Hyatt Visa Signup Bonus Will No Longer Be Uncapped Free Award Nights Starting June 29

by Gary Leff

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The Hyatt Credit Card

Hyatt is letting folks know that the signup bonus for the Hyatt Credit Card will be changing on June 29, 2017. Get in while you can.

Currently the offer is 2 free nights valid at any participating Hyatt property in the world after $2000 spend within your first 3 months of cardmembership. They also give you 5000 points after adding an authorized user and having them make their first purchase within that same time period.

The $75 annual fee card also comes with an annual free night certificate valid for stays up to a category 4 property, and Discoverist status (which gets you 2 p.m. late checkout).

According to Hyatt the new offer will be 40,000 points after $2000 spend within your first 3 months of cardmembership.

With 2 nights valid at any Hyatt property you can use them at the Park Hyatt New York, the Park Hyatt Maldives or anywhere else you wish.


Park Hyatt Hadahaa, Maldives

I have and keep the card, the annual free night up to category 4 is more than worth the card’s $75 annual fee. But the reason to *get* the card is the signup bonus and because Chase doesn’t limit approvals to folks with fewer than 5 new card accounts in the last 24 months (‘5/24’).


View of the Petronas Towers from My Room at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

There is no question that you can maximize 2 free nights more than you can 40,000 points. Two people get the card and earn the signup bonus and can together earn 4 nights together at the Park Hyatt Maldives.


Park Hyatt Hadahaa, Maldives

However there are reasons to prefer points.

  • You have to redeem free nights within a year but as long as you don’t let your account go dormant you can redeem points any time.

  • Points are more divisible. Use 40,000 for up to 8 free (category 1) nights rather than limiting you to 2 nights.

  • Points can be used for cash and points awards which count towarda status.

  • Points can be used towards suite awards, and points (but not free night redemptions) can be upgraded with top.tier elite suite upgrade awards.

  • Points reservations can officially be gifted, while free night awards people usually add someone else’s name to the reservation and say that person is checking in first.

  • Points can be transferred to someone else for free.

  • 40,000 points can be used at the highest end for 2 category 5 hotel nights, versus today using 2 uncapped free nights at places like the Park Hyatt Sydney, Paris, or Tokyo.


Andaz Papagayo Costa Rica, Currently 15,000 Points Per Night (or 24,000 for a Suite)

I suspect that this isn’t really a ‘cut’ from a budgetary perspective. In fact it is likely roughly cost neutral. Free nights aren’t always used for category 7 nights and sometimes expire so are likely booked at far less than the cost of 60,000 points.

This is likely a move to ‘try something else’ is card signups aren’t meeting goals (perhaps another reason that 5/24 limits haven’t been imposed on this product).

The Hyatt Credit Card

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Editorial note: any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Comments made in response to this post are not provided or commissioned nor have they been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any bank. It is not the responsibility of advertisers Citibank, Chase, American Express, Barclays, Capital One or any other advertiser to ensure that questions are answered, either. Terms and limitations apply to all offers.

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Comments

  1. I’m debating this card for maldives but would like the overwater bungalow. Can you upgrade to that with points or cash? How much if so?

  2. Chase should have got Hyatt to allow the annual cat 1-4 cert to be used on higher cats by paying point difference.

  4. I got this exact offer” 40,000 points after $2000 spend within your first 3 months of cardmembership.” as a targeted offer back in March.

  5. Wacko, was going to tell the wife to apply for this card after the closing of our house to get 2 free nights in the park Hyatt in Tokyo. Looks like I’ll have to transfer an additional 20k points to her account if she signs up after the 29, boooo

  6. Thank jesus! I’ve been praying they roll this out. For those of us who aren’t into Vendoming and just want maximum nights redemption this is great. I can actually now use this offer without being forced to go to Maldives or a hyped high end city hotel.

    This isn’t under 5/24?

  7. I got the card a few months ago before I realized that– as an Explorist (can barely bring myself to write that without cringing) the two free credit card nights do not include the option of lounge access no way no how. Very annoyed at that unnecessary restriction (what difference does it make how the free nights are earned) but I would have rather had 40K points in my situation. WOH does a great job alienating all but the top tier customers.

  8. In general, I’m a fan of a good chunk of points over free nights, mostly for the reasons Gary mentioned. I much prefer the flexibility afforded with points over nights, both from a property and time standpoint.

  9. I’m with Dan (and apparently the consensus). In the absence of definite plans to stay at a high end Hyatt within a year, the points are much more valuable. I appreciate the fact that Marriott, at least, will sometimes extend free night certs beyond the year expiry.

  10. If I got the bonus for this card more than two years ago and closed it in January, will Chase give me the bonus again if I sign up now?

  11. Hey there Rich, if you are not a current cardholder and you have not received a bonus in two years then you should be eligible

  12. I counted 48 hotels that are cat 6 or 7. If these are not of interest to you, the 40,00 points are better deal. Of the 48, 13 are cat 7 at 30,000 per night and 25 are cat 6 at 25,000 per night.

    So with the new offer you are risking 20k points if you stay at a cat 7 and 10k if you stay at a cat 6. I think that is a reasonable risk to wait and get the points offer and have the flexibility

  13. I just got the card in June and the 2 nights bonus. Would they change it to 40,000 points now or wait for june 29 to request?

Comments are closed.