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At a Glance

	IHG One Rewards Premier Card
Annual Fee	– $99
Sign up bonus	– Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s up to 4 Nights at 4,800+ out of all IHG Hotels & Resorts’ properties globally
Ongoing rewards	– 1x-26x Points
Foreign transaction fee	– None
APR	– 21.49% – 28.49% based on your creditworthiness and other factors. These APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate
Value of points redeemed
Balance transfer fee	– Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Additional benefits

Detailed overview

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Basics

Card type: Hotel.

Annual fee: $99.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 165,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Rewards:

• 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Those points break down like this:
  • 10 points for paying with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

  • 10 points from your free IHG Rewards Club membership — you’ll be automatically enrolled when you are approved for the card if you previously were not a member.

  • 6 points from Platinum Elite Status, an automatic benefit of card ownership.

• 5 points per $1 spent at gas stations, travel and restaurants.

• 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.


We values IHG points at 0.8 cent each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 0.8 cent or more in value from your IHG points.

Perks and other benefits:

• Get a free night at an IHG property after your account anniversary every year.

• Get the fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a stay of four nights or more. Terms apply.

• Earn an additional 10,000 bonus points plus a $100 statement credit each account anniversary year during which you spent at least $20,000 and made at least one additional purchase at least one day after you reach the $20,000 threshold.

• Automatic Platinum Elite status, which, among other things, gives you 60% bonus earnings on top of the base points you earn through your IHG Rewards Club membership, a guaranteed reservation when booked at least 72 hours in advance, and a room upgrade, based on availability.

• A path to Diamond status: Earn IHG Rewards Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year with the card.

• Global Entry, TSA Precheck or NEXUS fee credit. (Details below.)

• Get up to $50 United® Airlines TravelBank Cash each calendar year; registration required.

• Travel and purchase protections, including baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.


Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 21.49%-28.49% Variable APR.

Foreign transaction fee: None.

Benefits and perks

IHG One Rewards Premier welcome offer

With the IHG One Premier Card, you can earn 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. TPG values IHG points at 0.05 cents each, making this bonus worth $825.

This isn’t quite the best offer we’ve seen on this card (175,000 bonus points), but it meets our criteria for an offer worth jumping on.

Eye-popping rewards rate

You’ll earn 10 points per $1 spent just by using your IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card to book a stay at an eligible IHG property, plus an additional 10 points per $1 for being an IHG Rewards Club member (which, if you weren’t already a member, enrollment is automatic upon signing up for the card). You’ll get yet another 6 points per $1 spent from the Platinum Elite status you’re automatically granted with card ownership, swelling your potential earnings with each IHG booking to a sky-high 26 points per $1 spent.

Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status: IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite members enjoy 60% bonus earnings on paid stays when booking directly with IHG One Rewards, room upgrades based on availability at check-in, a welcome amenity and several other perks. There is also a pathway to Diamond status.

Anniversary free night: Cardholders receive a reward night certificate valid for a one-night hotel stay at a property costing up to 40,000 points. This benefit is annual, starting on the first account anniversary. Although IHG uses dynamic award pricing, finding an appealing redemption option for your certificate isn’t difficult. For example, I’ve redeemed anniversary free night certificates for stays at the InterContinental Buenos Aires, InterContinental Madrid and Kimpton De Witt.

Note that you can use an unlimited number of points to top off this certificate and use it for higher-priced properties. For example, you can book a room priced at 55,000 points using the free night plus 15,000 points from your IHG One Rewards account.

Drawbacks and consideration

Lower point value

A low individual point value isn’t necessarily bad if you earn enough points per dollar to make up for their lesser value. But it’s still something to keep in mind when comparing hotel loyalty programs. This card can earn you a pile of points, but they may not go as far as the points from other hotel rewards programs or general travel rewards cards.

Possible alternatives

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

If you value flexibility over brand loyalty, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can also get you free nights — or flights — fast. The card earns bonus rewards in a variety of popular spending categories, including dining and travel. It, too, offers a rich sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, when you redeem for travel booked through Chase, your points have a value of 1.25 cents each. In this case, that makes a Chase Ultimate Rewards® point worth more than twice as much as an average IHG point. The annual fee is $95.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

If you’re a frequent traveler but the IHG portfolio simply doesn’t work for you, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card might be a better fit. It also offers a free hotel night once a year and automatic elite status. And, thanks to the sheer size of the Marriott Bonvoy umbrella, you’ll have no shortage of redemption options. The card’s annual fee is $95.

Is this card right for you?

If you’re a loyal IHG traveler looking to make the most of IHG One Rewards, having the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card makes sense. After all, the card provides perks like automatic Platinum Elite status, a fourth-night-free reward on award stays of four or more nights and a large bonus multiplier for IHG stays. Still, some might find this isn’t the one for their travel and spending habits.

If you’re an IHG loyalist, you’ll easily get enough from this card’s benefits to justify the $99 annual fee. The anniversary night alone could cover the annual fee. However, those who only occasionally stay at IHG properties will likely prefer a card with different benefits.