New IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card cardholders can earn 140,000 IHG Rewards bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.
IHG is one of the most popular hotel chains in the world, and rewards points with this card are redeemable for hotel stays at any IHG property including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, EVEN Hotels, Indigo Hotels and Holiday Inn.
The IHG Premier’s generous sign-up bonus can go a long way toward booking your next vacation.
Offer Details
Annual Fee: $99
Bonus: 140,000 Bonus Points
APR: Variable APR
Rewards Rate: 1X-26X Points
Keep reading to learn about the benefits of this popular IHG hotel credit card.
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- Sign-Up Bonus
- Rewards Rate
- Annual Fee
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- IHG Points
- IHG Hotels and Resorts
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IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card Bonus
IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card makes a splash with an ample sign-up bonus for new cardmembers. You can earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Rewards night redemptions range from as little as 10,000 points to over 70,000 points per night. The IHG Rewards Premier card’s sign-up bonus alone could net you 3-5 nights at many IHG properties worldwide.
IHG Rewards Premier Features
New cardholders earn 140,000 points after making $3,000 in purchases during the first three months of card membership. While point redemptions will vary based on seasonality and duration and location of stay, this IHG Rewards Premier bonus is valued at 3-5 nights of free lodging.
Free Night Each Year
Aside from its valuable sign-up bonus, the IHG Rewards Premier card offers tons of value, especially for loyal IHG customers. You get a free anniversary night certificate every year for use at eligible IHG hotels.
Fourth Reward Night Free
When you redeem points for stays of three nights or longer at any IHG hotel, enjoy a free rewards night.
Complimentary Platinum Elite Status
The IHG card also comes with Platinum Elite Status, which gives you room upgrades, priority check-in, complimentary internet and much more. Plus you get a credit for up to $100 for Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA Pre✓® fees every four years.
Rewards Rate
IHG loyalists have the most to gain with this co-branded hotel credit card with the potential to earn up to 26x points per dollar spent at select IHG hotels and resorts. Here’s how:
- 10x IHG points per dollar spent at IHG Hotels & Resorts using your IHG Rewards Premier card
- Up to 10x IHG points just for being an IHG Rewards member
- Up To 6x IHG points for being an IHG Platinum Elite member—a perk of the card
You can earn points with the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card outside of IHG purchases too. You can earn:
- 5x points per dollar spent on travel, dining or at gas stations.
- 3x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Benefits
Having the IHG Rewards Premier card automatically upgrades you to Platinum Elite status as long as you keep your card open and your Rewards membership is in good standing.
Platinum Elite status earns cardholders several extra benefits, including:
| Free anniversary night | Cardholders receive a free rewards night certificate after each account anniversary year. The free rewards night is good for use at select IHG® hotels and resorts, and you can redeem one for as little as 10,000 points. Your free anniversary night expires 12 months from the date it was issued. |
| Free fourth night | When you redeem points to book a rewards stay with IHG of three consecutive nights or more, the fourth night is free. |
Platinum Elite status also comes with enhanced resort services during stays at IHG properties. Some of the extra amenities you’ll receive include:
- Free room upgrades
- Guaranteed room availability
- Late check-out
- Priority check-in
- Welcome gift
- Customized stay preferences
Other Travel Benefits
Along with Platinum Elite status, being a IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card cardholder gives you access to other valuable travel perks that could come in handy. Depending on how often you travel, the most valuable perk could be the Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA Pre✓® credit fee attached to this card.
Cardholders are eligible for a $100 credit every four years as reimbursement for the Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA Pre✓® application fee. The credit card’s other travel perks include:
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Purchase protection
Fees
We already touched on the $99 annual fee, but there are other fees you may run into when using your IHG credit card.
| Annual fee | Yes |
| Balance transfer fee | Yes |
| Foreign transaction fees | No |
| Late payment fees | Yes |
| Returned payment fees | No |
Annual Fee
The Rewards Premier Credit Card has an $99 annual fee. Be sure you take advantage of the many travel perks and maximize rewards earning each year to justify paying the annual fee.
Variable APR
With no introductory 0% APR offer, the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card comes with a variable APR based on your creditworthiness. APRs fluctuate throughout the year as card issuers adjust rates to the market. The variable APR is comparable to other hotel co-branded credit cards.
Credit Score
Most credit card issuers don’t publicly disclose credit score requirements to qualify for specific cards. The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is designed for people with good to excellent credit scores.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with your current credit scores before applying for a new credit card. There are three major credit bureaus in the U.S., and you can check and monitor your credit scores for free. Using a free service like Experian Boost™ can help increase your credit score.
Redeeming Your IHG Rewards Points
There’s a world of redemption options available through IHG Rewards, but the best value is using points for stays at IHG hotels and resorts. There are over 5,200 IHG properties worldwide with rewards nights available for as little as 10,000 points. You can accelerate your rewards by booking stays using points and cash too.
