The UNTOLD Truth About Hyatt Credit Cards (REVEALED)

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

EDIT: It appears that the categrory 1-4 certificate only works for the FIRST 15k spend you make in a year, not every 15k you spend in a year, but if you know otherwise, let me know! 🚨 Use code "SPENCER" to get Kudos for FREE and double your rewards ▸ joinkudos.com/spencer 🚨

[@Pahhd-d8t]

Frankly, if your goal is to make Hyatt the focus of your credit card spend, just using the basic Chase Trifecta with the CSP will yield better results. 1.5x on the CFU is just more than the 1 point on the Hyatt. Any card in the trifecta beats the Hyatt card on restaurant spend at 3x. The Sapphire preferred has 2x on all travel outside the portal so that matches the Hyatt card on on airlines. The gym/transit benefit is minimal as I don't think that's typically a lot of spend for most of us (and the 2x travel on the preferred may cover transit, not sure on that one). I do have the Hyatt card as the free night basically waives the annual fee and having the additional 4x back on Hyatt hotel spending is nice. Discoverist status is nice but not a huge deal imo. I think this card should be a late pickup in the game and should be seen as an addition to the Chase Trifecta if your focus is on Hyatt exclusively. There really isn't a downside to having it but it isn't quite as capable as the marketing would lead you to believe.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I definitely resonate with what you're saying here!! You're conclusion is basically exactly what I came to myself. It's not a card that you need to rush for, but if you're late in the game and want some extra perks (and are under 5/24) adding this card isn't a bad idea. It's just not a mandatory card like some may believe it to be!

[@TheAmazingDollarman]

It depends, if you have 15k spend in the everything else category, would you rather earn 22,500 UR points or get 15,000 Hyatt points and a free night certificate? Of course if you’re using those spend on minimum spend on SUBs then that’s a moot point

[@Pahhd-d8t]

@@TheAmazingDollarman I'd personally take the 22,500. That's 7500 extra points which can get you a night at a 1-4 Hyatt. I do think it roughly evens out in your example though.

[@TheAmazingDollarman]

@@Pahhd-d8t That’s fair. If I didn’t have a kid/family, I would be all over those lower category rooms and get as many rooms as I can. I now find that cat 4 is about as low as I can go usually.

[@Pahhd-d8t]

@@TheAmazingDollarman Another thing they could do would be to add a grocery multiplier to it. That's Chase's big Achilles heel in this game and I'd be cool if they wanted to lock it behind the card.

[@DJOctober]

I’m glad you made this video because I’m torn between getting these cards and leaving them alone - there’s not really a middle ground. This last Saturday was my birthday and I decided to stay at a Hyatt Regency for the 5th night this year, all being between July and now. The guy checking me in asked me if i had any special plans and when I mentioned it was my birthday, I received my very first room upgrade ever - completely complementary WITH Club Access (free snacks, drinks, AND breakfast!) Sadly we didn’t get a change to check out the Club as we had birthday plans already set, but the upgrade felt amazing! Needless to say, I will probably get these cards but at the very end of my credit card journey, once I’ve gotten all of my “core” cards out of the way! Love your content. - Ivan

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I love to hear it! I always say if I can just help one person with my videos every upload, I'm happy. That's so cool to hear they gave you an upgrade for your bday with club access!! Hyatt is definitely a quality hotel brand and I'd love to have higher status with them, but as for the cards, I won't get them until later in the game either. Thanks for sharing your experience man!!

[@jakemercure]

I totally agree! I wanted the World of Hyatt card so bad because it fit my use case... I just couldn't justify the confusing and minimal SUB so I ended up going with the Bonvoy Boundless instead. Nice video Spencer!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

It sounds like we went the same route recently! I'm glad this one resonated with you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts as always!!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Completely agree with your assessment that the WoH Personal version is a no-brainer due to it's status as a Keeper Card & getting that Free Night Award every year. Agree as well that the only reason to get the Business Card at this point is really for status, and unfortunately I don't think most people should get it, since it doesn't have that Free Night. Great video as always Spencer!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I appreciate you Matt! One day I'll pick up one or both of these cards to get more experience with them, but they aren't ones I'm currently rushing for yet.

[@justinschai]

Just applied and got approved for the personal WoH card to put me at 5/24 after contemplating between WoH or Marriot Bonvoy Boundless. I liked the higher value/cpp of transferring UR points to book additional nights on top of the annual FNA.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Congrats on the approval! It's a card I plan to add one day myself since it compliments the Chase trifecta and Bilt card so well, but I went for the Boundless first in anticipation of PCing to the RItz Carlton card one day. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

[@tiwiks1]

I considered getting the WOH business card since I already acquired 6 Inks, but I had to cool off on my velocity so I opted to get the personal version instead and force myself to garden for 6 months. I think if I were to get another chase business, it would be the IHG one for the FNC. Great video Spencer!

