IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Review
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, issued by Chase, is one of the best options for travelers who often find themselves staying at IHG properties. The card gives you Platinum Elite status and the option to earn Diamond status. You earn great rates at IHG properties, but the value of IHG Rewards points is not very high.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card currently has a generous sign-up bonus, plus a free night after each account anniversary for a $99 annual fee.
Check out the pros and cons of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the full review below.
Update: The 175K offer is back, but this time it requires more spending. Offer valid through December 4, 2023.
Pros | Cons |
| Good earning rates, including up to 26x points per $1 on IHG stays. | $99 annual fee. |
| Automatic Platinum Elite status. | Points are not transferrable and are worth just less than half a cent each. |
| Best ever signup bonus of 175,000 points. |
Welcome Offer
- When you sign up for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you can earn a bonus of 100,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 75,000 Bonus Points after spending a total of $8,000 in the first 6 months from account opening for a total of 175,000 Bonus Points.
- Annual Fee: $99
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Considering that you can get an average value of about 0.4 cents cent per point, this bonus is worth at least $700. This is the highest ever bonus offered for this credit card and you can certainly get even more value out the the points, if you aim to maximize them.
Earning Rewards
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns up to 26X points on stays at IHG hotels and up to 5X everywhere else. Here how it works:
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel:
- 10 points for paying with IHG One Rewards Premier Card.
- 10 points as an IHG Rewards member.
- 6 points from Platinum Elite Status, an automatic benefit for cardmembers.
- 5 points per $1 spent at gas stations, travel and restaurants.
- 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
How to Redeem Rewards
With co-branded hotel cards you always have some limitations when it comes to redeeming points. That’s why it is important to consider if you plan to stay at eligible properties before applying. The IHG portfolio has 18 hotel brands at 6,000+ destinations. Some of the most popular names include Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, EVEN Hotels and Indigo Hotels.
IHG does have airline transfer partners, but you would get even less value from your points if you redeem that way. You can also use your points for merchandise, gift cards and donations, but the value is again subpar.
The best way to use the points is obviously through the IHG One Rewards program. This program does not have an award chart and uses dynamic award pricing instead. Normally you can get free nights starting from 10,000 points, but you’ll rarely find redemptions for as 5,000 points per night. At those redemption values you will not find any amazing properties. Those will be at the other end of the spectrum where redemptions go as high as 120,000 points per night.
If you don’t have enough points for a redemption, you can also can mix points and cash for a booking.
Main Perks and Benefits
The signup bonus is clearly the main reason to sign up for this credit card. But you can also get more perks and benefits that surely improve your IHG stays and provide more value. Maximizing all these benefits can make this card a keeper even long terms considering the low annual fee of $99.
Anniversary Free Night
Cardmembers earn an Anniversary Free Night certificate with a current point redemption cap of 40,000 points on their account anniversary date each year. Just this benefit alone should cover the annual fee.
Even though there’s a redemption cap for the Anniversary Free Night, cardmembers can also use points from their IHG One Rewards account to redeem at hotels above the 40,000 point level. So if a hotel is priced at 60,000 points per night for example, you can use the Anniversary Free Night certificate and 20,000 points.
IHG One Rewards Elite Status
Cardmembers get automatic Platinum Elite status, which gives you 60% bonus earnings on top of the base points you earn through your IHG Rewards Club membership. You also get guaranteed reservation when booked at least 72 hours in advance, a room upgrade based on availability, a welcome amenity and some other perks.
Cardmembers can also earn IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases with their card each calendar year. That increases the bonus earning to 100% and gives you some additional perks. But it’s not worth the effort considering the high spend requirement.
4th Night Free
When cardmembers redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay, they can receive the fourth Reward Night free redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay. If you can find four nights of consecutive award space at one of your favorite properties, this can be a great way to get more value for your points.
Other Benefits
- Earn 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
- Receive a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to the card
- Up to $50 United® TravelBank Cash each calendar year.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver when you use your card. Coverage is secondary when renting within the U.S.
- Baggage delay insurance up to $100 a day for a maximum of three days
- Lost luggage reimbursement up to $3,000 per passenger.
- Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance up to $5,000 per person and up to $10,000 per trip.
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty.
- No foreign transaction fees.
IHG One Rewards Premier Review: Guru’s Wrap-up
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is worth getting when there is a big welcome bonus, especially if you often find yourself staying at IHG properties. You can accumulate points and earn free nights quickly, as long as you can stay loyal to the IHG One Rewards program.
The card also provides perks like a free night on every anniversary, automatic Platinum Elite status, a fourth-night-free reward on award stays, $50 United Airlines credit, and free Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. Those perks are worth the $99 annual fee if you actually use them.
But on the other hand, the rewards you earn can only be used on IHG stays and the value of your points is on average about 0.4 cents each. If you want more travel options, consider cards that give you more flexibility such as Capital One Venture X, and Chase Sapphire Preferred to name a few.
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