Chase Increases Bonus for Upgrading to the World of Hyatt Card
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
When the new World of Hyatt Credit Card first came on the scene almost a year ago, the old Hyatt Visa closed to applicants, but existing card holders could keep their accounts. However, Chase has been trying to entice some with the $75-per-year Hyatt Visa to upgrade to the $95 per year newer World of Hyatt Credit Card by offering some upgrade bonus points to those who make the switch. Now Chase has increased the upgrade bonus offer it's been emailing out to some card holders by 175% -- but don't get too excited, as that takes the bonus from 2,000 to just 3,500 bonus World of Hyatt bonus points after you upgrade and spend $1,500 on the card by June 30, 2019.
TPG values 3,500 bonus Hyatt points at $59.50 (1.7 cents each), so that isn't a huge incentive to upgrade an existing Hyatt Visa. Instead, you could apply outright for the newer card and take advantage of the up to 50,000 sign-up bonus points available to new card holders after hitting spending requirements (25k awarded after $3,000 in spending in the first 3 months and a second 25k awarded after a total of $6,000 in spending in the first 6 months).
From a value perspective, getting the World of Hyatt card outright as a new applicant is easily a better deal on paper than upgrading, but there are some reasons that upgrading may make more sense. For example, you must be below Chase 5/24 to get approved for a new World of Hyatt card, but upgrading doesn't impact your 5/24 status and is the only way to get the card if you have opened five or more credit card accounts across all banks in the last 24 months.
Additionally, the World of Hyatt card is not available to current holders of any Hyatt credit card or previous card members who received a new card member bonus in the last 24 months. Theoretically, that means you could close your old Hyatt Visa and then be eligible for the newer World of Hyatt card, assuming your previous Hyatt sign-up bonus was obtained more than two years ago.
Whether you get the World of Hyatt card by applying as a new card holder or by upgrading from your Hyatt Visa, it can be a very strategic tool in your wallet that will allow you to earn 4 points per dollar at Hyatt properties, 2 points per dollars at places like gyms/fitness clubs and permit you to spend your way toward Hyatt elite status. The card awards 5 nights toward elite status by just having the card and 2 additional nights toward elite status with every $5,000 charged to the card each calendar year. With perks such as confirmed suite upgrades, top-tier Hyatt Globalist status is one of the best hotel elite status levels out there.
Those with the World of Hyatt card will also get a Category 1 - 4 award night at each card member anniversary, but also have the opportunity to earn a second award night by charging $15,000 to the card each card member year. The Hyatt Visa does not offer that ability to spend your way to a second award night.
If you'd like to upgrade your old Hyatt Visa to the newer World of Hyatt credit card, look in your email with the subject line: "Earn 3,500 Bonus Points." Here are some additional issues to think through when deciding if the Hyatt Visa or World of Hyatt card is the better match for you.