World of Hyatt Business Credit Card overview
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is a mid-tier hotel credit card that can provide serious value to Hyatt loyalists looking to spend their way toward status perks or unlock a 10% points rebate feature. However, there are trade-offs you should consider before putting that much spending on a credit card that doesn’t offer any free night certificates or automatic status beyond the lowest level. Whether or not this card is for you will entirely depend on if you want to spend your way toward status or if you’d rather earn more points with another card. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card from Chase offers some interesting perks geared toward small-business owners who are Hyatt loyalists. The card is subject to Chase’s standard application rules, including the Chase 5/24 rule — though opening this card won’t add to your 5/24 number.
While the Hyatt Business card does lack some of the features we typically expect from hotel credit cards (status beyond the lowest level, free night certificates on your account anniversary), it offers a powerful set of perks for business owners who are interested in spending their way toward increasing benefits. If you can take advantage of these spending-based perks, the card easily justifies its annual fee. If not, then this card might not be a long-term keeper for you.
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Who is the Hyatt Business card for?
The Hyatt Business card is geared toward small-business owners who are World of Hyatt loyalists and are keen to utilize their business spending to earn elite status with Hyatt. That’s because the card’s best perks are achieved through (sometimes significant) spending on the card each year.
Related: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
This also comes as a trade-off, since you could likely earn more points by spending on other small-business credit cards and then transferring those points to World of Hyatt, but you wouldn’t get the associated Hyatt perks this way. Which type of spending is more valuable to you will come down to the value you place on boosting your World of Hyatt status through credit card spending. If attaining or retaining top-tier status with Hyatt is important to you, then this card is for you.
For those looking for automatic free night certificates on your account anniversary — which we see on many hotel credit cards — that you can redeem for more than the cost of the annual fee, this is not the card for you. This card also isn’t for those who are looking for automatic top-tier elite status as a card feature without any effort required. This card is best for those who are willing to use it regularly to unlock spending-based perks, and that isn’t everyone.
Sign-up bonus: Up to $1,020 in value
New applicants for the Hyatt Business card can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values World of Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each, so this welcome offer is worth $1,020.
Even after factoring in the $199 annual fee (not waived in the first year), you have a net value of $821 from the welcome bonus. The return on spending to receive the welcome offer is 20.4% on the bonus points and 16.42% on the net value after factoring in the annual fee.
It is definitely possible to achieve even greater value from the bonus points if you maximize your World of Hyatt points redemptions. More on this below.
Benefits and perks
The Hyatt Business card offers several key perks which can help to offset some or all of the annual fee. How much value you attain from these perks can vary by user, but one thing that will jump out at you immediately is the lack of free night certificates with this hotel credit card. Thus, the value of the benefits relative to the annual fee will vary greatly among users.
Up to $100 in annual credits for Hyatt spending
You can receive up to $100 in annual credits for spending with Hyatt each year. To receive these statement credits, you must spend $50 or more in a single transaction with Hyatt hotels and resorts or participating restaurants as well as participating Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties and Lindblad Expeditions experiences purchased through World of Hyatt. This benefit is based on your cardmember year, not the calendar year.
Discoverist status for you and up to 5 employees
The primary account holder gets automatic Discoverist status with World of Hyatt. This is the lowest elite status tier in Hyatt’s loyalty program. You can also gift Discoverist status to a maximum of five employees, who will retain this status for the rest of the calendar year in which it is given, plus 14 months after that.
Discoverist benefits include free bottled water in your room every day, space-available upgrades to preferred rooms within the same room category, late checkout (when available), status matches to MGM Rewards and more.
Earn stay credits toward status via spending
As the primary account holder, you can earn five tier-qualifying night credits for each $10,000 spent on the account in a calendar year. These are the stay credits you need when pursuing World of Hyatt elite status. There is no limit to the number of qualifying nights you can earn from spending each year.
What would you need to spend to attain top-tier Globalist status through spending? Spending $120,000 on the card in a calendar year would provide enough tier-qualifying nights to achieve Globalist status without any nights spent at Hyatt hotels. That’s because Globalist status requires 60 nights in a year, and you earn five nights’ worth of credit per $10,000 spent on the card each year. If you do have Hyatt stays during the year, the amount of spending required to achieve status is obviously reduced.
