Credit card showdown: World of Hyatt vs World of Hyatt Business card

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with new information.

Since 2018, Hyatt has offered one of the most comprehensive hotel cards with World of Hyatt credit card.

It’s a product that offers a many benefits for even the casual traveler, from annual Category 1-4 free night certificates to automatic entry-level Elite Discoverer status. So when Hyatt announces new business card last year – World of Hyatt corporate credit card – I was looking forward to seeing how this card would compete with its personal counterpart.

Aside from the obvious that one is a personal product and the other a business product, these two Hyatt cards have significant differences. Could it make sense to have both a World of Hyatt card and a World of Hyatt Business card? In some cases, for those who want to reach a higher threshold of elite status without staying at a hotel, yes.

Here’s a closer look at these two cards from Hyatt and Chase – and whether it makes sense to add either (or both) to your wallet.

Compare the cards

Let’s first look at how these two Hyatt cards – the World of Hyatt card and the World of Hyatt Business credit card – compare.

	World of Hyatt card	World of Hyatt business card
Signup Bonus	30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Plus, you’ll receive an additional 30,000 bonus points for every 2 points earned on every dollar spent on purchases that normally earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening.	60,000 points after you spend $5,000 on a purchase within the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee	95 dollars.	$199.
Earning rate	4 points per dollar at participating Hyatt hotels. 2 points per dollar for local travel and transfers, restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly, and fitness club and gym memberships. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.	2 points per dollar on three of the top eight spending categories each quarter through December 31, 2023, and two of the top eight spend categories in 2024 or later (no cap ). Categories include dining, direct-purchase airline tickets, car rental agencies, local transportation and transit, gas stations, internet, cable and phone services, and social media advertising. and search engine as well as delivery. 4 points per dollar at participating Hyatt hotels. 2 points for every dollar at fitness clubs and for gym memberships. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Other benefits	Automatically five elite night qualifying credits towards your next status tier each year. Annual certificate of complimentary nights at Hyatt Grades 1-4 hotels on each account anniversary. Earn a second free night certificate at Hyatt Grades 1-4 hotels by spending $15,000 during the calendar year. Earn qualifying elite nights through card spending.	Spend $50,000 or more on the card in one calendar year and get 10% of points redeemed for the rest of the calendar year, up to 20,000 points back per year. Earn up to $100 in Hyatt credits per anniversary year. Earn qualifying elite nights through card spending.

Also, since Chase issues both of these cards, they are subject to the issuer Rule 5/24This means you may not be approved if you have opened five or more personal credit cards across all banks in the last 24 months.

World of Hyatt card

Let’s start with the individual World of Hyatt credit card, which has a lower annual fee of $95. The sign-up bonus on both cards is 60,000 points; however, the personal card requires more spending to earn it.

First, you will earn 30,000 Hyatt’s World bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. That’s the easy part. From there, things get a little more complicated.

New cardholders can earn an extra 30,000 points by spending up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening – but only for daily spending (unused categories). The way it works is you’ll get 2 points per dollar on purchases that would normally only earn you 1 point per dollar. Maximizing this offer will require a huge amount of spending.

Related: World of Hyatt credit card review

World of Hyatt business card

Meanwhile, the World of Hyatt Business credit card has a higher $199 annual fee but comes with a simpler sign-up bonus. You will earn 60,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Related: World of Hyatt business credit card review

Bonus categories

First, there are some similarities with earnings ratios. For both the World of Hyatt and World of Hyatt Business cards, you’ll earn 4 points per dollar with Hyatt, 2 points per dollar for gym and fitness memberships, and 1 point per dollar for all other eligible purchases.

World of Hyatt card

Now, for the difference. The World of Hyatt card also offers the following rewards:

• 2 points per dollar for local travel and transit.
• 2 points per dollar at the restaurant.
• 2 points per dollar for airline tickets purchased directly with the carrier.

World of Hyatt business card

Meanwhile, the World of Hyatt business card features what Hyatt and Chase call an “adaptive accelerator.” Simply put, your additional bonus categories will change based on how you spend it.

Business cardholders will earn 2 points per dollar across their top three spending categories each quarter through the end of 2023 but only on the top two spending categories after that. Those categories include the following:

• Eating.
• Air tickets purchased directly with the airline.
• Car rental agency.
• Transfer local and go to work.
• Gas stations.
• Internet.
• Cable and phone service.
• Advertising on social networks and search engines.
• Shipping in progress.

In total, World of Hyatt business cards and individual World of Hyatt cards overlap across five bonus categories (but only four on business cards after December 2023). Business cards have six unique bonuses that differ from personal cards. An important advantage of business cards is the flexibility of earning bonuses based on specific expenses each quarter.

Redemption option

Since both of these Hyatt credit cards are part of the World of Hyatt program, their redemption options will be the same.

One of the best ways to use your Hyatt points is to redeem them for free hotel nights. Standard room change starts at 5,000 points per night at 1st class hotel and 40,000 per night at category 8 hotels. Premium suites cost up to 60,000 points per night at category 7 hotels.

Note, however, that with Hyatt’s change to peak and low priceClass 1 properties can go as low as 3,500 points per night, while Class 8 properties can go up to 45,000 points per night.

Related: The Most Award-Winning Hotel Program: Everything You Need to Know About World of Hyatt

Both the World of Hyatt card and the World of Hyatt Business card will automatically receive you entry-level Hyatt Discoverer status. While the perks are quite limited, you’ll still enjoy benefits like 2pm late check-out, a daily bottle of water, and an upgrade to priority rooms in the same room type. The cards also offer the following:

• There are no foreign transaction fees.
• Free roadside dispatch.
• Extended warranty protection.
• Purchase protection.
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance.
• Travel and emergency assistance services.

World of Hyatt card

On the World of Hyatt credit card, one of the most attractive benefits is annual free night certificate at Hyatt Grades 1-4 properties, where you’ll receive each account anniversary. This perk alone could be worth far more than the card’s $95 annual fee. You’ll also get a second free night after spending $15,000 in a calendar year.

World of Hyatt business card

Instead of a free night bonus, the World of Hyatt Business credit card focuses more on benefits that can be used by multiple people, which makes sense when you consider that Hyatt is targeting primary cardholders and any potential employees.

First, you can give up to five Explorers status to other people, and they don’t have to be employees. Five elite statuses with one card are pretty hard to beat. Furthermore, there is no fee for employee business cards.

When you spend $50,000 or more on the card in a calendar year, you’ll get 10% of your redeemed points back for the rest of the calendar year (up to 20,000 points per year). Plus, you’ll receive up to $100 in Hyatt credits each anniversary year when you spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property (earn $50 in credits). statements up to two times).

Why are both cards meaningful?

Carrying a World of Hyatt card and a World of Hyatt Business credit card can unlock double benefits.

The World of Hyatt card automatically gets you five elite night credits only with it (unfortunately, the business variant doesn’t). Meanwhile, spending on the World of Hyatt Business card can get you more premium nights faster (five nights versus four for every $10,000 spent).

All these night credits can help you level up your status with World of Hyatt Program and safe Important Rewardsincluding bonus points, set upgrades and more.

With that said, an argument can be made for wanting to earn free nights and automatic five nights (World of Hyatt card) in addition to Gifted Explorer perks and earn elite nights faster through spending (World of Hyatt Business Card).

Now is a better time than ever to consider whether either (or both) cards are right for you. But we remain hopeful and patient waiting for the premium Hyatt card in the future.

Official app link: World of Hyatt credit card.
Official app link: World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.

Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox.