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One of the great things about the miles and points game is the availability of a variety of products. Be it business or personal credit cards, you have the option to try out multiple products to check which ones suit your needs. Many a time, we chase a six figure sign-up bonus and go for a particular card. However, not all credit cards are long term keeper cards. A lot depends on the bonus spend categories and the annual benefits they offer. My World of Hyatt Visa Credit Card is up for renewal this month and I’m wondering whether I should renew or cancel.
World of Hyatt Visa Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Visa Credit card is a great product overall. If you stay frequently at Hyatt properties, this card is a great option to carry in your wallet. Following are some of the key benefits of the card.
Sign-up Bonus
You’ll earn 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months of card membership. Once you spend a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months, you’ll earn an additional 25,000 bonus points. After meeting the minimum spend, you’ll earn a total of 50,000 bonus World of Hyatt points.
The annual fee for the card is $95. Please note that Chase’s 5/24 rule applies to this credit card.
Spend Categories
- Up to 9 bonus points per $ spent at Hyatt: 4 points per $ spent at Hyatt and the standard 5 base points per $ spent as a World of Hyatt member
- 2 points per $ spent on transit, commute, ride shares, restaurants, coffee shops and airlines
- 2 points for $ spent at gyms and fitness clubs
- 1 point per $ spent on all other purchases
Recurring Benefits
The recurring benefits on this card are valuable and are making me sit on the fence.
- Discoverist status as long as your card is open
- 5 qualifying night credits every year
- Additional 2 qualifying night credits each time you spend $5,000 on the card
Annual Free Night
After renewing the card, you receive a free night certificate that you can redeem at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide. Also, you’ll earn another similar certificate after you spend $15,000 in the cardmember year. This can be really valuable if you put lot of spend on this card.
The Pundit’s Mantra
While I’m a big Hyatt fan and love staying at their properties, the chain doesn’t always suit my travel patterns. I tend to travel internationally a lot more than domestically. I find Hilton’s footprint to be much better globally. Also, unlike the Hyatt card, I can get the mid-level Gold status with the Surpass Card (125k Bonus) or top-level Diamond status with the Aspire Card (150k Bonus) simply by getting approved for one of these cards. I find that a much easier proposition to attain and keep status.
I really value the ability to use Discoverist status at Las Vegas properties. However, since I’ll be doing a lot more international travel in the upcoming years, I don’t see myself making another visit to Vegas any time soon.
What do you think about the second year value of the World of Hyatt Visa Credit Card by Chase? Given my travel habits, I’m leaning towards canceling the card. Do you think there’s a benefit that I’ve missed that might make me change my mind? What makes you renew this card each year? Let me know in the comments section.
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My wife and I both just cancelled our cards for the same reasons you and others have stated. I travel a lot internationally and there are not enough Hyatts out there. This past year we paid the annual fee and both of our free nights expired despite our best efforts to use them. The Hyatt card is a total waste for us. On the other hand the IHG and Hilton cards have been fantastic for us.
That’s such a bummer that you lost out on the free nights!
Yes, as you correctly pointed out, there just aren’t enough Hyatts around the world. Whenever I’ve stayed at Hyatts, I’ve had a good experience, but you often run into a brick wall the moment you travel to a tier 2 city outside the US. Hyatt is acquiring smaller hotel chains in a bid to address that issue, but it will be years before they have a global footprint that’s anywhere close to that of a Marriott or Hilton.
I’ve had the Hyatt card for 4 years now and I am considering closing it. I get a free room each year at: Hilton, IHG, Marriott as well as Hyatt. I stay at the other three chains more than Hyatt. Sure it was nice when I got 2 free rooms at any Hyatt hotel in the world (I chose the Park Hyatt Sydney) but now it’s no longer worth it. I pay them $95 and then I get a category 4 hotel room worth up to $200. I have a category 4 certificate that expires in less than 2 months that I must use or lose. Maybe if this card would go up to a category 6 I’d keep it, but I’ll probably be canceling it before the next annual fee. I’ll concentrate on the other 3 hotel credit cards.
Thanks for your comment, Tommy. Yes, the annual free night is a good perk with the Hyatt card, but I’d rather have points as an anniversary benefit on the card. Unlike the free night, you don’t have to worry about expiration dates. If this were to change to a category 6 instead of 4, it would suddenly make the card a lot more valuable!