By comparison, the World of Hyatt Credit Card (a personal credit card) earns two nights per $5,000 in spending. You also automatically receive five elite night credits each year, just for having the personal card. The business card unfortunately does not include those five night credits.
However, the lower earning rate of two nights per $5,000 with the personal card means that you would have to spend $140,000 to earn Globalist, even after taking into account the five elite nights for having the card. Thus, with $120,000 of spending needed to achieve Globalist, the business card has a slight edge if you plan to spend your way toward top-tier elite status.
Ability to unlock 10% points rebate
The Hyatt Business card also offers a 10% rebate on the World of Hyatt points you redeem each year, available if you spend $50,000 or more on the card in a calendar year. If eligible, you can receive up to a maximum of 20,000 World of Hyatt points back in your account for the remainder of the year.
Maximizing the 10% points rebate of 20,000 Hyatt points would require redeeming 200,000 World of Hyatt points in a year. The catch is that this benefit only applies to stays completed after meeting the spending threshold, and it does not apply to points redemptions for car rentals or points transferred to airline partners. Points + Cash stays are eligible, though.
Earning the 200,000 Hyatt points requires significant spending, and paid stays at Hyatt properties would provide the optimal earning rate to get you there.
Since this perk only applies to points redemptions after meeting the $50,000 spending requirement, it is most valuable if you meet the spending requirement early in the year or if you don’t make any points redemptions until after the spending is done. This means people who redeem their points later in the year would benefit most.
Hyatt Leverage membership
As a small-business owner, you also have access to the Hyatt Leverage program. This benefit is only available for the primary account holder and can provide up to 15% off room rates when booking paid stays with World of Hyatt-affiliated hotels.
Points don’t expire for the primary account holder
World of Hyatt points typically expire after 24 months of inactivity. Hyatt Business cardmembers are not subject to this rule as long as their credit card account remains open.
Fee structure
There are no fees for foreign transactions or additional employee cards on the Hyatt Business card.
How to earn points
Cardmembers can earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels, participating Small Luxury Hotels of the World and eligible Lindblad Expeditions.
You will also earn 2 points per dollar spent on your top three spending categories each quarter through Dec. 31, 2022. Starting Jan. 1, 2023, this will change to your top two categories. Categories are:
- Dining.
- Shipping.
- Airline tickets purchased directly from an airline.
- Local transit and commuting.
- Social media and search engine advertising.
- Car rental agencies.
- Gas stations.
- Internet, cable and phone services.
There is no need to select your preferred categories. The points-earning rates are adjusted automatically to the categories where you spend the most each quarter.
Additionally, cardmembers earn 2 points per dollar spent on Find experiences (however, if you purchase these at a Hyatt property, you will earn 4 points per dollar spent), and you will earn 2 points per dollar spent on Headspace subscriptions through Dec. 31, 2022. Starting Jan. 1, 2023, this will change to 1 point per dollar spent. Cardmembers also earn 2 points per dollar spent on fitness club and gym memberships. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent.
How to redeem points
Before discussing the ins and outs of World of Hyatt hotel redemptions, we should point out that Hyatt points typically expire after 24 months without any qualifying activity. Those who have the World of Hyatt Business card aren’t subject to points expiry, though, which gives you more time to accumulate points for your ideal redemption.
In terms of redemptions, World of Hyatt has peak and off-peak pricing, which means that the number of points you need for a hotel room depends on when you stay at that hotel. For more information, see our analysis of Hyatt’s peak and off-peak pricing.
TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each. It’s definitely possible to get more value from your points, and it’s also possible to redeem your points for less value. In order to consistently get good value from your World of Hyatt points, look at the two extreme ends of the spectrum. High-end properties where you would never consider paying cash can provide outsize value. Category 1 Hyatt properties cost just 5,000 points per night with standard pricing, and it’s possible to get good value here as well. For instance, redeeming 5,000 points for a hotel charging $100 a night is 2 cents per point in value — above the average value we place on Hyatt points.
Always make sure to do the math after checking what type of pricing is in effect for your stay (off-peak, standard or peak) to see what value you would get from your points. If you need more tips on redeeming your Hyatt points, see our guide to Hyatt redemptions.
