How to maximize the benefits of The Hyatt Credit Card

Aside from earning bonus points that you can redeem for hotel stays, room upgrades, airline miles and more, the Hyatt Credit Card can unlock some serious value in terms of its general travel perks.

For those loyal to the Hyatt brand of hotels and resorts, this Chase-issued card can easily make up for its $75 annual fee. You’ll earn three bonus points per $1 spent on purchases at all Hyatt hotels and resorts, two bonus points at restaurants and on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline and at car rental agencies, and one bonus point anywhere else you use the card. Other benefits that may offer a lot of bang for your buck include no foreign transaction fees and a suite of travel and purchase protections (more on those later).

With Hyatt, you’ll have a hard time running out of new places to stay. The brand features more than 700 hotels in its worldwide portfolio, so rest easy knowing your card grants you access to great benefits around every corner on your travels.

By now you might be thinking, “So, what’s the catch?” To get the most out of this card, you’ll need to get a little creative — or at least plan ahead a bit. Let’s dive into how you can maximize the benefits of the Hyatt Credit Card.

5 ways to maximize the benefits of the Hyatt Credit Card

1. Take advantage of your automatic Discoverist status in World of Hyatt
2. Treat yourself to one complimentary night every year
3. Study up on the built-in travel and purchase protections
4. Take it with you when traveling the world

1. Take advantage of your automatic Discoverist status in World of Hyatt

You’ll get automatic Discoverist status in World of Hyatt for as long as your card account stays open. There’s no effort required on your part to maintain this status level each year.

Discoverist status is one tier above the basic member status level, but it gives you a lot of valuable benefits when you stay at an eligible Hyatt-branded hotel. Some of those benefits include complimentary in-room premium internet and 2 p.m. late check-out upon request at participating locations.

This status comes with some extra points-earning potential, too. You’ll receive 10 percent bonus points when you choose to earn points on an eligible spend, 500 bonus points for Avis car rentals and more.

2. Treat yourself to one complimentary night every year

Every year after your card member anniversary, you’ll get a free-night award redeemable at any Category 1–4 hotel.

The value of this benefit can potentially make up for the Hyatt Credit Card’s $75 annual fee all on its own. As long as you redeem your free night award at a property where one night would normally be at least $75, you’ll come out ahead. We recommend trying to snag a night at a Category 4 property, which can run upward of $200 normally.

If you’ve had your eye on a quick weekend getaway and hotels are looking expensive, this is definitely something that can come in handy.

3. Study up on the built-in travel and purchase protections

With the Hyatt Credit Card, you’ll get access to a whole bunch of travel and purchase protections to give you some serious peace of mind while on the go. These benefits apply to all eligible purchases made using your card — but you’ll only be able to take advantage of them if you know what they are.

Take, for example, baggage delay insurance. This reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over six hours. You’ll get up to $100 a day for five days, which is great! But only, of course, if you remember to use it.

Other perks that allow you to travel worry-free include trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and a Visa Signature® Concierge Service available 24 hours a day. Some cardholders tend to overlook this long list of built-in benefits in favor of flashier perks, but they can really help to boost this card’s value.

4. Take it with you when traveling the world

This card carries no foreign transaction fee. So, especially if you’re traveling internationally, it’s a good card to have in your wallet. And since it’s a Visa® card, you can rest assured that it’s widely accepted all over the world.

Bottom line

With the Hyatt Credit Card, you’ll get access to some great perks and benefits that can be a big plus for you when you’re visiting Hyatt hotels or going wherever else your travels may take you. Even with its relatively modest $75 annual fee, you’ll want to make sure you take advantage of all those benefits to get the most out of your card.

If you’re already a loyal Hyatt customer, this one’s pretty much a no-brainer. But even those new to the World of Hyatt can find a lot of value just by following the above steps and remembering that great rewards come with the responsibility of knowing how to use them.