INSIDER SECRET: The fastest way to earn Hyatt points is not with the official Hyatt credit card. I’ll show you the best options.
There are plenty of reasons why MMS readers love Hyatt.
They’ve got amazing hotels in popular destinations around the world. It takes relatively few points to stay at top-notch hotels compared to other chains. And Hyatt points are easy to earn, either directly with The World Of Hyatt Credit Card, or by transferring points from cards like the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
I’ll show you how to earn Hyatt points in 2019.
How to Earn Hyatt Points the Easy Way
Read our post on the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. There’s no fee to convert points, and transfers are usually instant.
Hyatt hotels include:
- Andaz
- Grand Hyatt
- Hyatt
- Hyatt Centric
- Hyatt House
- Hyatt Place
- Hyatt Regency
- Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva (all inclusive)
- Miraval
- Park Hyatt
- The Unbound Collection
Hyatt is assertively increasing its presence across the globe with a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and an acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality, an upscale hotel chain with stunning resorts in popular tourist destinations like Bali and Paris. Here are 10 incredible hotels where you’ll be able to redeem Hyatt points.
To start building those Hyatt points, here’s a list of credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can instantly transfer to Hyatt.
1. Ink Business Preferred
Apply Here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Read our review of the Chase Ink Business Preferred
With the Ink Business Preferred, you can earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening your account – aka 80,000 Hyatt points (because you can transfer the points). That’s enough for four nights at the Park Hyatt Dubai!
This is the highest public sign-up bonus we’ve seen for a Chase small business card.
This card also comes with benefits such as:
- 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every dollar you spend on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (up to a maximum of $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year)
- 1x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on all other purchases
- Up to $600 in cell phone insurance when you pay your cell phone bill with the card
- 25% bonus when you redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal
- Primary auto rental insurance when renting for business purposes, plus purchase and extended warranty protection
This card is fantastic for small business owners. It’s our top small business card recommendation, because of its solid benefits and points earning rate. And the sign-up bonus is humongous. It’s enough for four nights at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.
I transferred 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt for a free night at this resort last year. It was a gorgeous hotel, just a 15-second walk from Waikiki beach. Immediately upon arrival, I was given an upgrade to the next room category. They even threw a lei around my neck.
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred
Apply Here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Read our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred
You’ll earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred. And again, because you can transfer these points to Hyatt, earning this bonus is like earning 60,000 Hyatt points. It’s enough for two nights at the famous Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, where rooms can go for over $1,000 per night.
You’ll also get:
- 2 points per dollar you spend on travel and at restaurants
- 1 point per dollar you spend on everything else
- No foreign transaction fees
The card comes with a $95 annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best first credit card for those of you who are new to using points instead of cash for travel expenses. It’s got the best travel benefits to annual fee ratio. You can easily offset the annual fee with this card’s benefits.
For example, I use the card when I’m renting a car because it comes with primary rental car insurance. I don’t have to pay ~$12 per day for the rental agency’s coverage. I just pay with my Chase Sapphire Preferred, and I’m good to go.
Everyone at Million Mile Secrets has had the Chase Sapphire Preferred at one point (and many of us still keep it in our wallet).
3. Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply Here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Read our review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve
When you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Here are some of the benefits you’ll receive:
- 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel (excluding $300 travel credit) and dining worldwide
- 1x Chase Ultimate Rewards point per dollar on all other purchases
- $300 annual credit every card member anniversary for travel purchases such as airfare and hotels
- Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Free Priority Pass Select membership for access to airport lounges
- No foreign transaction fees
Million Mile Secrets team member Harlan says this is the number one card he’s using right now. He makes frequent travel and dining purchases, so he can earn lots of valuable points.
The card has a $450 annual fee, which is not waived for the first year but the annual travel credit and airport lounge access can more than offset the annual fee.
If you transfer your points to Hyatt, you’ll have enough points to stay two nights at a five-star hotel, like the Park Hyatt Vienna.
No-Annual-Fee Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Earning Cards
You can only transfer points directly to Hyatt if you have one of the above three cards, or the Chase Ink Plus or Ink Bold (not available to new applicants).
If you have one of the following no-annual-fee cards, you can still combine points to another eligible card and then transfer points to Hyatt. You must have at least one annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card to transfer points directly to travel partners.
4. Chase Ink Cash
Apply Here: Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Read our review of the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash Credit Card now comes with an all-time-high welcome bonus of $500 cash back (50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This offer is especially awesome because the Ink Business Cash has no annual fee.
So if you transfer these points to an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card, and then to Hyatt, you’d have enough points to take your partner for a weekend stay at the all-inclusive Hyatt Zilara in Cancun.
With the Ink Business Cash card, you’ll earn:
- 5% cash back (5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on the first $25,000 spent on combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary
- 2% cash back (2x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on the first $25,000 spent on combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary
Team member Scott loves Hyatt’s all-inclusive resorts. I’ve never seen someone put away unlimited shrimp quite like him.
5. Ink Business Unlimited
Apply Here: Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
Read our review of the Chase Ink Business Unlimited
With the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card, you’ll earn a $500 bonus (50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. But if you transfer your points to Hyatt via an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card, you can get much more value than that.
For example, you could use the bonus for six nights at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch.
The Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is a no-annual-fee card that earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase. So if you don’t want to mess with bonus categories, this could be a great option for you.
