What happened
The Points Guy's Katie Genter will need 33% more Chase points for the same Hyatt balance after Oct. 1, 2026 unless she transfers from Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred first. The transfer rate falls from 1:1 to 4:3. Legacy Ink Plus and Corporate Flex see the same cut.
She usually keeps a tiny Hyatt balance, transferring when she books and buying up to the 55,000-point calendar-year cap. She expects to use Hyatt awards later this year or next and wants to keep Globalist status. A transfer now would preserve 1:1 and let her place refundable award holds. Points that leave Chase cannot later move to United MileagePlus or any other Ultimate Rewards partner.
Hyatt's 5 award price tiers per category have put many nights she tried into Moderate or Upper, often below The Points Guy's September 2026 valuation of 1.65 cents per point, so she has paid cash. She earns Ultimate Rewards slowly, and a future Hyatt devaluation would freeze a speculative balance. Move Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt before Oct. 1, 2026 only if a stay is ready to book.
- Starts
- Oct 1, 2026
- Numbers
- 1:1 ratio: current Chase-to-Hyatt transfer ratio
- 4:3 ratio: Chase-to-Hyatt transfer ratio after Oct. 1, 2026
- 33%: extra Chase points needed for the same Hyatt points after the change
- 55,000 points: annual Hyatt points purchase cap
- 1.65 cents per point: TPG September 2026 Hyatt points valuation
- Takeaway
- If you hold Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred points you expect to use at Hyatt, decide before Oct. 1, 2026 whether locking 1:1 is worth giving up other transfer options.