World of Hyatt® Complete Guide

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World of Hyatt is still one of the strongest hotel loyalty programs for everyday travelers, mostly because the points are easy to earn (largely through Chase) and they often stretch further at Hyatt than at any other major chain. If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards® points or Bilt points, this is a program worth knowing. One important update: In May 2026, Hyatt rolled out a new award chart that adds more variable, demand-based pricing, so award nights now cost a wider range of points than they used to. There is still real value here, but outsized deals are a little harder to find, and it pays to know how the program works before you book.

If you have any of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® cards that allow point transfers to partners (such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, or the the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠, it’s well worth understanding the World of Hyatt program.

Points from the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business transfer to World of Hyatt at a 1-to-1 ratio, while points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred transfer at a 4-to-3 (4 Chase points become 3 Hyatt points). However, this lower transfer ratio doesn’t kick in until October 1, 2026 for those who were a cardmember prior to June 15, 2026. Additionally, the the Ink Business Preferred transfer ratio is also lowering to the same 4-to-3 ratio, but it does not go into effect until October 1, 2026 for all cardmembers. Bilt Rewards also transfer at a 1-to-1 rate to Hyatt. You will often get a great value by transferring your points to Hyatt and booking an award stay, especially since Hyatt waives resort fees on award stays.

One sore spot is that the program offers relatively few perks at its mid-tier elite status. But those who earn enough nights to reach top-tier Globalist status get access to some of the best perks around: free suite upgrades at the time of booking, free parking on award stays, no resort fees, and more.

World of Hyatt Pros and Cons

Pros (where World of Hyatt is better than average):

• Hyatt offers lower award prices per point at its own hotels than any major competitor.
• Hyatt never charges resort or destination fees on award stays.
• Hyatt’s top-tier status (Globalist) offers the best perks of any major hotel elite program.
• Milestone Rewards offer perks along the way toward status levels. Even after earning top-tier status, you can continue to earn extra perks.

Cons (where World of Hyatt is worse than average):

• The new May 2026 award chart makes it harder to get outsized value, since award nights now cost a wider range of points based on demand.
• Hyatt does not offer 4th or 5th Night Free awards (IHG offers 4th Night Free on rewards bookings for certain cardholders; Marriott offer 5th night free on rewards bookings for all members; Hilton also offers 5th night free on reward bookings for members with status).
• The value of booking Mr. & Mrs. Smith boutique properties through Hyatt is underwhelming (more on that below), which dampens the appeal of Hyatt’s international footprint.
• Hyatt has relatively few hotels compared to major competitors.
• Hyatt’s mid-tier status (Explorist) is not very rewarding.
• Hyatt’s top-tier status requires a lot of nights (60). Some see that as a tall order given Hyatt’s much smaller footprint compared to other chains.
• Hyatt’s elite tiers have unusual names, and it can be hard to remember the order: Discoverist, Explorist, Globalist.

Award charts

Free Night Awards

Here is the part that changed the most in 2026. Hyatt kept its 8 hotel categories but added five pricing tiers within each category, based on seasonal demand and cash price. Combine the 8 categories with the 5 tiers and you get 40 different pricing levels, which is about as close to demand-based pricing as an award chart can get. The upside for planners: the tier a hotel falls into on a given date is set in advance and is not supposed to change throughout the year, so you can look it up before you book.

What this means for a beginner: a free night at the same hotel can cost meaningfully more on a high-demand date than on a quiet one, so flexibility on dates is more valuable than it used to be. Resort fees and destination fees are still waived when you book with points and/or free night certificates.

Standard and Premium Suites

Hyatt has two types of suites: standard suites, which are available for Suite Upgrade Awards and for Globalists based on availability; and premium suites, which are available for points or cash only. Both can be excellent value compared to cash prices. Hyatt publishes a separate award chart for standard suites and another for premium suites.

Here’s the chart for standard suites:

Here’s the chart for premium suites:

All-inclusive property award charts

Hyatt’s all-inclusive brands use their own award chart, with properties sorted into categories A through F (rather than the 1 through 8 used for standard hotels). Award prices are for up to 2 people per room, and you will usually pay an additional amount for each extra guest. At some properties, the cost to add two guests on points is about the same as just booking a second room, so it’s worth comparing.