[@todd7148]

I stay mainly at Hyatt. I will stick with the 3X on the Ink Preferred and UR transfers to Hyatt. That gives you 8X back at Hyatt so a dedicated card isnt worth the hassle.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

This speaks to the experience that a lot of folks have with this card. It's a good pickup for the added benefits, but earning categories wise you can do great with basically any of the annual fee Chase cards.

[@L-Man-Gaming]

Yeah bro but what about your free water bottle

[@TheCreditFrog]

Great rundown of the Hyatt lineup Spencer! I’m awaiting this fabled new Hyatt elite card you mentioned. There’s a lot of opportunity, but also a lot of disappointment that could occur depending on what the card ultimately comes with!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I appreciate you Stan! I'm stoked to see what they do with the new card release. Considering that their other cards are a bit lackluster leads me to believe they may not nail this release necessarily, but I sure hope I'm wrong! They just better not add automatic Globalist status lol. That's a bad move in my opinion.

[@LK_EBM]

I appreciate these more in-depth analysis of cards, instead of just going over bullet points that you can read online!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I appreciate that man! I always try to bring my own perspective into these types of videos even though sometimes it's more information heavy than others (like my vid coming out Sunday). I'm glad you appreciate that though!

[@johnmckinstry6057]

Nice insights on the World of Hyatt cards! This video definitely shines some light on the pros and cons of the cards. I can see myself holding the personal card someday in the future, but it’s not something I’m going to rush at getting. My current travel habits don’t really warrant holding the card, anyway. One disadvantage of Hyatt is their footprint is smaller than Hilton, IHG, and Marriott.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I appreciate that John! I think we're in the same boat with this card. It's one I see myself adding one day still, but it's not one I want to rush for like I used to. I feel like you get more bang for your buck with other hotel cards because of their larger footprints, so for now, I'll transfer my Chase points out to Hyatt and go for the other hotel cards. Thank you for sharing your thoughts as always man!

[@saulmartinez6165]

I plan on getting this card for the simple reason you mentioned (positive value from a free cat 1-4 night). I usually visit family in Dallas at least once a year so even if I don’t travel anywhere, I’ll be able to use that free night for a $200 hotel, which already is positive value. If I do travel somewhere for vacation, I’ll use that for one of the nights and then my CUR points for the rest. Really good keeper card in my opinion!

[@MyWastedFantasy]

11:38 “ I don’t know who’s booking 12 nights at a category, one hotel” I think Anthony venture is the type too lmao He likes stretching his points out as much as possible! … tbh I’m the same way to me. A hotel is just a place for me to sleep at / hardly be in and explore the town instead

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Haha you might be right!! I hear that there are some great category 1 hotels overseas, so maybe that's a good use case for them 🤷🏼‍♂️ I'm just not a big fan of their marketing in general, but I like how you think about it!!

[@AnthonyVenture]

You’re right Fanta hahaha, I probably would 😂.

[@RtheStory3333]

Perfect timing for me on this video, have had the WoH card circled as my next card for quite some time but have been reconsidering it quite a bit. Would love to see you do a breakdown of all the hotel branded cards

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I love to hear it! If I can even just help 1 person with each of my videos, I'm happy. So thank you for the comment!! And funny enough, Sunday's upload is all about all the hotel cards, so I hope you enjoy that!

[@jwil4286]

the biggest thing holding me back from the Hyatt card ecosystem is that Hyatt doesn't have locations in as many places as I'd like to visit. it has some of them, but there are enough others that I question how valuable it would be in my use case.

[@JPBuffet]

Those marketing tactics on the Chase website really annoy me haha. I agree about the 1-4 category certificate. I think there are some gem category 1-4 out there, so it would still be worth it. Congrats on the 12K btw.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I completely agree haha. Idk why they have to do it that way. But like you said, the FNC can definitely give you positive value so it's a worthwhile card to get for someone like myself at some point down the line. Thanks for the support boss!

[@youtube.experiment]

The personal card makes sense late in the game for the so called free night yearly. The first leg of the welcome bonus makes sense but not the last leg of it.

[@allent1034]

Your EDIT is correct: The free night stay for spending $15,000 on the card is a once a year benefit. If you charge $65,000 on the card you still only get 1 free night (not 4 nights, see 17:10 in the video). The card's details state, "Free Night Award After $15,000 in Purchases: As a one-time bonus each calendar year..." and I called their customer service to question that and they confirmed, you can only earn one free night a year by spending $15k or more.

