World of Hyatt Business Credit Card review: Big perks for big spenders

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is a mid-tier hotel credit card that can provide serious value to Hyatt loyalists looking to spend their way toward status perks or unlock a 10% redemption bonus feature. However, there are trade-offs you should consider before putting a lot of spending on a credit card that doesn’t offer any free night certificates or automatic status beyond the lowest level. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card from Chase offers some interesting perks geared toward small-business owners who are Hyatt loyalists. If you have an excellent credit score of 670 or above and are focused on earning World of Hyatt points and status, this could be a good card for you.

The Hyatt Business card lacks some of the features we typically expect from hotel credit cards, like status beyond the lowest level and free night certificates on your account anniversary. However, it offers a powerful set of perks for business owners who are interested in spending their way toward benefits. If you can take advantage of these spending-based perks, the card easily justifies its $199 annual fee. If not, then this card might not be a long-term keeper for you.

Here’s what you need to know before applying.

TPG’s December 2024 valuations peg World of Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each, making the full bonus worth an impressive $1,020.

This card is subject to Chase’s standard application rules — though opening a World of Hyatt Business card won’t add to your Chase 5/24 count.

Related: The best time to apply for these popular Chase cards based on offer history

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The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card offers several key perks:

• Up to $100 in Hyatt credits annually: Get a $50 statement credit when you use your card to spend $50 or more at Hyatt hotels and resorts (up to two times per year for a total of $100 in annual credits)
• Discoverist status for you and up to five employees: As the primary account holder, you’ll receive automatic Discoverist status with World of Hyatt and get five Discoverist Upgrade Awards, which you can gift to employees
• Earn stay credits toward status through spending: You’ll receive five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 you spend each calendar year.
• Ability to get a 10% Redemption bonus: If you and your employees collectively spend at least $50,000 in a calendar year, you’ll get 10% bonus points back on up to a total of 200,000 World of Hyatt points you redeem for free night awards, Points + Cash stays, room upgrades, dining and spa services and Find experiences for the remainder of the calendar year
• Hyatt Leverage membership: You’ll receive a complimentary Hyatt Leverage membership, which includes discounts on standard room rates at all participating Hyatt hotels up to 15%
• No foreign transaction fees

Again, it’s disappointing not to see a higher level of elite status or a free night certificate on this list of benefits. Still, those who stay at Hyatt properties regularly will benefit from the Hyatt credit and Hyatt Leverage membership. And if your small business spends enough with this card, you can enjoy an easier path to status and a 10% redemption bonus.

Related: Am I eligible for a business credit card?

As a World of Hyatt Business cardholder, you’ll earn up to 9 points per dollar- Earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels, plus up to 5 base points from Hyatt per eligible $1 spent for being a World of Hyatt member and on Find Experiences booked through Hyatt.

Plus, cardholders can earn 2 points per dollar spent on fitness club and gym membership purchases.

This card also has a unique adaptive accelerator benefit that allows cardholders to earn 2 points per dollar spent on their top three of eight eligible spend categories each calendar quarter with no cap. Categories include:

The points-earning rates are adjusted automatically to the categories where you spend the most each quarter, so there’s no need to select your preferred categories. Beyond your bonus categories, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

While this stands out as one of the few cards that earns bonus points on gym memberships, you’ll find many other cards that have better earning structures for the other bonus categories. If you aren’t focused on earning the benefits that come from putting a lot of spend on this card, your best bet will be to use it alongside some other cards to maximize your bonus-earning potential.

Related: The best cards for each bonus category

As is expected of a hotel cobranded card, the best use of the World of Hyatt points you’ll earn on the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is to cover stays at Hyatt properties. You can do this by covering your stay in full, covering part of your stay with points through Hyatt’s “Points + Cash” rate option, or by using points to upgrade a paid stay.

One of the best things about the World of Hyatt program is that it still uses a published award chart, so you can plan ahead to know how many points you’ll need for a stay. However, each category has different rates for standard, peak and off-peak dates.

To get the most value from your points, use them at either the high or low end of the award chart.

TPG content director Summer Hull prefers to stay on the higher end, getting great value from her points by using them to stay at Hyatt resorts or city properties that would otherwise be out of her budget. Conversely, you can maximize your points by staying at the lower end of the award chart. With options as low as 3,500 points, I prefer to stay at Category 1 Hyatt properties when I can to stretch my points as far as possible.

You also have the option to redeem your World of Hyatt points for Avis intermediate rental cars for 6,000 points per day, use them for dining, spa or meeting credits at Hyatt properties, redeem them for Find experiences, or transfer them to some airline programs. However, you’ll generally get lower than our December 2024 valuation of 1.7 cents per point with these redemption options, so we recommend using your points to cover Hyatt stays when possible.

Related: The ultimate guide to redeeming Hyatt points

• If you want Hyatt perks for a lower annual fee: The personal World of Hyatt Credit Card earns bonus points on Hyatt purchases and provides automatic Discoverist status and a path to higher status through spending for a lower $95 annual fee. For more details, check out our full review of the World of Hyatt card.
• If you want to earn more on your business purchases: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on travel and common business categories. It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer to World of Hyatt or any of Chase’s other 13 hotel and airline partners. For more details, check out our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
• If you want more general travel benefits: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with complimentary airport lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit and comprehensive travel protections. Like the Ink Business Preferred, you can transfer your points to World of Hyatt or any other Chase partner. For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

For additional options, see our full lists of the best business credit cards and the best travel credit cards.

Related: World of Hyatt card vs. World of Hyatt Business card

If you can use the two Hyatt statement credits on your World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, you’ll get $100 in value from that perk alone. That lowers your effective annual fee to just $99. While Discoverist status isn’t noteworthy by itself, the fact that you can gift it to five others is solid — though whether that (and the other benefits) are enough to justify the out-of-pocket cost is up to you.

That said, the fact that the card doesn’t offer an annual free night certificate and includes high spending requirements for status means you might get more value from a different card.

The current welcome offer and value from ongoing benefits make the World of Hyatt Business card worth getting for small-business owners who regularly stay at Hyatt properties. This is especially true if you would otherwise fall short of Globalist status but can make up the difference with spending.

However, those who rarely stay at Hyatt properties or who want more benefits for a lower spending requirement will want to go with a different card.

Apply here: World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

Related: What hotel loyalty program is best for business travelers?