The Best Credit Cards for Hyatt

Hyatt loyalists don't have as many co-branded card options as fans of other hotel brands might — but the two available choices are decent ones. And if you're focused on earning Hyatt points, a flexible points-earning card that transfers points to Hyatt could be a good pick, too.

World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card, the only co-branded personal card from Hyatt, is a strong pick if you're looking for a fast track to elite status and an annual free night certificate. It offers strong earnings if you’re a frequent guest of Hyatt. With a $95 annual fee, you’ll receive several perks, including:

• Welcome offer: Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

• 4x points at hotels in the World of Hyatt program (in addition to up to 5x points earned as a World of Hyatt member, for up to 9x points total), 2x points on local transit, commuting, dining, flights booked directly with the airline and gym memberships and 1x point everywhere else.

• Complimentary Discoverist elite status.

• Five elite night credits each year towards the next status tier.

• Earn two additional elite night credits for every $5,000 in spending.

• An annual free night certificate valid at Category 1-4 hotels after their cardmember anniversary.

• Earn a second free night certificate valid at Category 1-4 hotels after spending $15,000 in a calendar year.

Although this card doesn’t offer higher-end perks like airport lounge access or midtier elite status, you can still get value out of the card — especially with the annual free night certificate.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

For small business owners, there's also the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, which offers more business-oriented benefits for its $199 annual fee:

• Welcome offer: 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

• 4x points at hotels in the World of Hyatt program (in addition to up to 5x points earned as a World of Hyatt member, for up to 9x points total); 2x points in your top three spending categories each quarter (options include dining, shipping and more); 2x points on fitness clubs and gyms; and 1x point on all other purchases.

• Complimentary Discoverist elite status for you and up to five employees.

• Earn five elite night credits for every $10,000 spent each calendar year.

• Up to $100 each year in Hyatt statement credits, $50 per qualifying Hyatt purchase up to two times each anniversary year.

• Get a 10% rebate on redeemed points after spending $50,000 in a calendar year, on up to 200,000 points redeemed.

Although this card doesn’t provide a free night certificate, high spenders will appreciate that 10% rebate on points and the ability to give Discoverist elite status to their employees.

» Learn more: Things to know before getting the World of Hyatt Card

Aside from Hyatt cards, you can also get a card that earns points that can be transferred to Hyatt. These flexible travel cards could be more useful for some.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which is a high-end travel credit card featuring a $795 annual fee. In return, you’ll receive a $300 annual travel credit, a Priority Pass membership and access to the full suite of Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners. Hyatt is a 1:1 transfer partner with Chase, which means that one Chase point becomes one Hyatt point.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 8x points on all travel booked through Chase Travel , 4x for travel booked directly with a hotel or airline and 3x points on dining and 1x points on everything else. When you earn on travel, you’ll earn the bonus rate on all hotels — not just Hyatt locations.

Compare this to the World of Hyatt Credit Card, which earns 9x Hyatt points at Hyatt hotels and 2x Hyatt points on dining. But remember, the 9x points earned on the Hyatt card includes what you earn as a Hyatt member. So if you book directly with Hyatt using the Sapphire Reserve, you’d still be eligible to earn up to 5x points on your Hyatt account as a Hyatt member, plus 4x points on your Sapphire Reserve, for 9x in total earnings.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card still edges out the Chase Sapphire Reserve® at Hyatt properties, thanks to the Discoverist status perk and its associated points bonus on eligible purchases. However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve competes if you have Discoverist status on your own and at any other hotel brand.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a midtier travel card that also offers a 1:1 transfer ratio on points, including to Hyatt properties. With a more affordable $95 annual fee, this card earns 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel, 2x points on travel and 3x points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target and Walmart).

If you decide to pay for your next hotel stay in cash, you could earn 5x points if you book through Chase's portal.

Let’s say you spend $120 at dinner. When using your Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to pay, you’ll earn 360 Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be converted into 360 Hyatt points.

Were you to use your World of Hyatt Credit Card instead, you’d earn just 240 Hyatt points.

Of course, since both the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earn a flexible point currency, you also have the option to transfer to one of Chase’s many hotel and airline partners. This means you can choose to transfer some of your points to Hyatt for a vacation, then transfer the rest to an airline like United Airlines for reward flights to your destination.

» Learn more: Is the World of Hyatt Credit Card right for me?

Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card is another great option for earning points that you can use at Hyatt. Bilt sets itself apart from other cards by offering users the opportunity to earn points on rent payments without the typical credit card transaction fee, even if you pay using a check or ACH. You can earn up to 100,000 points per calendar year on rent payments, with an earning rate of 1 point per dollar.

You also earn 5x points on Bilt Neighborhood Dining Partners, 3x on other dining purchases, 5x on Lyft rides and 2x points on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, cruise lines or through the Bilt Travel Portal.

The card has no annual fee, but you have to use it at least five times per billing period to earn points.

World of Hyatt is a Bilt transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio, so you can take your Bilt points and transfer them to Hyatt if you want.

Of the eligible cards for earning Hyatt points, three cards make the cut on our current list of the best travel card sign-up offers. The consumer World of Hyatt Credit Card is the only one of Hyatt’s co-branded cards featured in our top picks.

Two other cards with flexible points are also on the list.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is currently featuring the following welcome offer: Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is also offering one of the best travel card sign-up offers. The card's current welcome offer is: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

» Learn more: The most valuable Hyatt credit card offer right now

It’s possible to earn more Hyatt points with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card rather than Hyatt’s co-branded options. But points aren’t everything.

If earning status is your priority, go with the World of Hyatt Credit Card or the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. Both come with complimentary elite status and let you spend your way to higher status levels through elite night credits, which you can't do with the Chase Sapphire cards.

» Learn more: Reasons to consider the World of Hyatt Credit Card

Photo courtesy of Hyatt.