You can also use your rewards points for a wide range of redemptions. Point values vary based on the redemption. Other redemption options include:
- Online shopping
- Gift cards
- Entertainment digital downloads
- Transfer to one of IHG’s partner airlines
- Access to exclusive experiences and events
- Magazine subscriptions
- Transfer to another IHG Rewards member
- Donate to an IHG partner charity
What Are IHG Points Worth?
While redemption value will vary depending on the property, our points and miles guide values IHG points at $0.04 cents per point.
IHG Rewards Points Expiration
Because the IHG Rewards Premier Card comes with Platinum Elite Status, your IHG points never expire and are always redeemable. Only members at Club status level can have points expire, but even then it’s avoidable by booking a stay or earning or redeeming points once every 12 months.
IHG Hotels and Resorts
The IHG brand is home to over 5,200 unique resorts worldwide. They have properties that fit most travel needs, whether you’re looking for economical accommodations for your family, a luxury retreat or long-term stays. Currently, 17 brands make up the IHG family:
- Atwell Suites
- Avid Hotels
- Candlewood Suites
- Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts
- Even Hotels
- Hauluxe Hotels & Resorts
- Holiday Inn
- Holiday Inn Club Vacations
- Holiday Inn Express
- Holiday Inn Resort
- Hotel Indigo
- Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts
- Kimpton Hotels & Resorts
- Regent Hotels & Resorts
- Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & Spas
- Staybridge Suites
- Voco
With properties around the globe, IHG Rewards Premier cardholders can use their IHG Rewards points to stay almost anywhere in the world.
Here’s a look at how many IHG points you’ll need for rewards night certificates at some popular IHG resorts.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations At Orange Lake Resort
Located minutes from Walt Disney World Theme Parks, Orange Lake Resort is a massive 1,450-acre property featuring one, two and three-bedroom villas. There’s plenty to do at the resort, with four golf courses, multiple restaurants, mini-golf, a kids’ center, and its own water park. A free night at Orange Lake Resort costs 40,000 points.
Holiday Inn St. Louis Downtown Convention Center
This Holiday Inn hotel is close to several popular St. Louis attractions including Gateway Arch and the Anheuser Busch Brewery. It’s located next to America’s Convention Center & Dome. A free night at Holiday Inn St. Louis Downtown Convention Center costs 17,500 points.
The InterContinental® Presidente Cozumel Resort & Spa
This luxury Caribbean resort and spa features a beachside infinity pool, an unbelievable spa, high-end resorts and its own scuba diving center. A free night at The InterContinental® Presidente Cozumel Resort & Spa costs 37,500 points.
Holiday Inn Resort Aruba-Beach Resort & Casino
Located in Palm Beach, This IHG resort & casino features beachside pools, unlimited recreation options, a rejuvenating spa, a casino and its own shopping mall. A free night at Holiday Inn Resort Aruba-Beach Resort & Casino costs 35,000 points.
Compare IHG Cards
The IHG Premier Card is not the only IHG co-branded credit card available from Chase. There is also the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card. The main difference between these cards is that the Traveler card has no annual fee. The sign-up bonus is smaller, but it’s still a considerable amount of points for a no-fee card.
The Traveler card is also missing other valuable perks featured with the Premier card, including a free anniversary night, elevated hotel status and the Global Entry / NEXUS / TSA Pre✓® credit. You’ll earn less for IHG stays too, maxing out at 17X per dollar spent on resort stays.
If you’re a huge IHG fan, you could get both cards, but since they both earn in the same spending categories, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to go this route.
You can find a more in-depth comparison of the two IHG Rewards credit cards here.
IHG Rewards Premier vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred
There’s no doubting the value of the IHG Premier Card. But if you’re looking for flexible travel rewards, you may be better off with another popular Chase rewards card — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
The card comes with a generous sign-up bonus offer and access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, one of the most versatile credit card rewards programs. Ultimate Rewards points provide great value, especially when used to book travel within the Ultimate Rewards portal. Redeemable points can also be transferred to a host of third-party airline and hotel travel partner programs, including IHG Rewards.
Chase 5/24 Rule
It’s worth noting that the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is subject to Chase’s unwritten 5/24 rule. While this is an unofficial rule, it’s one well known within the travel rewards community, and something to keep in mind anytime you apply for a new credit card.
Here’s how the Chase 5/24 rule eligibility works: If you’ve opened five or more new credit card accounts, Chase or another card issuer, in the last 24 months, most likely you’ll be denied for any new Chase credit cards. Take stock of your current credit cards before applying for the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card.
You can learn more about Chase’s 5/24 Rule here.
Is the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card Right for You?
Rewards earning is accelerated for IHG purchases, with 26X points per dollar spent at IHG hotels. You’ll also earn 5X points for fuel, dining and travel purchases and 3X points for all other purchases.
The Rewards Premier Credit Card comes with Platinum Elite Status, a free anniversary night every year and a free rewards night for three-night rewards stays or longer.
It’s great for international travel because there are no foreign transaction fees associated with this Chase credit card