So, here is the drill. According to Onemileatatime , the sign-up bonus on The Hyatt Credit Card will be changing on June 29th. As of that date, if you get approved for the offer, you will get 40,000 points after spending $2,000 in 3 months. We don’t know all the details yet, such as whether the annual fee will be waived or not.
Another unknown factor is whether you’ll get 5,000 extra points for adding an authorized user. According to OMAAT blog, the annual renewal certificate, good for category 1-4 property, is staying. I consider the source reliable, so I’m certain that this change will indeed take place on June 29th.
Which offer is better?
It really depends on your goals. For those unfamiliar with the current offer, here are the details:
And here is Hyatt award chart:
Obviously, unless you plan to stay in a category 6 or 7 property, the new offer is far superior. It will give you way more flexibility and you won’t have to worry about the fact that your sign-up certificates will expire 12 months after issue date. That said, if you are reasonably sure that you will be needing to stay in a highest two categories (all-inclusive Hyatt resorts fall into that tier), then the time to apply is now or never. Well, until June 29th, that is.
This card does pay us referral, but be aware that you may get an offer that comes with $50 credit. Check this direct non-affiliate link You can also try making a dummy reservation on Hyatt.com Be aware, I don’t see any mention of 5,000 points for adding an authorized user if you go via that link, though it might be included in the offer.
I would have to say that unless you have solid plans to stay in the most expensive properties in a near future, it’s probably better to wait. The new offer seems like a better option, overall. Those 40K points can go a long way. Also, if you have Hyatt Explorist status, you’ll be able to utilize club lounge upgrade certificates when redeeming points.
I did a review of Hyatt Place Orlando Airport few months ago, and consider it a bargain at only 5,000 points per night. You may also want to check my post Best Category 1 Hyatt Redemptions for a Family Trip in USA
Even if you want to stay in one of Hyatt resort properties, you may do better with a new offer. The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa that my family loves, currently costs 15,000 points per night. Factoring in minimum spending, you will have almost enough points for 3 nights at this property instead of 2.
That said, I just applied in my husband’s name and he got approved. Why? You’ll have to wait till next week to find out. There is a trip plan in motion that goes against all logic (financially speaking), but it looks like it might become a reality. Stay tuned.
Other offers you may want to consider instead
As I’ve mentioned last week, the 100k points offer on Amex Hilton Surpass is still available via referrals. It’s not the best offer ever because it doesn’t come with a free weekend certificate at the end of the first year. That being said, you don’t have to renew the card and pay $75 annual fee in order to get it.
Obviously, I do think the weekend night at ANY Hilton is worth it for most people. However, I don’t think it’s a huge game changer. Besides, with Citi Hilton cards gone, Amex will no longer be under pressure to compete. I honestly don’t know if the 100K offer will come back (it might), but the Hilton scene is changing, that’s for sure.
And 100K Hilton points can go a long way under the right circumstances. More importantly, Hilton properties are everywhere, which can not be said about Hyatt. If you are applying for Hyatt card speculatively, please take into account its limited footprint. Read Nancy’s post Hilton Hotels for Families of Five or More for ideas on stretching your bonus. You can apply before 7/27/2017 via my personal referral link Thanks for your support if you do so!
On the other hand, as of now, The Hyatt Credit Card is not subject to 5/24 rule, and that may change with the introduction of the new offer. You are eligible to get the bonus as long as you haven’t received it in the last 24 months.
So once again, it comes down to your upcoming plans. Which currency will benefit you the most? Should you jump on 2-night offer and plan a vacation in a fancy Hyatt property while you still can? Will you be better off applying for another sign-up bonus that comes with cash back or flexible points? Only you can answer those questions.
According to DoC, the 50K points offer on Merril+ Visa Signature is still available over the phone. If you haven’t yet applied for it, forget Hyatt and Hilton cards, or any other hotel bonuses for that matter. This offer should be your priority right now. So should Wells Fargo Propel World card I wrote about few days ago.
Readers, who is planning to apply for the current offer on The Hyatt Credit Card? Any guesses on where I hope to use my two free nights?
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
I wonder if you are an authorized user on the card, if you can use the free night certificate. I read that the hotel might make you show ID when you check in to confirm you can use the free room. But I am thinking if you have an AU card with your name on it, maybe that would work? I wonder if any of your readers has tried this. I have used my mom’s points to stay at a Holiday Inn on a free night before.