[@ProfessorX-YouTube]

For non-luxury hotel stays, I think it is hard to beat a card with only a $95 annual fee that offers an annual free night award (for a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel) after cardmember anniversary, annual extra free night award (for a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel) after $15k in purchases, and enough points earned from $15k spending for an annual paid for with points night (at a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel) . So, for a $95 annual fee and $15k spending, a cardholder gets three nights at a Category 1-4 Hyatt. This is why I use this card as my primary non-category spending card.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

That's a completely fair way to go about it! If those free nights are super easy to use and valuable for you, that extra $15k in spend can definitely be good to put on this card. I personally don't have high enough spend for that to be worth it and I'd rather put that spend into new card bonuses, but that's because I have more cards I want to add still. Thanks for sharing your use case man!

[@ds5651]

I use to not be loyal to a hotel however with Hyatt and the chase trifecta convinced me and I enjoy Hyatt alot. I have a Marriott card got the 5 free nights and one free night but prefer Hyatt in every case.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I love Hyatt too. It's generally the first place I look, but with my Boundless card, I'll start to stay at more Marriotts in the future as well.

[@AnthonyVenture]

I hear you on the tactics they use, totally never noticed the 5x for just being a member until Luke pointed it out. 🤯 And I really am curious if that’s true that the $15k for FNC is only the first year, and not recurring, that would be wild if that’s true! Great in-depth breakdown Spencer! Very detailed and fair for both sides.

[@A.Masculine.Reminder]

Every year when you’re fee is due for this credit card, do you still get a voucher for category 1-4 or did they go away with that?

[@victorbaez6344]

I feel like the value of these hotel credit cards is just hotel status that you get by bypassing the nights milestones so instead of paying an avg of 150US/night for 10 nights to get discoverist you pay 99 once a year to maintain that status. I may be wrong but it's pretty much a membership card.

[@margaretpittman9650]

That was a really great video, I’ve commented on your videos before that I’m in South Florida, and I recently went over to your area flew in Austin on Southwest used points stated a Hyatt at the Austin airport, also used points. My nephew, and his wife and baby live in Killeen, so went there to visit. I like flying out of West Palm Beach airport. Also when I can, but as you found out, it’s usually cheaper to go out of Fort Lauderdale.. also, on Southwest, if you want to fly into Palm Beach, you have to connect. So for a nonstop flight to Austin, I don’t mind driving 45 min to Fort Lauderdale airport.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Thank you so much Margaret! That means a lot! That's awesome to hear we've made such similar trips recently. And I used to play basketball against some Killeen schools, so I'm familiar with the area. But yeah I think flying into FLL is the way to go for most people, especially from Austin. Thanks for watching this one!!

[@bryaninmiami]

There are quite a few Cat 1’s internationally. A bunch of really fancy Hyatt properties in Bali happen to be Category 1

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Very good to know! That's why I love the comments section!

[@getsugatenshoFTW]

I have the WoH primarily for work spend since I tend to stay at Hyatts for work. I have a Bonvoy Boundless as well for supplementary Marriot stays if I finish up my 60 nights with Hyatt in a year and to diversify as well. Otherwise, the card is mediocre and I wouldn't use it much for personal use. It is personally easy for me to hit Globalist each year along with 15k spend/year so I can easily justify the personal card.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Thank you for sharing your experience! Traveling that much for work is a lot I imagine, but it's good you're able to get some status out of it. Globalist is great!!

[@majiklantrn]

Was going to after the Hyatt card but figured I'd make up the points with my Chase and BILT Card. As always, great video Spencer. Keep'em coming!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

That's a perfectly reasonable way to go about it! Thanks for the support man!!

[@WhiteoutSnowy]

Awesome video , plenty of information! I definitely learned a few things about Hyatt lol , now I think you should do a Marriott $95 and $250 AF ( both thru chase ) and explain the differences and your thoughts on $250 vs 95 AF as well :)

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Thank you so much!! That means a lot. I actually talk about both of those cards in my video going up Sunday so watch out for that! The conclusion is mainly to avoid the $250 annual fee Marriott cards. You'll get much more bang for your buck with the Boundless to be honest. No free night certificate automatically for a $250 annual fee card makes it not worth it in my eyes.

[@TravelBossNas]

With Kudos can you double dip with other shopping portals? Like Rakuten or AA eShopping?

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

They have an FAQ on their website and currently it states that the extra rewards will only go to one rewards program which is unfortunate, but that's just how it is 😕

[@elliottnixon-wq6sp]

This card is the ultimate example of perfect on paper but not if your life spend says no. Here’s a good example of how and why to get this card. If you live in Orlando like I used to, you’d know that the airport isn’t near things or at least not my old house and that there is a Hyatt in the terminal. You walk into departures, take an elevator up and you’re in a solid Hyatt property. Here’s another thing: most of the flights out of Orlando I used to take required me to get up at the ass crack of dawn and drive there and whatnot. Bad idea Better solution: check into the Hyatt the night before and enjoy your trip. My family did this so often that the Hyatt card paid for itself even though we rarely stayed at Hyatt outside of it. TLDR, I didn’t go out of my way to stay at Hyatt to get the card. A Hyatt was nearby and the card made my life easier

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

That's a great use case for the card for sure! I think that same logic goes for any credit card. If you're going out of your way to use the credits, then you're not lowering the effective annual fee, you're just spending money you wouldn't have otherwise. Thanks for sharing man!

[@markburns857]

Thank you, as always, Spencer, for breaking down the “fine print.” Incredibly useful!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Of course Mark! I appreciate the comment and the support as always!

[@sjg6158]

In general, the Hyatt card needs a refresh. The point builders aren't great, but Chase rarely offers deals on this card. Plus, 30K points is what most will end up with for a bonus given the spend needed for the other 30K. The Sapphire cards will provide plenty of Hyatt value, which is how I stay there for several free nights when I travel. That's where the value and conversion rate. Otherwise, that card is meh. Thanks Spencer

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I would love to see a refresh for sure. I agree with you that your spend is better placed elsewhere and the main value from this card comes from it's perks and benefits which aren't enough for everyone to really want the card currently. Thanks for watching man!

[@getsugatenshoFTW]

Btw, I think the free cat 1-4 certificate only works for the FIRST 15k spend you make in a year, not every 15k you spend in a year.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Oh that's actually a great note! Based on how it reads on their website, I think you're right!! Thanks for calling that out for folks. I'll add it to my pinned comment.

[@jmcmonster]

Hyatt is my preferred brand for work travel, so this card was an easy choice. The free night more than pays for the AF and it also keeps my points alive if I don’t travel for a long time. I only use it for Hyatt spend, though. Would definitely use it more if it had some better bonus categories.

[@mrcrazyvid1]

Does redeeming free night certificates count towards nights for status?

[@A.Masculine.Reminder]

Using your points counts as nights for status.

[@derekimars7024]

Free night certificates count as qualified nights

[@Quroe_]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 2nd "30000 bonus points" in the welcome offer converts the 1x catch all category to a 3x catch all category for the first 6 months, right?

[@vmcr]

I think it's just 2x, that's why it's misleading

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Unfortunately it's only an additional 1x back on those catch all purchases making it a base of 2x. That's why it's a bit misleading and annoying in my opinion.

[@scottshapiro2795]

I guess this card is good for the FNA, but I wish it had better multipliers, especially for staying at Hyatt properties. 9x isn't that great, especially when Chase and Cap One give 10x for booking in their portals, and those currencies are more valuable than Hyatt. Although I guess you might get a cheaper price booking though Hyatt as a rewards member. I wish the multipliers were like Hilton. On their Aspire card, I think you can get up to 34x back (granted the AF is much higher on the Aspire, but still...) I think the surpass card even gets 12x.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

The earning categories definitely aren't insane by any means and I'd only use the card for Hyatt specific purchases really. The benefits are the main pull for the card for sure. Maybe they'll eventually revamp the cards to make them better once they release the new one, but we'll just have to wait and see!

[@JacobsPointsAndProfit]

I haven’t really been a fan of the Hyatt cards but I could see myself getting one if I have a 5/24 slot open and I don’t want to get any other Chase cards, but that’s later on down the road

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I do think it's more of a late game card unless you add it right at the beginning of your journey when you're under 5/24. I plan on adding it at some point myself, but more of a late game addition as well.

[@jeremycain2491]

Nice review Spencer. I think the terms are pretty misleading, which is disappointing. It only offers 1 more point than CSR, which is lame.

[@L-Man-Gaming]

Bro holy shit I had no idea about the Free Night not being usable on the first year. That makes this card kind of ass if the welcome bonus is not good, so yeah, I think that pretty much means this is a late game card or if you can grab a high bonus. Definitely not making this card a priority now.

[@deadxpride45]

I wonder what new Hyatt card they will make in the near future 🤔

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Time will tell!

[@stargatefreak666]

I live near Westlake Village CA and I have no idea why you would want to stay at that Hyatt. There’s nothing to do out here lol.

[@rj5795]

Had the card since 2020, and those multipliers suck. I just hold it for the status and points and free night. All other hotel cards have good categories.

