
The Chase Hyatt Visa is one of the best hotel credit reward cards on the market. It has the most valuable sign up bonus in the hotel credit card arena. And, it has a pretty rewarding earning structure.
The free night certificate, while more restrictive than the IHG card’s free night, more than offsets the annual fee on the card. The annual free night should bring you at least $100 in value. But, you can get up to $400 in value from it. Or you could simply look at it as buying 15,000 Hyatt points at a half cent a piece as long as you use it at a category 4 hotel.
The Chase Hyatt Visa is worth keeping into year two. After year 2 is when you will have a decision to make on whether or not you want to go for another sign up bonus.
The 45,000 point bonus, when adding an authorized user, looks like it is here to stay. There is no indication it will be increasing anytime soon so there is no reason to wait for a better offer.
Let us know in the comments what you would do with 45,000 Hyatt points!
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Hi Mark,
I’m at the 2 year “keep or cancel” situation, it’s really difficult for me to choose because for the past two years I was able to use annual free night at expensive hotels if I would have to pay cash. However, re-apply this card to get 45000 sign up bonus is good too since cat 4 hotel cost 15000/night so re-apply the card will give me additional 3 nights at cat. 4 hotel. Was my calculation correct?
I do have a question, I have a booking in early March and will pay with Hyatt credit card as well; however I’m planning to cancel this card after seeing annual fee post on statement in March probably. Am I still be able to receive maximum points even if I cancel this card? What’s the best way to do it?
Thank you.
(Sorry for the late response – just saw this) I wouldn’t cancel the card until the points post if it is a big charge. Hyatt usually gives you some leeway time (30 days) and it doesn’t usually post until a little after your anniversary date anyways.
[…] Chase Hyatt Visa Credit Card Review – Best Hotel Sign Up Bonus on the Market? […]
@ Mojo – please explain the 5x points – I didn’t see 5x anywhere in the article.
Mark,
Have you cancelled this card in the past, then reapplied? On paper this strategy spunds viable, but with Chase in general cutting back on serial applications I am hesitant with how well this actually works in practice (assuming an existing good relationship with Chase).
Yes I have canceled after the first year and then reapplied after the second year. Something you have to consider for sure with Chase cracking down these days. I wouldn’t do it right at the 24 month mark either – maybe 30 months or so.
Your math is good, if a little shortsighted:
If a new WoH member were to:
*Activate an authorised user, +5k points
*Meet the Card’s sign-up bonus minimum spend requirements, +40k points
*Meet those $2k spend requirements at a Hyatt property, +6k points
*Collect 5x WoH points per dollar on the $2k Hyatt-specific spend, +~10k points
(N.B. hotel tax rates vary and no WoH points on taxes)
Net gain of ~ 61,000 WoH points, thus effectively equal to the old offer & more flexible.
Your welcome 🙂
You would need to complete that spend to get the old offer so it is a wash.
Not to mention my gf & I were able to use our cumulative 4-free nights at Miraval, a $6,000 value! The new point structure wouldn’t even cover 1 night there, double occupancy. Hyatt is acquiring more properties and placing them under the Miraval brand – probably the main reaaon for the change.