Hyatt & Amex OPEN to End Savings Program
Several blogs are reporting that Hyatt will be leaving the Amex OPEN savings program at the end of the year. While the loss of a 5% discount on up to $10,000 in spend is a definite negative, it really isn’t the end of the world. Let’s look at what is being lost and why better opportunities still exist.
Benefit of Hyatt OPEN Partnership
On the surface a 5% discount doesn’t seem like much, but in reality it was often better than that. There were times when Hyatt would run promotions discounting gift cards up to 10%. By purchasing a gift card at 10% off and getting the 5% OPEN rebate, you would get a ~15% discount plus any credit card rewards you earned on the purchase! Thankfully there are other ways to get similar or better discounts.
25%+ Off Hyatt Gift Cards on eBay
Earlier this year I covered how I saved 25% on Hyatt gift cards via eBay. By stacking an eBay Bucks promotion and portal cashback, I was able to get a very nice discount. I could have even taken it further by using discounted eBay gift cards to purchase the Hyatt gift cards. Any way you slice it, that deal beat the Hyatt Amex OPEN discount and I maximized it as much as I could within the limits.
To be fair, that 25% deal only happened once this year, but there have been three other occasions where you could purchase eBay gift cards on eBay for about 20% off not including credit card rewards. Even that reduced discount beats Amex OPEN. The one downside to the eBay deals is they normally are limited to $400 worth of cards, but they are a great deal nonetheless.
17%+ Off Hyatt Gift Cards at Cardpool
While the eBay method is sort of limited (ask family and friends to use their accounts), one other way you can get discounted Hyatt gift cards is through resellers like Cardpool. Of course the discount amount varies day to day, but you can normally save a lot of money. For example, Cardpool is currently offering 17% off Hyatt gift cards.
The best part about deals like these are you don’t have to hassle with eBay Bucks and other tricks to get the discount. Simply go to their website and purchase a $100 card for $83. They do also payout 2% through portals if you are eligible, although I have sometimes had issues with that and won’t factor it into the math.
Perhaps the only downside to purchasing through a reseller is the occasional fraudulent card. For that reason I wouldn’t purchase cards from a reseller and hold them for a long time. They generally guarantee the value for a certain period of time. Make sure to purchase from a reliable reseller like Cardpool & use the cards during the guarantee period and you generally will be safe.
Conclusion
The loss of Hyatt from Amex OPEN Savings is not a good one. While I took advantage of these other methods for a greater savings, I liked knowing that the Amex OPEN option was around. It may take a little more diligence to save now, but the good news is you can still save 15-25% on Hyatt stays by taking advantage of these deals. Great news for people like me “stuck” in that endless pursuit of re-qualifying for Hyatt Diamond!
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One note of caution is if you ask your friends or family to buy the same gift cards you bought from the eBay deal, make sure their account hasn’t ever shared the same IP address and that there are no connections whatsoever.
Otherwise you risk a mc999 notice from eBay which in short basically states you’re going to be banned if you continue to circumvent buying limits. They’re sneaky good and have an itchy trigger finger so don’t risk it.
Yes. They will catch you if you try to circumvent the system. Thanks Anthony!
I know Hyatt has talked about making gift cards work at more locations, but I think gift checks are still needed at international properties. The two deals you share are great alternatives but can’t be used to purchase gift checks to the best of my knowledge. (Well they could, but I don’t think anyone sells gift checks through those channels.)
Correct and that is a good distinction. Hyatt gift cards are currently only good in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean while the certs are good worldwide.