Miraval Resorts

Miraval is Hyatt’s wellness brand, with three locations in the U.S. and one in the Middle East. Each property includes an extensive range of classes (everything from pilates and yoga to more unusual offerings), and most of those, plus food and non-alcoholic beverages, are included in the room rate whether you book with cash or points. Miraval stays are very expensive in cash terms, often over $2,000 per night for two people, so they have their own award chart that varies by occupancy.

Points + Cash Awards

If you do not have enough points for a full award stay, you can book Points + Cash instead. The points rate for Points + Cash awards is exactly half the points required for a regular free night award, and the cash component is 50% to 70% off the standard cash rate. Hyatt has not explained when it offers more than 50% off.

Poor Value

Points + Cash awards are usually a bad deal. In general, point awards offer the best value when cash prices are high, and cash bookings offer the best value when cash prices are low. Points + Cash splits the difference, so you usually get less value than paying all in points or all in cash. That said, if you are short on points, these awards can still make sense, especially when the cash rate happens to be 70% off.

Good Value Suites (Sometimes)

Sometimes a property charges the cash component based on 50% of a standard room rate even when you are booking a suite or premium suite. When that happens, Points + Cash can be a good value, especially when the cash rate for a suite is much higher than for a standard room.

Resort Fees not Waived

Hyatt waives resort and destination fees on rooms booked entirely with points or free night certificates. Points + Cash awards, though, are treated like paid nights, so those fees are not waived (except as a standard benefit for top-tier Globalist members).

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

In 2023, Hyatt acquired Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a booking platform specializing in boutique and luxury hotels. The properties are genuinely lovely, and you can book many of them directly through Hyatt and earn or redeem World of Hyatt points on the stay. There was a lot of excitement when this was announced, but for everyday points travelers, the value of booking these properties through Hyatt has turned out to be underwhelming. Here is an honest look at why, so you can decide for yourself.

• Hyatt prices these awards dynamically rather than using a fixed award chart. Reported per-point values have ranged from about 0.96 to 1.5 cents, averaging around 1.35 cents, which is on the low side for Hyatt points.
• Free night certificates cannot be used to book Mr. & Mrs. Smith hotels.
• Elite benefits are limited. The only guaranteed elite perk is a room upgrade for Globalist members, and even that is based on availability and not always honored in practice.

It’s not all bad news. When you book a Mr. & Mrs. Smith property through Hyatt, you do still get some loyalty value:

• 5 base points per dollar on paid stays (same as regular Hyatt stays)
• Elite bonus points (same as regular Hyatt stays)
• Elite qualifying nights toward status
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith counts as a brand toward Hyatt’s Brand Explorer free night
• World of Hyatt credit card members earn 4 points per dollar on paid Mr. & Mrs. Smith stays

The bottom line for a beginner: these are beautiful hotels, but in most cases your Hyatt points go further at a regular Hyatt property. Book Mr. & Mrs. Smith on points only when the value genuinely works for the specific stay.

Free Night Certificates

Free night certificates can be earned through Hyatt credit cards, Milestone Rewards, Brand Explorer benefit, and more.

Book free night certificates online

Once a free night award is in your Hyatt account, you can book it by searching Hyatt.com for a stay using points and selecting the “Free Night” room choice.

You can also select “Explore Hotels” from the dropdown menu under the Awards section of your account and search for a stay that lets you use your Free Night award, then click “Select & Book” on an option where the Free Night is available.

Another way to book a free night certificate is to search for a paid stay and click “Pay My Way” to apply free night certificates and/or points to some or all of the nights.

Brand Explorer (5-Brand Free Night Award)

World of Hyatt members earn a Free Night Award each time they complete stays at 5 new-to-them Hyatt brands. This is not an annual benefit, it’s a lifetime member benefit. For example, you could stay at 2 different brands one year and 3 more brands in a later year to earn a free night.

