Chase’s Frustrating Glitch With My World of Hyatt Card – What Is Going On?
What is that saying about making plans again? I will change it to if you want to make Chase laugh then make plans, because they are throwing a wrench into every single one I make. Earlier in the summer I laid out my plan for my wife’s World of Hyatt card. I was going to do something a little different with it to maximize its value before closing it and reapplying for a new welcome offer. Then they decided to launch the amazing Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom offers. I changed our application game plan completely to make room for a Freedom card. The only issue was that I already paid for the World of Hyatt credit card’s annual fee so I need to wait for the free night to post before moving forward. I have been waiting and waiting…Chase’s frustrating error is making me reconsider everything once again.
Update: So they say timing is everything. Chase pretty much blew up this post with their new Freedom Flex announcement…we will be waiting for that for sure. But I think the thought process is still worth reading through and the fact that Chase has billed me an annual fee after 11 months is surprising.
Why It Matters When The Free Night Posts
Normally I wouldn’t really care about the free night posting in a timely manner. The longer it takes the further out it pushes its usefulness, since it lasts a year from the issue date. More time is a very good thing in 2020 too.
Having said that, this year is a little different because I need to close the account before having my wife sign up for the Freedom Unlimited card. She already has 6 personal cards with Chase so she is pushing the limits of how many cards she can carry and the credit available to her. With Chase’s wacky algorithm shutting down accounts I don’t want to press her luck. And if I close the card I doubt I would get the free night certificate, even though I have paid the annual fee.
The World of Hyatt Free Night Mystery
I talked about Chase taking longer to post the World of Hyatt free night certificates last year. So it was not unexpected this year, but even that drawn out reference point has come and gone. Here is what last year’s time frame looked like:
- Annual Fee Posted – July 1
- Email from Hyatt saying my award is waiting – July 21
- Award place in my account – August 27
The strange thing is that my annual fee posted June 1st this year. Why did it post a month earlier than normal? Who knows! Chase has had their issues lately so maybe it is more bad IT on their part.
My assumption was that since the annual fee posted earlier that I should get the free night award earlier. Well that assumption definitely made an ass out of me (as the other old saying goes). The terms of the World of Hyatt card say the certificate should post 10 weeks from the anniversary date. I guess I was silly to think it would post within 2 statements on when the fee was actually billed.
By them billing the annual fee a month early it also took away my chance to close the card within 30 days for a full refund. If it had posted properly I would have been able to close the account when the new Freedom offers launched and get a full refund. Plus I essentially paid $95 for 11 months of card membership last year instead of 12.
Chase Offers No Help
I had my wife fire up Chase secure message to see what was taking so long. She said that the annual fee posted on June 1st and that it has been 10 weeks from then and she still had not received her certificate.
The response simply said it can take up to 10 weeks from her anniversary date and that her anniversary date was July 14th. That caught me by surprise. Usually card companies bill the annual fee after the anniversary date. I could maybe see billing it on the first of the month during the anniversary month but billing it a month and a half early? That seems to be an error of some sort.
At first I figured it was because she upgraded to the World of Hyatt card from the old Hyatt card (which everyone will be transitioned out of soon). But she did the upgrade in December so that isn’t it. And now I am stuck waiting till later in September to get this certificate. Who knows if the Freedom Unlimited offer will still be around by then or not. The Chase rep said it comes when it comes and there is nothing they can do since it is set up in the system that way. I have a feeling it will not post within even the 10 weeks since we still have not seen an email about earning it yet either.
Final Thoughts & New Game Plan
So that leaves me between a rock and a hard place. I have heard rumors of a mid September end date for the Freedom offers, but they are just rumors. I could simply wait it out and wait until an offer end date is confirmed and make a decision then.
Another option is to kiss our $95 goodbye and just close the card. There is a chance the free night still posts to her account but I would more than likely just be out the cash.
She could also apply for the Freedom card now and test her luck on getting a 7th Chase personal card.
Lastly, we could just go back to my old plan and forget about the Freedom card. Continue to spend on her World of Hyatt card for the 2nd free night and then have her apply for a new one a little bit down the road. Since we use most of our Ultimate Rewards points for Hyatt stays this isn’t completely out of the question
Let me know what you think we should do in the comments & why.
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Gee, another story, 2 stories if you count the comments, of people NOT getting their Hyatt night from Chase, and Chase customer service telling them to pound sand.
What has happened to Chase? These stories about people not getting their Hyatt night are all over the place. Something has clearly gone wrong at Chase.
Players 3 and 4 both have the WOH card and same anniversary date of June 27
Last year both charged fees on same date and got award nights very shortly after
This year, both players got annual fee as normal, but player 4 didn’t get their certificate
Calls to Chase and Hyatt both ended in references to “can take up to 10 weeks”
We will see. Makes no sense.
That is strange for sure Jim
My Hyatt annual fee posts in September and my reward night gets credited the following March. It’s been like that the past three years, and Chase refuses to even understand why this is a problem. When I call in October and point out I just paid the annual fee in September and ask for my certificate, they say “but you got the certificate last March”. Derp. Oh well. I never carry a balance and stop spending on the card as soon as I hit $15k so I get two certs per year for $95 plus another free night for the spend. The $15k cert posts shortly after I hit the spending limit so I can at least time that one.
That is crazy, it doesn’t make any sense at all.
Here because I want the CFU as well but want to wait as long as possible. My last card was an amex on 6/13. Ideally would want to wait until after 9/13 to apply for CFU, but your rumor end date for the current offer has me concerned.
With the new Freedom Flex card coming out on the 15th I think you will be good. That must be where the rumor came from.
I was thinking about this since the post came out about Hyatt getting rid of the old hyatt card and upgrading everyone to the World of Hyatt card. I would like to cancel the card but if i do that, can they take back the free night they gave me ? I haven’t used it yet, and i think they extended the expiration to the end of 21. I would like to cancel, and then apply for the world of hyatt card in a few months so that i can get the sign up bonus. I have had the old hyatt card for a long time – prob 10 years, and keep it because i get a free night per year for only $75 annual fee. I dont know if i have to cancel before they upgrade me or if it doesn’t matter. I have no seen anything from Chase about them dumping the old card and upgrading it to the $95 card.
If you cancel and the free night has already been deposited in your account there is nothing they can do. You paid the annual fee so you get to keep it.
ok – that is good to know – wasn’t sure if they could clawback or not. Thanks for answering that Mark !!
Any time Tom 🙂
I think I will just apply for the new Hyatt and keep the old one. It’s not duplicated at all.
They put in the terms that you can’t get the bonus on the new one if you carry the old one 🙁
if you cancel the old one – can you get the bonus on the World of Hyatt card Mark – or is it some sort of one time lifetime bonus ?
As long as it has been 24 months since you got the welcome offer on the old one you are eligible for the new one.