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I don't blame you for using it that way! That's exactly how I would use it too. If I ever booked a Hyatt in cash, I'd use the card for that purchase, but everything else would be going on a different card.

[@rj5795]

@@SpencerJohnsonOfficial Solid point💯.

[@chewie94116]

I rather pay more for Hyatt Globalist- great idea! I have IHG and Hilton Aspire right now, use both quite a bit. Hyatt is too hard to hit globalist unless I sacrifice IHG.

[@ItsMeCJ]

Wow, I’m 7 days late but I’m still FIRST 😮‍💨 Hey wait a min! I’m hoping for globalist status with the potential premium card! Don’t tell them not to do that 😂. So basically, I don’t think I should be applying for any of these cards right now. I’ll simply use my other Chase cards especially since that welcome offer is not very good at all on the personal card.

[@iGimmie]

Where is the video link at the end of the video?!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

It should be there! At least it is on my end!

[@FreedomFinanceFun]

The personal card bonus needs to be 45k for to me be interested

[@acpadgett]

Great break-down of the two cards

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I really appreciate you!!

[@woodzy883]

Honestly, the cards need a revamp and the fact that chase and Hyatt are so misleading is such a turnoff

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

I'd love to see them revamp these cards. I imagine when they release the new card they'll work on these, but who knows. The marketing of these cards definitely annoy me, but when making Sunday's video I realized a lot of hotel cards do the same thing for some reason... I guess we just gotta be able to read through the BS!

[@bruceeigsti5274]

As long as u pay it off each month any points card is good but if u accrue interest don't do it

[@aldoogie]

@SpencerJohnsonOfficial I couldn't disagree with you more. I think the Hyatt Business card is so underrated. #1. Hyatt points go much further distance when booking compared to Hilton and Marriott. #2. Hyatt Globalist is overpowered as far as how you're going to be treated compared to Hilton Diamon status that can be purchased; a lot more people have Diamond status, so it devalues it a bit. If you're the type to use Hyatt, having a 4:00 PM check out time is simply amazing. The suite upgrades are awesome. I think it depends on your travel habits. I like weekend getaways, this comes in really handy with the perks.

[@Mohammed-rw3hv]

We need a review of the new Hilton Surpass. Thank you

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Good to know you want that! Sunday's video should satisfy those wants a bit, but I'm sure I'll make a dedicated video on them at some point if y'all want it!

[@jimmyjames6492]

We've had no problem getting value from the FNC on the Hyatt personal card. That being said - it's definitely a sock drawer card. Thanks for the info + video!

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Thanks for sharing Jimmy! I assume that's exactly how I'd use it as well to be honest.

[@aldoogie824]

Chasing status. I think Globalist will be really worthwhile.

[@johnwick860]

I only project 30,000 SUB for WOH personal... then next 30k seems unattainable

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

That's how I look at it as well personally.

[@romineckok.9724]

If only Chase/Hyatt could make these cards 2% on everything.....hmmm

[@billwright2176]

Hi Odin.

[@AhmadKhwajazada]

I was driving, I wasn’t first because I refuse to break the law, even for you Spence, sorry 😛

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Still scooped #3 while being an upstanding citizen. I appreciate you man! 🥉

[@johnwick860]

IHG premier is better

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Well you'll like Sunday's video!

[@SOXGATORS]

👍🏻

[@evangibson8020]

Sad how the best Hyatt cards are the Chase Ink/Freedom/Sapphire cards 😔

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

That's a great way to put it! That's honestly true earning categories wise. Benefits wise obviously the Hyatt cards are better for Hyatt specifically, but I feel like they need to make their cards more attractive.

[@Evin0688]

Constructive criticism here. Why does your face look so washed out in your videos? Your face looks very pale compared to your arm which have good color. My guess is that it’s probably your lighting or your make up if you use it. Maybe try changing some of the lighting on your face to give you more color.

[@janenuss6]

Get a life bro

[@ReconPro]

Second

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Dang, you've been here early a bunch lately, thanks man! 🥈

[@johnmckinstry6057]

First

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Ayyy Jon took up the challenge!! Nice work man 👑

[@CesarJoel]

Great video and overview Spencer. IMO Hyatt has by far the worst hotel credit cards in the game. The personal card can be easy to justify with the free night but still weak when compared to most $95-$99 hotel cards. Thanks for the information and keep up the great work! 50k subs coming soon!🫵

[@SpencerJohnsonOfficial]

Thanks so much man! I'm right there with you. The free night on the personal card is nice, but when you compare it to other cards in it's class, it's not extremely competitive. Thanks for your support as always Cesar!