Yesterday I received an interesting email from Chase regarding my old Hyatt Visa card. Like many of you, I’m not eligible to apply for the new World of Hyatt credit card (I’m at approximately 1500/24), so rather than upgrading, I opted to keep the old version. This card has since been retired, which is a shame because I don’t think its update is all that compelling.
(SEE ALSO: My Hyatt Visa gamble: Do I upgrade? Or cancel and reapply?)
Apparently a lot of people thought this too, because it appears that Chase has just upped the ante in its effort to convert the last of us to its new, more expensive, card.
Previously, the offer to upgrade was a mere 2,000 bonus points, which doesn’t mean much. And when it means paying an extra $20 in fees every year? No thanks. This new offer, while increasing the bonus to 3,500 points, also requires $1,500 in spend by June 30th. Still, the email does a decent job of trying to convince me to make the change, insisting that the new card is so much better. So what are the differences? We’ve hammered these out in detail before here, but the gist of it is this:
Old Hyatt Card:
- $75 annual fee
- 3 bonus points per dollar spent at Hyatt
- 2 bonus points per dollar on airline tickets (purchased on the airline), car rentals, and dining
- One free night in a category 1-4 hotel per year
- Free Discoverist status
- No transaction fees
New Hyatt Card:
- $95 annual fee
- 4 bonus points per dollar spent at Hyatt
- 2 bonus points per dollar on airline tickets (purchased on the airline), dining, taxis, mass transit, tolls, ride-sharing, and gym memberships.
- One free night in a category 1-4 hotel per year
- Free Discoverist status
- No transaction fees
- Additional free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 on your card during your cardmember anniversary year.
- 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
- 2 additional qualifying night credits for every $5,000 spent on your card
- Automatic upgrade to Explorist status when you spend $50,000
Find out more and apply for the Chase World of Hyatt Visa here (we may receive a commission)
Look, the new card is good. Clearly Chase was trying to get people to put some spend on this card, unlike its predecessor, which many received, put minimum spend on, and stored in the back of their closet.
The thing is, I almost never stay at Hyatt. Their global footprint is just a little too small for me, and my Hilton Aspire card gives me Diamond status at all Hilton hotels, so if I’m going somewhere that’s usually where I look first. (SEE ALSO: Should I get a 2nd Hilton Aspire card?)
This new bonus gives some food for thought, and if you were on the fence about upgrading it might just be enough to tip the scales. As for me? I’ll keep my cheap old card until Chase pries it from my unwilling hands.
Did any of you receive this offer? Are you going to jump on it?
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
I made the same decision