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Hyatt 30% Bonus on Purchased Points – Worth It?

June 26, 2012

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3 min read

Hyatt 30% Bonus on Purchased Points – Worth It?

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Now through August 31, 2012, Hyatt is offering bonuses between 10-30% on purchased Gold Passport points (for your own account, you can't buy them for someone else).

Crunching the Numbers
Here's how it breaks down:

-Buy 1,000 - 9,000 points and get a 10% Bonus
-Buy 10,000 - 29,000 points and get a 20% Bonus
-Buy 30,000 - 40,000 points and get a 30% Bonus

Normally, Hyatt points cost 2.4 cents each. With this promo, however, when you purchase 9,000 points, you get 9,900 for $216, so 2.2 cents each. When you buy 29,000, you receive 34,800 points for $696, so 2 cents each. Now we're getting somewhere. Finally, when you purchase 40,000 points, you get 52,000 total for $960, or 1.85 cents apiece. You can only purchase up to 40,000 Gold Passport points for yourself a year.

Worth It?
As usual, it rarely makes sense to make a big points purchase if you don't have a specific award stay in mind. Especially since even at 1.85 cents, these might be a bit overpriced. However, if you have a particular award stay you're gunning for and not upcoming opportunities to earn Hyatt points, purchasing enough points to top up might make sense.

There are a couple other cases where I would think about it personally as well. With this promo, you could buy 34,000 points for $816 and get an additional 10,200 for a total of 44,200, enough for two free nights at any top-tier Category 6 hotel such as the newly reopened Park Hyatt Sydney, where rooms are going for $770 a night. So instead of paying $1,540, you'd be saving $724…almost a 50% discount.

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Buying enough points for 2 free nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney might be one of the scenarios where it's worth it.

On the other hand, if you wanted to stay at a Category 4 property such as the Hyatt Regency Orlando, you'd need 15,000 points. That would cost you $336 (you'd pay for 14,000 and get 2,800 as a bonus). Rooms at this hotel are going for just $170 a night though, so you'd actually be paying double!

Buying a few extra thousand points to top up to the closest award level might make sense, as would redeeming for free nights at Hyatt's top-tier hotels and resorts since, in general, those are some of the best redemption options out there. However, I would always caution you to check the rates at the specific property you are interested in and see if purchasing points makes sense for your particular situation.
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4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
Annual Fee
$325
Recommended Credit
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Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Pros

4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
Solid welcome bonus

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.