• Number of possible free night awards: 7 (at the time of writing, there are 38 qualifying brands)
• Free night award details:
  • Valid for one night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt (including during peak rates)
  • Valid for 12 months from issue
  • Award stays count toward Brand Explorer, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith counts as a qualifying brand

Pay My Way

Hyatt conveniently lets you book a single stay online using any combination of points, points + cash, free night certificates, or cash rates. To find this option, you must search for a paid stay, even if you intend to book entirely with points and free night certificates. In the search results for a paid stay, look for a link titled “Use Pay My Way” and click it to proceed.

World of Hyatt Club Lounge Access

Not all Hyatt hotels have club lounges, but many Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt hotels do. Club lounges usually include free breakfast, late-afternoon snacks and drinks, and evening desserts. While you can always pay more (in cash or points) to book a room that includes club access, there are several ways to get upgraded to club access instead:

• Globalist elite status: Those with top-tier Globalist status automatically get free club access on every stay.
• Guest of Honor award: If your stay was booked as a Guest of Honor reservation, you are eligible for all Globalist benefits during your stay, including free club access.
• Club Lounge Access Awards: Through Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards (starting at 20 nights), you can earn Club Lounge Access Awards. On any paid or points-award stay, you can apply a Club Access Award to be upgraded to club access for the entire length of your stay (up to 7 nights). These awards can be gifted to other World of Hyatt members. Note that you cannot apply a lounge access award to a night booked with a free night certificate.
• Club Upgrade Awards on Paid Nights: On qualifying paid rates, you can upgrade to club lounge access by paying 3,000 points per night.

Before upgrading or paying extra for club access, it’s a good idea to contact the hotel to confirm that the lounge will be open and offering full service during your stay. Hyatt rarely makes that information easy to find online.

World of Hyatt Suite Upgrades

If you want to stay in a suite but do not want to pay full price (in cash or points), you may be able to get an upgrade instead. Hyatt hotels often have both standard suites and premium suites. Most of the following options apply only to upgrades to standard suites, except where noted.

• Globalist elite status: Those with top-tier Globalist status are automatically eligible for suite upgrades at check-in, based on availability. Upgrades to standard suites are most common, but a premium suite upgrade happens now and then.
• Guest of Honor award: If your reservation was booked as a Guest of Honor award, you are eligible for all Globalist benefits during your stay, including free suite upgrades at check-in, based on availability.
• Suite Upgrade Awards: Through Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards (starting at 40 nights), you can earn Suite Upgrade Awards. On any paid or points stay, you can apply a Suite Upgrade Award to upgrade to a suite for the entire length of your stay, up to 7 nights, and you can apply it as early as the time of booking. A standard suite must be available for the entire length of your stay. These awards can be gifted to another World of Hyatt member. You cannot apply a suite upgrade award to a night booked with a free night certificate.
• Suite Upgrade on Paid Nights: On qualifying paid rates, you can upgrade to a suite using points. At non-resort hotels, the qualifying paid rate is a standard room; at resorts, it’s a deluxe room. This can be amazing value when a suite costs far more than a standard or deluxe room.
  • Suite Upgrade: 6,000 points per night
  • Premium Suite Upgrade: 9,000 points per night

Elite status

Like most hotel chains, Hyatt offers multiple levels of elite status. In general, only top-tier Globalist status is especially rewarding. To make up for that, Hyatt also offers Milestone Rewards, where you can earn valuable perks starting at 20 nights in a calendar year.

Elite status overview

The chart above shows the requirements to reach each level of elite status, along with the major perks each level adds beyond the lower tiers. The benefits most worth knowing as a beginner:

• All members: Waived resort fees on award stays. This is a genuinely great feature, and it applies to everyone.
• Discoverist and higher: 2 PM late checkout (not guaranteed at resorts).
• Explorist and higher: A room upgrade. Explorists do not qualify for free suite upgrades, but you can still land a nicer room when you are lucky.
• Globalist: Waived resort fees on all stays (not just award stays), room upgrades including suites at check-in, 4 PM late checkout (not guaranteed at resorts), club access or free breakfast, and free parking on award stays. Globalists can also book a Guest of Honor reservation so a friend or family member receives these same in-hotel benefits.

