Both the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Chase Hyatt Visa have a lot of great features and I have had both cards in the past. Currently, I have only the Marriott card. However, if you are in the market for a new Chase hotel brand credit card, you may need to pick just one as Chase will only approve you for a card about 1x every 6 months.
If you want both, you can call them… you can tell them to allocate the credit limit over both cards…it may work…I have never tried. I have only reallocated credit, when I have wanted a new card within the limiting 6 month window. You can read here about how I have reallocated Chase credit to secure a new card.
But lets assume for the sake of this post that you must choose one. How you choose should be based on what is most important to you. Lets look at some of the features of each card:
1. Sign Up Bonus
Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card-Usually 50,000 Marriott Rewards points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. Note, there has been an 80,000 bonus point offer with a 3k spend for quite some time.
Chase Hyatt Visa-2 free nights at ANY Hyatt property worldwide — in any category, after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Comparison
Before you base your decision on the sign-up bonus, make sure if you are leaning towards the Hyatt card, you will be able to use the Hyatt 2 free nights that expire in a year. Rob got the card and I needed to rack my brain to find time for us to use the 2 free nights. We almost lost them. You can read here about what I came up with to use the nights. Not ideal, but at least they didn’t go to waste!!!
On the other hand, if you get Marriott Rewards points as the bonus offer, 50,000-80,000 points can yield you about 2 nights at a high-end property. Also, the points expire 2 years down the road and that period keeps getting extended as long as you have a “qualifying activity” in the prior 24 month period. You can read more about how to keep your points from expiring here.
2. Annual Fee
Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card–
With the standard offer-$0 Introductory Annual Fee the first year, then $85
With the bonus offer-$85
Chase Hyatt Visa–$0 Introductory Annual Fee the first year, then $75
Comparison
There is a negligible difference if you are comparing the standard Marriott card offer with the Hyatt card offer. But if you get the Marriott card with the 80K bonus offer, you will need to pay the $85 fee upfront. However, in terms of value, 80,000 Marriott points will yield you a far greater stay than $85. In this post, you can check out what you can do with 90,000 Marriott Rewards points and see for yourself that it is worth the $85 to get this card.
3. Points on Spending
Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card-Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott locations, including Marriott’s luxury hotel partner, The Ritz-Carlton. Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, and at car rental agencies. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases made with your card
Chase Hyatt Visa-Earn 3 points per $1 spent at all Hyatt properties. Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, and at car rental agencies. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases made with your card.
Comparison
The cards basically have the same spending bonuses but with the Marriott Rewards card you earn 5 points per dollar at Marriott hotels versus with the Hyatt Visa, 3 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels. Given the same “level” of hotel, I have found Marriott hotels to require higher point redemptions over Hyatts, so you actually need more Marriott points to redeem. In the end, I would say its a toss up based on this factor.
4. Extra Free Night
Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card-Receive 1 free night every year after card approval at any Category 1-5 property.
Chase Hyatt Visa-Receive 1 free night every year after your cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 property.
Comparison
Both categories of free nights are mid level properties. Also both free nights expire within a year. I think it is a toss up here too. I had trouble using both anniversary award nights. Read here about how I used my Hyatt one. Read here about how I used Rob’s Marriott one.
5. Foreign Transaction Fees
Comparison
If you are planning a trip overseas, neither card has foreign transaction fees.
Overall
Overall, the cards to me are pretty much the same as long as you know you will use the 2 free Hyatt nights if you get the card. If you know where you want to go with the Hyatt free nights, I would book early! Just so you are not trying at the last minute to try to use them…..LIKE ME!