@Clyn6 Congrats on approval!!! Yay. As far as using the certs, adding yourself as a second guest should work. That’s the easiest workaround I know of. Technically, the nights are not transferable. However, if you are an authorized user on the card AND happen to be listed as an additional guest, I can’t imagine you’ll have issues.
Obviously, I can’t guarantee anything and you may want to reach out to property directly just to avoid any potential surprises. But I don’t believe you’ll have any issues. In general, the hotels don’t really care whether it’s a paid reservation or a free one.
You made a good point about the “zombie” links vs the links from the bank.
Although, my husband has no Citi cards, so no credit to spread around for him….
Disregard that, sorry, getting my banks confused! He does have 3 Chase cards.
@Clyn6 Stephanie is probably right and you’ll just need to shift around some credit. Hopefully, that’s the only issue. I hope you’ll get both approved after all.
Great news! I called, rep put me on hold for a few minutes, then said I was approved! Didn’t have to do anything!! Hyatt Ziva Montego Bay – here I come!!!!!
My husband and I already have Hyatt cards. I guess we could cancel them and apply and get the bonus again since it’s been more than two years, but I’m afraid we’d get denied and then I’d lose my anniversary nights. I don’t even know how long you have to have them canceled before you can apply again. We like to use our anniversary nights at Coconut Point Hyatt. I’ll be passing on this one. I am curious where you plan on using yours.
@Jennifer If you got the bonus two years ago, then you are eligible for it again. I don’t know about specific timeline on applying for Chase card after canceling it, but I would give it at least 30 days or so.
There is always a risk of not getting approved, sure. But 40K points offer is compelling enough, I think I would take my chances. Of course, it’s up to you. The biggest unknown is whether the new offer will fall under 5/24 restriction. I’m guessing not, but who knows?
We are thinking about burning the certs next year on Sydney property that costs 30K points per night. I know, I know… It may not materialize, but a gal can dream. I’ll have more on it next week.
Sydney? I was thinking you might say Maldives! 😀
@Anonymous Now that would be ironic, wouldn’t it? 🙂
The 2 free nights didn’t appeal to me because we wouldn’t be staying at top-tier resorts, so I’m glad to see a points-based offer finally. I will consider this card if that happens!
@Kacie I can definitely understand your reasoning! In fact, if you asked me just a week ago which offer is better for my family, I would say 40K points, hands down.
My husband and I applied last night (using your link!) and both received a message saying it needed further review which could take up to 30 days! I am thinking I should call. Did you get instant approval?
@Clyn6 First, thank you so much for your support! It means a lot. Though I hope you checked on whether you were targeted for a non-affiliate offer with $50 credit that is listed on my page of hotel bonuses. If you get approved, make sure to contact Chase and ask to get matched.
As to whether you should call… That’s a tough one. Personally, I would just wait. If you apply for cards frequently, it can be difficult to explain if you call reconsideration. I would say, just wait for answer from Chase. Hopefully, you both will get approved. If not, you can always call reconsideration and plead your case. My husband got an instant approval, but if he received the 30-day message, we would just wait it out. If approved, you’ll get the current offer. But it’s up to you, of course. Good luck!
That normally sounds OK, but since this deal is expiring I am wondering if I should call. Shortly after it was announced that Citi no longer had links on their site for the Hilton cards I applied for the 2 free weekend nights offer and it went pending and waited, and then received a letter in the mail saying the application was denied because that bonus offer is no longer available. But people posted about getting approved days after I submitted my app. I wondered if I had called on that one if I would have gotten the deal before it ended. So that makes me wonder if the same thing will happen to this offer.
@Clyn6 It probably won’t hurt to call and may put your mind at ease. And that’s worth something! Like I always say, it’s impossible to know which path will yield success. I prefer to wait even though I’m a super impatient person, and this strategy seems to pay off.
But maybe calling now will help, who knows? I will say that Citi is super disorganized compared to Chase, so I’m not too surprised that it happened to you. Also, the Citi Reserve offer you’ve applied for was via a zombie link. The current Chase offer is still officially listed on their website, so it’s a bit different. I’m almost 100% confident that if approved, you’ll get the 2 nights’ bonus. Plus, the offer will be valid for another 6 days. Obviously, I can’t guarantee anything, but that’s my view on the matter.
If you decide to call, please let me know of your outcome.
@Clyn6 I have called the Chase reconsideration line several times as we had the CSP, CSR, and the Freedom cards. The reason we were put under reconsideration was that they wanted us to spread our credit lines across the cards — easy peesy fix. Not saying that’s always the case, but it was for us. Hope you get the card.
I had that for a different card recently, just wanted to spread around the credit. I think I will call.