Guest of Honor Awards

A Guest of Honor (GOH) award lets you give someone (including yourself) Globalist-level treatment for a single stay of up to 7 nights. That means waived resort fees, room upgrades (based on availability), late checkout, club access or breakfast, and more. These are part of Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards program, and you can earn a Guest of Honor award starting at 40 qualifying nights (or 65,000 base points). When you gift one to another person, you also earn one elite qualifying night once their stay is complete. Members with lifetime Globalist status receive 5 Guest of Honor Awards on March 1 each year.

Guest of Honor Details

• Each award can be used on a single stay of up to 7 nights, on either paid or award stays. You cannot combine it with a free night certificate.
• The recipient receives all in-hotel benefits of a Globalist member.
• Not valid at Hyatt Residence Club resorts.

Shortcuts to elite status

Elite status levels are earned each calendar year through nights or base points. Unfortunately, the two paths are not stackable, so some nights plus some base points equals no progress toward a tier. Of the two, earning status through elite nights is the only path with real shortcut opportunities. A status challenge is another option. Both are covered below.

Shortcuts to elite status through elite nights

• World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earns 5 elite qualifying nights each year automatically, plus 2 more for every $5,000 in spend. Other benefits include: free Category 1-4 night after $15K spend in a cardmember year, and a free Category 1-4 night every year on renewal (using either free night earns you an elite night toward status).
• World of Hyatt Business Credit Card: Earns 5 elite qualifying nights with every $10,000 in spend.
• Free night awards: When you stay at a Hyatt on points or with free night certificates, you earn an elite night for each night of your stay. You can book some Category 1 hotels for as few as 3,000 points per night off-peak.
• Meetings and events: For every $5,000 in eligible event spend billed to a Group Master bill, the event or meeting planner earns two elite night credits (up to sixty per calendar year). Spend can be tied to only one member per event.

Status challenge

When available, a status challenge is another shortcut. Hyatt’s challenges tend to follow a similar pattern: you register to receive Explorist status for 90 days, then stay 10 qualifying nights within that window to keep Explorist through the following program year. There is often an option to reach Globalist by staying additional nights during the challenge period.

Milestone Rewards

Beyond the elite benefits above, Hyatt gives all members Milestone Rewards as they complete elite-qualifying nights, starting at 20 nights and continuing every 10 nights up to 150. Many of these certificates can be used for yourself or gifted to a friend or family member, though once a reward is gifted it cannot be re-gifted, and each member is limited to receiving up to 10 gift awards per calendar year. At milestones where you get a choice, you have 90 days to make your selection.

Here are the more popular Milestone Reward certificates you can earn:

• Club Access Award (starting at 20 nights): Access to a property’s club lounge.
• Category 1-4 Free Night Award (starting at 30 nights): A free night at any participating Category 1-4 hotel. Valid 180 days from issue.
• Guest of Honor Award (starting at 40 nights): Give someone, including yourself, Globalist treatment for a single stay of up to 7 nights.
• Suite Upgrade Award (starting at 40 nights): Upgrade a standard room to a suite at the time of booking, at no extra cost.
• Category 1-7 Free Night Award (starting at 60 nights): A free night at any participating Category 1-7 hotel. Valid 180 days from issue.
• Miraval Extra Night (a choice starting at 100 nights): Book one Miraval night and get a second night free, on paid or award stays.
• Ultimate Free Night Award (at 150 nights): One free night at any Category 1-8 hotel, Category A-F all-inclusive resort, or participating Miraval resort. Valid 180 days from issue.
• FIND Experience Credit: FIND credits (up to $300) appear as a choice at various milestones, usable on FIND experiences and good for 6 months from issue.
• 2K Next Stay Award: 2,000 bonus points on your next stay at a Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, or similar, within 180 days of selecting it.

If you are close to a Milestone Reward near year-end but will not reach it naturally, it can be worth booking a cheap stay or putting more spend on a Hyatt card to get there. To decide, estimate how much you would pay for the reward at the next level and compare it to what those extra nights would cost you.