6. Chase Freedom
Apply Here: Chase Freedom
Read our review of the Chase Freedom
With the Chase Freedom card, you’ll earn a $150 cash bonus (15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
When you transfer those bonus points to an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card, you can then transfer them to Hyatt for much greater value. For example, the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica can cost $400 per night, or 20,000 Hyatt points. So you’ve doubled the value of your points simply by using them as Hyatt points instead of cash back.
The best thing about the Chase Freedom is the rotating 5% cash back (5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) category bonuses. Each quarter you activate the bonus, you’ll earn 5% cash back (5x points per dollar) you spend (to a maximum of $1,500 in combined category spending per quarter) in categories such as gas stations, restaurants or Amazon.
Because the Chase Freedom has no annual fee, it’s a good card to keep forever.
7. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Apply Here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Read our review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited
With the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited card, you’ll earn 3% cash back, up to $20,000 for the first year; then 1.5% cash back. There are no bonus categories to fuss with, because you’ll earn unlimited 1.5% back (1.5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on all purchases.
If you moved the welcome bonus to Hyatt via an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card, you’d have enough for a free night at the Grand Hyatt Berlin.
How to Earn Hyatt Points Directly
Apply Here: The World Of Hyatt Credit Card
Read our review of the World Of Hyatt Credit Card
There’s only one credit card that earns Hyatt points directly. The World Of Hyatt Credit Card gives you up to 50,000 Hyatt points after you meet tiered spending requirements:
- 25,000 bonus Hyatt points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening
- An additional 25,000 bonus Hyatt points after you spend a total of $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
You also get:
- 9 Hyatt points per dollar spent at Hyatt – 4 bonus points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels, plus 5 base points per $1 you can earn as a World Of Hyatt member
- 2 Hyatt points per dollar spent on restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting, and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1 Hyatt point per year on everything else
- 1 free night every year at Category 1 to 4 Hyatt hotels after your card membership anniversary
- Automatic World Of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as account is open
There’s a $95 annual fee, not waived the first year. The World Of Hyatt Card is worth keeping year after year because the free night at a Category 1 to 4 Hyatt on your account anniversary can more than make up for the annual fee.
Other Ways to Earn Hyatt Points
1. Stay at Hyatt Hotels
When you stay at Hyatt hotels, you’ll earn 5 base points per dollar as a World Of Hyatt member, and even more points if you have elite status.
2. Sign-Up for Promotions
Our daily newsletter is the perfect way to stay on top of Hyatt promotions. Make sure you receive every point you’re entitled to.
Sometimes promotions can come in the form of email surveys or status challenges. Sometimes you’ll get double points for your stays. Sometimes you’ll get bonus points for staying a certain number of nights. Bookmark our permanent page for Hyatt promotions to learn more.
I recently stayed 11 nights at the Hyatt Regency Lexington and I earned 7,500 bonus points simply by enrolling in a Hyatt promotion. That’s a ton of points for zero effort.
3. Stay at Mlife Hotels
Hyatt is a partner of Mlife, the loyalty program of MGM Resorts. That’s excellent news for Hyatt points enthusiasts, not because you can redeem your points at these hotels, but because you can earn them.
There are lots of dirt cheap MGM resorts in Las Vegas. If you’re trying to achieve elite status, or if you’re trying to find some cheap nights to complete a promotion, MGM resorts are the way to go.
4. Earn Hyatt Points for Rental Cars
When you rent with Avis, you’ll receive 500 bonus Hyatt points per rental. Just book your Avis rental with discount code “K817700,” and enter your World Of Hyatt membership number.
You can see the details here.
5. Purchase FIND Experiences
You’ll earn 10 Hyatt points per dollar you spend on FIND Experiences. It’s a collection of fun and adventurous activities. You can paraglide, take a Cambodian bike tour, train with a pro tennis player and much more.
You can check out FIND Experiences here.
6. Purchase Hyatt Points
You can buy Hyatt points for 2.4 cents each on the Hyatt website. I do not recommend this unless you know you’re going to get a much higher value than 2.4 cents.
Buying Hyatt points for a rainy day at such a high rate isn’t a good idea. Better to earn them with a credit card for everyday spending if you don’t have a trip in mind.
7. Convince Friends and Family to Give You Their Hyatt Points
Hyatt lets you share points once every 30 days. You just have to fill out this form. So if you need a few more points for an award stay, your travel buddy can combine points with you.
8. Any Way to Earn Bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Remember, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. So if you’re earning bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you’re effectively earning bonus Hyatt points.
For example, if you use your Ink Business Preferred to pay your phone bill, you’ll earn 3x Chase points per dollar, which you can transfer to Hyatt. Or you can earn tons of bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points by shopping through the Chase Portal.
Bottom Line
There are many ways to earn Hyatt points. The most efficient is by opening credit cards such as The World Of Hyatt Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred. With just one of those sign-up bonuses, you’ll have enough points for a luxurious hotel stay at any Hyatt on the planet.
Let me know your favorite way to earn Hyatt points. And read these posts below to learn more about the Hyatt points program:
- Hyatt Status
- Best Use of Hyatt Points
- How to Create a Hyatt Account
- Hyatt Award Chart
- Do Hyatt Points Expire?
You can also subscribe to our newsletter for more tips on earning lots of points for free travel.
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