Related: 5 easy ways to maximize Hyatt award redemptions
Which cards compete with the Hyatt Business card?
As this is a hotel card, it makes the most sense to think of other cobranded hotel credit cards geared toward small-business owners. However, there are other cards that could help you accrue World of Hyatt points as a small-business owner, so we will look at these as well.
The IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card has a $99 annual fee and offers 10 points per dollar on spending at IHG One Rewards-participating hotels. You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar on travel, hotels, gas stations, dining and these business categories: social media advertising, search engine advertising and office supply stores. All other purchases earn 3 points per dollar. TPG values IHG points at 0.5 cents each. The card offers automatic Platinum Elite status with IHG One Rewards, offers a fourth-night-free reward when you redeem points, an anniversary reward night certificate each year (worth up to 40,000 points), travel insurance perks, reimbursement of your application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each year.
Related: 7 ways to get free or discounted TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers 12 points per dollar on spending with Hilton hotels and resorts, 6 points per dollar on several business categories, U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel and rental car bookings. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on other purchases. TPG values Hilton points at 0.6 cents each. The card offers 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits per year, automatic Gold status with Hilton Honors and the ability to earn up to two free weekend night rewards per year after meeting spending requirements.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card offers 6 points per dollar on spending at Marriott Bonvoy-participating hotels. You’ll earn 4 points per dollar in the U.S. with restaurants, gas stations, shipping providers and wireless phone services. You’ll earn 2 points per dollar on other purchases. TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents apiece. The card offers a free night award each year on your cardmember anniversary, worth up to 35,000 points. You also get 15 elite night credits to help you earn status each year, as well as complimentary Silver Elite status.
Related: Here’s why you need both a personal and business Marriott Bonvoy credit card
Since World of Hyatt is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, this means that any cards earning Ultimate Rewards can effectively become a way to earn Hyatt points through these 1:1 transfers. The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card earns Ultimate Rewards points, which you could transfer to Hyatt. You will earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories each account member year: shipping; internet, cable and phone services; travel; and social media and search engine advertising. After passing the $150,000 spending threshold, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar, which is also the earning rate on all other purchases for everyday spending. The card has a $95 annual fee.
Business owners with significant spending on office supplies or internet, cable and phone services may be interested in the Ink Business Cash Credit Card for its 5 points per dollar (on the first $25,000 spent in these categories each account anniversary year) as well as the 2 points per dollar this card provides when spending at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent in these categories during your cardmember year). There is no annual fee on this card. However, you need a premium Chase card — such as the Ink Business Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — to combine points earned from the Ink Business Cash and transfer them to Hyatt or other transfer partners.
These cards may earn Hyatt points at higher rates than the 2 points per dollar in your top spending categories afforded by the Hyatt Business card. However, they won’t provide World of Hyatt perks like spending your way toward status or the ability to get points rebates after spending $50,000 on the Hyatt Business card in a calendar year. Evaluate your business’ spending habits and what is most important to you: 2 Hyatt points per dollar plus the Hyatt perks you can earn or more points in bonus categories without the relevant Hyatt benefits.
Bottom line
The welcome offer on the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card provides significant value for a modest spending requirement that most small businesses should be able to meet. The card also offers an interesting set of perks for small-business owners who are loyal to Hyatt. While it is surprising that the card does not offer an anniversary free night certificate or the ability to earn free night certificates through spending, what you can earn through spending is interesting. The ability to spend your way toward status and spend your way toward an interesting points rebate benefit are key perks of this card and are the major factors in deciding whether the annual fee of $199 is worth it to you.
There is a significant opportunity cost to factor into putting so much spending onto this card — instead of other cards that may earn at higher rates or to take advantage of sign-up bonuses — but what this card offers to Hyatt loyalists with significant spending capacity can’t be understated. How you feel about this card will vary greatly, given that the value of the perks is extremely subjective and does not have a fixed value. The more you spend on this card each year, the more valuable it can be. Those who do not spend heavily on this card each year will find it difficult to justify paying the annual fee in year two and beyond.
Apply here for the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card with an offer of 60,000 bonus points.
Featured photo by Clint Henderson/The Points Guy.