American Airlines benefits for Hyatt elite members

Hyatt and American Airlines have a partnership that adds airline options to some Milestone Reward choices for frequent guests. This is more of an intermediate perk, but it’s worth knowing if you spend a lot of nights with Hyatt:

• At 20 and 30 elite nights (or 35,000 and 50,000 base points): choose two Preferred seat coupons for American Airlines flights.
• At 40 and 50 elite nights (or 65,000 and 80,000 base points): choose two Main Cabin Extra seat coupons.
• At 70, 80, and 90 elite nights: choose American Airlines AAdvantage Gold status (cannot be gifted).
• At 100 nights: choose AAdvantage Platinum status (cannot be gifted).

Separately, Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members can redeem points for AAdvantage “Status for a Day,” though those coupons can only be used by the member who earns them:

• 5,000 points: AAdvantage Gold Status for a Day
• 8,000 points: AAdvantage Platinum Status for a Day
• 12,000 points: AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status for a Day

Hyatt Privé (elite-like benefits on paid stays)

Hyatt Privé is a program that lets travel agents book Hyatt hotels at standard rates but with extra perks. Not all Hyatt hotels participate, but many do. When you book through a Hyatt Privé agent, you typically get:

• Free breakfast for 2 each day (a full restaurant breakfast, not just club-lounge fare)
• A 1-category room upgrade around the time of booking, based on availability
• A welcome amenity
• Early check-in (as early as 9 a.m.), subject to availability
• Late checkout at Park Hyatt properties (as late as 4 p.m.), subject to availability
• A $50 or $100 property credit per stay (always $100 at Park Hyatt hotels, $50 or $100 at other brands)
• Full Hyatt elite credit and full elite benefits for those with status
• Waived resort fees at select properties

If you are booking a paid Hyatt stay, it often makes sense to book through a Privé agent for these extras. One smart move is to book one room level below the one you really want, so the complimentary upgrade lands you where you wanted to be.

Earning World of Hyatt points

There are many ways to earn Hyatt points:

• Hyatt credit cards (see the credit card section below for details)
• Chase Ultimate Rewards®: Points transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards® to Hyatt as long as you hold one of the Chase cards that allow transfers, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Sapphire Reserve for Business℠, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. For details, see our Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete Guide.
• Bilt Rewards: Bilt rewards you for paying rent, and Bilt points transfer at a 1-to-1 ratio to Hyatt.
• Hyatt hotel stays: Earn 5 points per dollar (plus elite and promotional bonuses) at most properties, and 2.5 points per dollar at Hyatt Studios.
• Dining, Spa & More: Earn 5 points per dollar at participating locations, even if you are not staying at the hotel, as long as you provide your Hyatt account number at the time of service.
• Host a meeting: Earn 1 bonus point per dollar spent, up to 50,000 points.
• FIND Experiences: Earn 10 points per dollar.

More ways to earn and spend

FIND Experiences

Through FIND, you can use points to book experiences or earn points when you pay cash.

• Find and book FIND Experiences here.
• Redeem points: FIND awards are priced at about 1.4 cents per point. For example, a $140 experience costs 10,000 points.
• Earn points: Earn 10 points per dollar, plus an additional 4 points per dollar if you pay with a World of Hyatt credit card.

Dining, Spa & More

At participating Hyatt hotels, whether or not you are staying there, you can earn or spend Hyatt points on dining, spa, and other services. The redemption rates scale up the more you spend, ranging from about 1.0 cent per point on small amounts to roughly 1.5 cents per point on larger ones. The table below shows the published rates. If you pay cash for these services instead, you will earn 5 points per dollar.

Meetings & Events

You can earn points and elite nights by holding meetings at participating Hyatt hotels, and you can redeem points for meeting charges. The details:

• Earn one bonus point per eligible U.S. dollar spent (up to 50,000 bonus points) for hosting a qualifying meeting or event at Hyatt.
• For every $5,000 in eligible event spend billed to a Group Master bill, the event or meeting planner earns two elite night credits (up to sixty per calendar year). Spend can be tied to only one member per event.

A qualifying meeting includes either 10 paid guest rooms, or meeting room/event space plus purchased catered or banqueted food or beverages. You can also use points for meetings at about 1.3 cents per point:

• 15,000 points = $200 credit
• 30,000 points = $400 credit
• 45,000 points = $600 credit
• 60,000 points = $800 credit
• 75,000 points = $1,000 credit

Rental Cars (Avis)

Hyatt members can earn or spend Hyatt points on Avis car rentals.

