When to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to World of Hyatt
by Krish Patel
Chase Ultimate Rewards are some of the most valuable credit card points that transfer out to several airline and hotel partners, one of which is Hyatt. If you have an Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card, Chase points offer a terrific value when transferred to a hotel or airline partner. It’s important to understand when to transfer your points before redeeming them for that hotel stay you’re looking forward to.
Credit Cards that Earn Transferable Chase Points
Three of the most popular cards that earn transferable Chase Points are the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and the Ink Business Preferred, each of which come with the following annual fees and earning rates:
Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 annual fee):
10 points per dollar on rental cars and hotels booked through Chase Travel, 5 points per dollar on flights booked through Chase Travel, three points per dollar on all other travel and dining purchases, and one point per dollar on all other purchases
Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual fee):
5 points per dollar on purchases through Chase Travel, 3 points per dollar on dining purchases, select streaming services, and select grocery purchases online, 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases, and one point per dollar on everything else
Ink Business Preferred ($95 annual fee):
3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on all travel and select business categories each account anniversary year, 1 point per dollar on everything else
Chase Points to World of Hyatt Transfer Ratio
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points transfer to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers must be done in increments of 1,000, essentially meaning that 1,000 Chase points can turn into 1,000 Hyatt points once they’re transferred. On an occasional basis, transfer bonuses occur, which can help you get an even better value for your points.
When Should You Transfer Chase Points to Hyatt?
Among many travelers, World of Hyatt is considered to be the most valuable Chase transfer partner. Hyatt is one of the few hotel brands to still use an award chart, which provides some great deals whether you’re looking to stay at a Category 1 Hyatt Place or a Category 8 Park Hyatt hotel. The award chart has different prices for off-peak, standard, and peak days.
World of Hyatt members don’t have to pay hotel taxes and fees on award stays when redeeming points. However, it’s worth comparing cash and award prices for the same hotel stay to determine if it’s worth transferring points or not. To figure out if it’s worth transferring your Ultimate Rewards, you’ll need to compare the amount of points you’d need to book through Chase Travel and the amount of points needed to book through World of Hyatt.
If you book through Chase Travel using the Ink Business Preferred or Chase Sapphire Preferred, your points are worth 1.25 cents per point, while they’re worth 1.5 cents apiece if you book using the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Note that if you book through Chase Travel, you won’t be able to enjoy elite benefits through World of Hyatt or earn hotel points. Plus, the Chase Travel portal uses dynamic pricing, so the prices tend to vary based on the day.
However, cardholders with the Chase Sapphire Preferred get a $50 hotel credit every account year for hotels booked through Chase, which could offset the lack of elite perks and points for a Hyatt stay that doesn’t cost much.
There’s really no clear answer on when it makes sense to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt, but typically, Hyatt offers better deals than what’s often seen in the Chase Travel portal.
Conclusion
Among award travelers, World of Hyatt is often a favorite loyalty program due to its reasonable redemption rates for award stays. While the program is considered to be the best Chase transfer partner, knowing when to transfer your points to Hyatt is critical in order to find the best redemption rate.