Hyatt is eliminating its legacy credit card -- here's what you need to know about the change
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Back in 2017, Hyatt launched a revamped loyalty program called The World of Hyatt.
That program replaced Hyatt Gold Passport -- and along with it came a new card product, The World of Hyatt Credit Card. However, Hyatt never formally replaced the similarly-named legacy Hyatt Credit Card that launched in 2010.
While new cardholders could only apply for The World of Hyatt Credit Card, those with an existing legacy Hyatt Credit Card could still use it. But now, Hyatt has announced that will be ending that card on Jan. 11, 2021. On that date, Hyatt Credit Card members will officially be forced to migrate to The World of Hyatt Credit Card.
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What does this switch mean?
Both the legacy Hyatt Credit Card and The World of Hyatt Credit Card are fairly similar, but there are several key differences.
Most notably is that World of Hyatt credit cardholders can earn a second Category 1-4 free night after $15,000 spent during their anniversary year (changing to based on the calendar year in January 2022). Additionally, the World of Hyatt card lets you earn higher elite status with five elite night credits per year and two additional elite night credits for every $5,000 in spend.
Related: 5 reasons why I applied for The World of Hyatt card during the pandemic
However, the legacy Hyatt Credit Card only charged a $75 annual fee, while The World of Hyatt Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee. Migrated cardmembers will not be charged the new fee though until August 2021 (so any cardmember that has an anniversary before August will continue paying $75 and those after will pay the $95 annual fee).
Comparing earn rates between Hyatt cards
| Category | The World of Hyatt Card | Hyatt Credit Card (no longer available) |
|---|---|---|
| Hyatt (stays and experiences including onsite restaurants and spas) | 4x points | 3x points |
| Base points earned as World of Hyatt member | 5x points | 5x points |
| Restaurants | 2x points | 2x points |
| Airlines | 2x points | 2x points |
| Local Transit (includes rideshares, taxis, mass transit and tolls) | 2x points | 1x points |
| Fitness Clubs, Gyms and Headspace Subscription | 2x points | 1x points |
| Car Rental Agencies | 1x points | 2x points |
| All Other Purchases | 1x point | 1x points |
Related: The best hotel credit cards that come with an annual free night
Bottom line
This isn't entirely unexpected news from Hyatt, since it didn't quite make sense to have the two Hyatt cards side by side. As announced several weeks ago, to reward legacy Hyatt Credit Cardholders, you can earn a free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel when you spend $4,000 on that card from Oct. 27 through Dec. 31, 2020. This offer is not available on The World of Hyatt card.
Additionally, all Hyatt and World of Hyatt Credit Cardmembers can earn extra points through Dec. 31, 2020. That includes 5x World of Hyatt points at Amazon.com, and 3x points at grocery stores, on up to $1,500 in total combined purchases each month.
And this doesn't include all of the other ongoing Hyatt promotions, including up to 4x bonus points, 25% back on points redemption stays and tier-qualifying nights for the rest of 2020 counting toward the 2021 World of Hyatt elite status year.