Earn Points

• Earn 500 Hyatt points per paid rental
• Get 25% off base rates with Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number K817700

Redeem Points

Redeem 6,000 points per day for an intermediate-sized car. To reserve a Car Rental Award, call (800) 544-9288. Note that 6,000 points per day is usually poor value, unless the rental would otherwise cost $90 or more per day.

Airline Miles

Earn miles instead of Hyatt points

If you prefer to earn airline miles rather than Hyatt points for your stays, you can opt to do so. Earnings are per stay, not per night, and most partners credit 500 miles per stay, with a few crediting more (for example, Aeromexico at 1,000 kilometers and Qantas within Australia at 1,000 points).

Point transfers to airline miles

You can transfer Hyatt points to airline miles, starting at a minimum of 5,000 Hyatt points, with additional points converted in 1,250 increments. You will earn bonus miles when you convert 50,000 or more points at once. A few examples:

• 5,000 Hyatt points = 4,000 Aeromexico kilometers. With a 10,000-kilometer bonus, 50,000 Hyatt points = 50,000 kilometers.
• 5,000 Hyatt points = 3,000 Virgin Atlantic miles. With a 7,500-mile bonus, 50,000 Hyatt points = 37,500 miles.
• 5,000 Hyatt points = 2,400 Southwest Airlines points. With a 6,000-mile bonus, 50,000 Hyatt points = 30,000 points.
• 5,000 Hyatt points = 2,000 miles in most other programs (American, ANA, Delta, United, etc.). With a 5,000-mile bonus, 50,000 Hyatt points = 25,000 miles.

In most cases, transferring Hyatt points to airline miles is poor value, so it’s usually not the best use of your points.

Manage points

Share points with others

Hyatt generously lets members share points with others for free. Fill out the point-combining form found here and email it to . You are limited to sharing points once per month, whether you are giving or receiving.

How to keep points alive

Hyatt points expire after 24 months of inactivity. To reset the clock, simply earn or redeem points.

Credit cards

There are two Hyatt credit cards currently available in the United States: one personal and one business. Both are issued by Chase and have no foreign transaction fees, and both can be a smart path to free nights and elite status. As always, these cards are a good fit only if you pay your balance in full and on time each month.

Best Rate Guarantee

If you find a lower price than Hyatt’s rate for the same room, you are eligible for either 20% off the lower price or 5,000 Hyatt points. Hyatt’s online claim form can be found here.

Q & A (Questions and Answers)

Do Hyatt points expire?

Yes, points expire after 24 months of inactivity. Points do not expire if you have a Hyatt-branded credit card linked to your account.

How can I keep my points from expiring?

Do any of these at least once every 24 months:

• Earn points: through stays, through other options (dining at Hyatt hotels, booking FIND Experiences, etc.), by purchasing points, by transferring points from another program (such as Chase Ultimate Rewards® or Bilt), or by receiving points shared from another member.
• Spend points: on free nights, FIND Experiences, and more; by converting points to miles; or by sharing your points with another member.

Can I book and cancel an award stay to reset my points’ expiry?

No. Hyatt’s terms state the following:

If a Member redeems points for an Award Reservation and either cancels that reservation or does not actually check-in on the appointed date (i.e., no-shows), that reservation will not count as a redemption of points pursuant to subsection (iii) of the preceding sentence and will not toll the measurement of that Member’s Program inactivity.

Who earns elite stay credit on a Guest of Honor booking?

When your Guest of Honor reward is applied to another person’s stay, you earn one elite night credit at the end of that stay. The person using the Guest of Honor stay earns credit for each night of the stay.

If I book multiple rooms for the same stay, will I earn rewards on all of them?

You will earn points for up to three rooms, but you will earn elite night credit for only one room.

If I cancel a reservation with a suite night award attached, will the award be returned to my account?

Yes.

Can I apply a suite upgrade award to a Guest of Honor stay?

No.

• Category: Redeeming Miles and Points
• Tag: indiv-card