Last year in June, both my husband and I applied for the new World of Hyatt credit card. I spent months dreaming about how to spend those points, and ultimately burned them on next year’s spring break trip to Costa Rica.
In addition to the sign-up bonus points, the card also comes with a free night at a Hyatt Category 1-4 hotel given on or around your card member anniversary. I didn’t have to think too hard about where we would spend those two free nights. It was a forgone conclusion that we would go to Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. We visited this resort over New Year’s a few years ago, and we wanted to go back in the summer to better enjoy the lazy river and other outdoor amenities.
In fact, I had planned to use those anniversary certificates on my MegaBus trip next week! I figured that since my card member anniversary was about a month before that trip, I’d have no trouble booking a 2-night stay at Hyatt Hill Country during the week at the end of the summer. I was wrong!
Timeline for Anniversary Certificates
According to my friends who own the World of Hyatt card, they get their anniversary free night from Hyatt within a few days of their card anniversary. Most times, it hits their account even before the card’s annual fee posts to their statement. Card members have one year to use the free night.
I’m currently at four weeks since my card anniversary with no anniversary certificates in site. I’ve logged into my account (and my husband’s) almost every day, yet the free award night is not listed under “My Awards.” We’ve received no emails from Hyatt about the certificates either.
Photo by Nicholas Bui on Unsplash
Finding Answers
I decided to start with Hyatt. After several minutes on the phone, the agent could find no reason why my Hyatt anniversary certificates weren’t loaded. She told me to call Chase.
When I called Chase, the agent told me that the certificates can take up to 10 weeks to get to your Hyatt account. What?!?! I told him that others get them almost instantly. He replied that since they changed to this “new” World of Hyatt card last year, processing times for the free anniversary nights have been a lot slower.
I verified with him that my card was in good standing and that the bonus was not contingent upon actually paying the annual fee (which had hit my statement, but wasn’t due until next month). And yes, we’ve put regular spending on both credit cards.
Not ready to give up, a few days later I sent a secure message through my Chase account. The reply said that the certificates arrive four to six weeks after my anniversary date.
Lastly, I searched on FlyerTalk to see if anyone else is having the same issue. So far, I’ve found nothing.
Is it really only me having this delay?
Bottom Line
I’m filing this under one of my “first world” problems. Not having these free night anniversary certificates is not the end of the world. I was already thinking about canceling my trip next week anyway due to over-travel. This just makes it easier.
I’ll just plan another short getaway to San Antonio next summer, hopefully before we are tuckered out from too much travel.
Has a delay in a free anniversary night or sign-up bonus caused you to move a planned trip?
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Nancy, do you remember if you got it at the beginning of a month (sept)? My husband and I both have new card. His anniversary date was also July, AF posted and paid and we didn’t get cert until Sept 1. My anniversary was sept 6, AF posted and paid in October and I am awaiting cert. I am assuming the first of the month following fee assessment…Nov 1
@April We got the certs the last few days of the month after waiting 9 weeks. Hopefully yours is faster!
Its been 4 weeks for me now too, as a WoH card holder. However, it’s not a big deal for me to wait cause I got a $150 statement credit after 1 purchase. So, $50 profit for the year and $50 for this next year lol. Do you know if you get an email confirmation saying you get a free night or how does that work? Thanks!
@Harry I finally got my free night at 9 weeks after my annual fee hit. I never got an email about it that I could find, it just finally appeared in my account.
Hey Nancy, next week is my 8 week. Have you thought about cancelling the card? I mean regardless you’re gonna get the FN anyway, and since my annual fee hit last month, it doesn’t bother me too much cause Oct-Dec, not much really going on but if it was the summer time then it would have been a problem I guess lol. Thanks! I will check my Hyatt account more constantly then.
@Harry I got my certificate after 9 weeks. I have no plans to cancel the card because my family can make good use out of the certificates each year. I hope you get yours soon!
Wonder if that’s happening on the older Hyatt card or just the new one. I have the older one and was also planning on having it post on time so I could use it for a trip. I still need to wait a until Nov to see.
@Lynn From what I can tell on Flyertalk comments, it’s happening just with new cardholders. Hopefully yours will be fine.
My Marriott “free” night posted within a few days of AF. My husband same exact card; his night did not post until 2 months later! I specifically opened his close to my annual fee so they would be close to use them together. Also, we both accepted the upgrade offer and they promised the AF date would not change, they lied. Posted 2 months earlier than previous year. So we both paid AF in March, but his free night posts 8 weeks later than mine. I called and just got the run around. No one could explain why mine came fast and his slow….
@Clyn6 Sorry, I just saw this comment. That is so weird that the timing is so different. It must be a thing with newer cardholders. That’s frustrating though.
I think I have an answer for you.
Like you, I read that the certs post after your first year anniversary, yada, yada, yada.
Chase often sends my IHG and Marriott certs either before the anniversary date or on that date.
So, I wondered what gives?
This is my first year of the Chase card and my anniversary date is July 2. I wondered what was holding it up.
Then, I noticed something.
On an earlier statement, I was informed that I would be billed on 8/1/19 for my annual fee.
I think this is the rub — most others get billed their annual fee around the time of their anniversary date — but apparently not I and perhaps, not you, as well.
So, I’m expecting to receive the certs on or around 8/1/19, and true to Chase form, and not like AMEX, I expect to receive the cert before I actually make payment of the annual fee which will be due some time later the next month for me.
Hold tight and be patient.
By the way, I’m glad mine is late because if it were sent on time, I realized that I would not have been able to use it on July 4th, whereas this way, I will be able to use the upcoming cert thru the Memorial day or July 4th holidays next year.
@Hadley I’m glad you’ll be able to use yours on July 4th next year. My annual fee was already billed on 7/1…and still no cert! 🙁
Then, perhaps they have switched to an AMEX style of sending the Cert only after one has paid the annual fee? See what happens after the cutting of your next bill.
Good luck!
Wow, my anniversary is later this month, and I hope it doesn’t take so long. Strangely, I had the opposite problem related to the free cert for 15K spend. I tried to delay the spending so that I would receive the cert after my July statement closed, but instead it was sent to me almost immediately after meeting spend in June. I did not want it then, because now it expires 4 days before I wanted to use it in 2020!
@Andrea That would be a bummer to get the cert earlier than you wanted. Ugh, just 4 days!
Thank you for posting this!! This was the first year with the spg/Marriott certificate and I barely received it in time for our June travels. I am used to getting the certificates on the anniversary date – or when I pay the annual fee, so I expected mine to load in March (spg). Now I need to make sure we give plenty of time for the Hyatt, I guess.
@Anonymous Wow, sounds like the Marriott certs are running late, too. Leana’s Hyatt cert arrived on time last month, so I’m thinking it might just be an issue for newer cardholders.
I hope you get your certificate soon! I feel like some of these just aren’t worth the hassle for me. I have been having trouble using my IHG certificate for example — very hard to find award availability for 5 people where and when I want to use it. I might keep it another year since I’m grandfathered in for the $49 fee, but yeah we’ll see. I have the old Hyatt and I have the old SPG as well. I wish it could just be a points deposit!
@Kacie Anniversary points would be much better. We will have IHG certs later this year, and I hope we can put them to good use.
Me too. July anniversary
@Claire How many weeks have you been waiting?