Compared to its competitors, World of Hyatt has fewer credit cards available to applicants.
Consider that there are six Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, four Hilton Honors cards, three IHG One Rewards cards, and three Wyndham Rewards cards. While Hyatt has personal and business credit cards, it lacks luxury credit cards.
Is this a good or bad sign? Where else should you look when paying to invest in a World of Hyatt property?
Let’s take a look at some of the popular cards that you can use to pay for your next stay at these hotels and resorts to understand what they can offer you in terms of return on spend and benefits during your stay.
Credit card comparison for surviving investments
Apart from the use of a A Hyatt co-branded credit card, you can also consider using the All-Around Travel Rewards Card, which earns transferable points on travel purchases, including your next hotel stay.
Let’s look at some common credit card options and what you can get when using this card:
| Card Name | Earnings rate with Hyatt | Value of Awards Received* | Hayat-related benefits from the card | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt Credit Cards | 4 points per dollar | 6.8 cents |
|
$95 |
| World of Hyatt Business Credit Card | 4 points per dollar | 6.8 cents |
|
$199 |
| American Express® Green Card | 3 points per dollar | 6 cents | no one | $150 (see rates and fees) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 3 points per dollar (or 10 points per dollar if booked through Chase Travel℠) | 6.1 cents (or 20.5 cents) | no one | $550 |
| Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (See Rates and Fees) | 3 points per dollar (or 10 points per dollar if booked through the Citi Travel Portal) | 5.4 cents (or 18 cents) | no one | $95 |
* Bonus value is an estimate of TPG’s July 2024 valuation and not the card issuer’s.
Information for the American Express Green Card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Credit Card Showdown: World of Hyatt Cards vs. World of Hyatt Business Cards
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Which card should you use?
When choosing a credit card for your next stay at a Hyatt property, consider two factors: the benefits you enjoy during your stay and the points you earn on the card when paying for your stay.
The first part is relatively easy. Your higher status benefits and perks will apply regardless of whether you use a specific card for your stay. For example, you don’t have to pay together World of Hyatt Card or World of Hyatt Business Card to enjoy your Discoverist status, which is automatically awarded by having one of these cards.
(One exception is when a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Strata Premier is used to book a paid stay at Hyatt through their respective travel portal. This would generally count as a third-party booking. While you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent on this. booking, you may forego any benefits of World of Hyatt elite status while staying at the hotel.)
When it comes to earning points by spending money at World of Hyatt participating hotels, using your Hyatt credit card is a good option, unlike some hotel programs. Because of the higher value of Hyatt points, using this card will pay off better than using a Marriott credit card at a Marriott hotel, for example.
However, the value that should be here is somewhat subjective. Do you prefer to earn maximum value according to our monthly points valuation? Are you okay with that, even if it means getting points stuck in one program and can only be used with Hyatt (or transferred to airlines so you lose a lot of value)?
Or do you prefer to earn transferable points because you know how to leverage these for flight awards in premium cabins or during expensive holiday periods, getting outsized value for your points? In this case, using a Chase Ultimate Rewards card may be your best bet because you’ll have access to Chase’s full range of transfer partners and still have the option to transfer points to World of Hyatt for hotel redemptions.
Related: How long does Chase Ultimate Rewards take to transfer?
Bottom line
Sometimes, deciding which credit card to use on a purchase may require a tradeoff. Maybe you earn more points but sacrifice some benefits. Maybe you’re ready to earn less points but still get valuable benefits by using a certain card.
Fortunately, choosing which credit card to use when you stay is pretty easy. Because of the high earning rates and value of these points from Hyatt’s credit cards, you should be able to earn high value in rewards while still enjoying your cardholder benefits — without the tradeoffs necessary to make this decision at some other hotel chains.
Also in this category:
For Amex Green Card rates and fees, click here here