Last updated on February 22nd, 2024 at 01:56 pm
Hyatt’s co-brand credit card has been a persistent member of my wallet for some time now. Sure, it might not be my most-used card, but it remains one of my favorites. It’s been some time since I did one, so it’s time for a World of Hyatt Visa 2023 review, as this is one card I continue to value, even if I rarely ever use it.
Actually, my perception of this card has changed a bit in recent years. As long-time readers will recall, I’ve long been a Marriott loyalist. However, since attaining Lifetime Platinum Elite status, along with their numerous negative changes as of late, I decided to walk away. It’s gotten to the point that I downgraded my Marriott Bonvoy Premier card – once my most used credit card – to the free card. But I digress. We’re here to talk about the World of Hyatt Visa, not the state of Marriott Bonvoy and its cobrand cards.
World of Hyatt Visa 2023 Review
Not a lot has changed with the World of Hyatt Visa since I last wrote about it. Way back in 2018, the Hyatt Gold Passport Visa became the card we know today, which I think is better. But since it’s been so long, I’ll start my World of Hyatt Visa 2023 review by going over the card’s basics.
World of Hyatt Visa Basics
Like many of Chase’s co-brand cards, the World of Hyatt Visa carries a $95 annual fee. For that annual fee, get:
- 4x points per $1 spent at Hyatt properties worldwide
- 2x points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting
- 2x points per $1 spent on restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops
- 2x points per $1 spent on flights purchased directly with airlines
- 2x points per $1 spent at gyms and fitness clubs
- 1x points per $1 spent on everything else
Those are alright bonus categories, though I think having grocery stores as a category would be nice if this card is trying to be about wellness. But, I know, that’s not really travel-related. That said, the card isn’t only about earning World of Hyatt Points – it also comes with several other perks for cardholders.
- One free night certificate per year, good at a Category 1-4 property
- Earn an additional Category 1-4 free night certificate by spending $15,000 during a calendar year
- Enjoy Discoverist status as long as you have the card
- Get a boost to status with five (5) elite qualifying nights (EQNs) per year
- Earn two (2) EQNs per $5,000 spent on the card
- Secondary auto rental collision waiver
- Baggage Delay Insurance of $100 per day for up to five (5) days for bags delayed by six hours or more
- Lost Luggage coverage of up to $3,000 for a checked or carry-on bag belonging to your or an immediate family member lost by your common air carrier
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance – covers up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for you and your immediate family when your trip is interrupted or canceled due to covered incidents, such as illness, severe weather, and more.
- Purchase Protection reimburses you up to $500 for damage or theft for each purchase made on the card for 120 days, up to $50,000 per account.
World of Hyatt Visa 2023 Review Benefits Rundown
There’s no doubt that the World of Hyatt Visa comes with a nice handful of benefits. The Hyatt-specific ones are pretty good, even if you aren’t a Hyatt loyalist. Personally, I used the free night certificate last year to pay for my stay at the Hyatt House San Jose Airport – a stay that would’ve otherwise cost me around $220. That more than made up for the annual fee I paid last year.
The EQN boost is nice, though it pales in comparison to the 15 you get with the Marriott cards. That said, the 2 EQNs per $5,000 spent is much better than the 1 EQN per $3,000 spent on the Marriott Bonvoy Premier card. As a reminder, here’s how you can earn World of Hyatt elite status.
- Discoverist: 10 EQNs, earn 25,000 base points or host three meetings
- Explorist: 30 EQNs, earn 50,000 base points or host 10 meetings
- Globalist: 60 EQNs, earn 100,000 base points or host 20 meetings
Of course, you get Discoverist status for having the card. However, outside of earning 20% more points for stays and 2 pm late check-out, Discoverist status is worthless. I almost guarantee you won’t get complimentary upgrades, but even if you do score an upgrade, it’ll only be within the same room category you booked.
As for the non-Hyatt benefits, the auto rental collision waiver is essentially worthless – it comes AFTER your personal insurance, unlike the primary coverage provided by some of Chase’s other cars. Similarly, all of the other coverages are better on premium Chase cards, such as the Sapphire Reserve. For example, the CSR gives you up to $10,000 per person for Trip Cancellation/Interruption and up to $10,000 per purchase for Purchase protection, among many other benefits.
My Usage
This is the part of my World of Hyatt Visa 2023 Review where I tell you how I use my card. And, to be quite honest, I don’t use it. I only use it for stays at Hyatt. That said, if I were trying to earn status, I’d probably dump way more spending on this card. Alas, that’s not the case for me right now.
Alternatives
While I think this card is great for those who love Hyatt, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention alternatives in my World of Hyatt Visa 2023 Review. Why? Because you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points 1:1 to World of Hyatt, which means that you could get a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points instead:
- Sapphire Reserve: $550 annual fee, best-in-class insurances/coverages, earn 3x points for travel and dining, $300 annual travel statement credits5
- Sapphire Preferred: $95 annual fee, 5x points on travel booked through Chase, 3x points on dining & online groceries, 3x points on select streaming services, 2x points on travel, better coverages & insurances than the Hyatt card
- Freedom Unlimited: no annual fee, 5x points on Chase travel, 3x points on dining, 3x points at drug stores, 1.5x points on all other purchases – must have a Sapphire card to transfer points
- Freedom Flex: no annual fee, 5x points on rotating quarterly bonus categories, 1x points on everything else
World of Hyatt Visa 2023 Review, Final Thoughts
So, five years after my last post about the card, what do I really think? I’m sure my World of Hyatt Visa 2023 review doesn’t really illustrate that well, and that’s because, as with many co-brand cards, my feelings are mixed. On the one hand, I think this is one of the best hotel cards out there, aside from super-premium ones like Hilton Aspire. However, it earns its keep in my wallet because it provides great value for its annual fee, and I like Hyatt.
Is this card for you? Or would you be better off with a Sapphire? I hope my World of Hyatt Visa 2023 review helps you with that decision.