Chase Launches Hyatt Co-Branded Business Credit Card

On Oct. 5, Chase launched the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, the first Hyatt card designed specifically for small business owners. The new card offers cardholders several ways to rack up World of Hyatt points and get other perks when they stay at Hyatt properties.

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card's Rewards Program

The new Chase World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is packed with rewards and perks to make it easier for small business owners to take advantage of the hotel brand's valuable rewards program.

World of Hyatt points are worth an average of 2.01 cents apiece based on Investopedia's valuation, making them among the most valuable travel rewards points available to credit card users.

Here's how you can earn points with the card:

• New cardholders will earn 75,000 bonus points after they spend $7,500 in the first three months with the card.
• You'll earn 9 points per dollar on Hyatt stays and experiences—that's 5 base points as a World of Hyatt program member and 4 bonus points with the credit card.
• You'll also get 2 points per dollar spent on your top three of eight eligible categories each calendar quarter through Dec. 31, 2022, and the top two of eight spend categories in 2023 and beyond.
• You'll also get 2 points per dollar on fitness club and gym memberships.
• All other purchases will net you 1 point per dollar.

The eligible categories for the 2X bonus rate (other than fitness clubs and gyms) include dining, airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, car rentals, local transit and commuting, gas stations, internet, cable, and phone services, social media and search engine advertising, and shipping.

It appears that you won't need to select your categories each quarter—you'll automatically get the higher rewards rate on your top categories based on your spending.

While these aren't the best rewards rates around, they're still generous considering Hyatt's high average point value. Even the base rewards rate nets a 2% real return based on how valuable your points are at redemption.

Other World of Hyatt Business Credit Card Benefits

In addition to the standout rewards program, the new credit card offers these benefits when cardholders stay at Hyatt properties:

• Get automatic Discoverist status. (Discoverist is the lowest World of Hyatt elite tier and in 2021 normally requires five tier-qualifying nights or 12,500 base points.)
• Receive five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 you spend on the card.
• Spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 in statement credits up to two times, for a total of $100, each anniversary year.
• Spend $50,000 or more on the card in a calendar year, and you'll get 10% of your redeemed points back for the remainder of the calendar year.
• Gain access to Hyatt Leverage, Hyatt’s global business travel program that offers special rates to qualifying small and mid-sized enterprises at participating Hyatt hotels worldwide.
• You can gift Discoverist status to up to five of your employees.

Notably absent is a free anniversary night stay, which is standard with most major hotel credit cards. The personal World of Hyatt Credit Card, for instance, offers one free anniversary night good for any category 1-4 hotel, plus a second night after spending $15,000 in a cardholder anniversary year.

Because this card has a $199 annual fee, business owners will need to spend a fair amount, including for stays at Hyatt hotels, to recoup that in the form of card benefits. With other hotel cards, the free anniversary night alone can be worth more than the annual fee.

The card also offers other benefits, including:

• Primary rental car collision damage waiver
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance services
• No foreign transaction fees
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty coverage
• Complimentary roadside dispatch

The Chase World of Hyatt Business Credit Card may be worth it for small business owners with a lot of expenses and who like to stay at Hyatt properties, but the lack of a free anniversary night is a significant drawback, especially for smaller businesses that don't spend much.