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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in o...
With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in ...
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IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
4.5
140,000 points
$99
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Good to Excellent (670-850)
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
The perfect card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Platinum Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
If you regularly visit IHG hotels throughout the year, then the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is probably a perfect card to have in your wallet.
The IHG Premier card offers a great bundle of perks and benefits, including automatic Platinum elite status, an annual free night certificate, and travel protections.
Card Snapshot
Welcome Bonus & Info
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier card member
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
You know you’ll get more value out of the card than what you’ll pay for the annual fee
Don’t Get If
You’re not a fan of IHG hotels, or don’t travel much
You want a card with no annual fee
You want a card that earns transferable travel points
IHG Premier Card — Is It Worth It?
If IHG is your hotel chain of choice, and you stay at one of its hotels at least a few times a year, then the IHG Premier card would likely be very worth it for you.
With the IHG Premier card, you won’t just earn more points on all of your IHG stays, you’ll also receive automatic IHG Platinum elite status. This status offers 50% more points, extended checkout and priority check-in, complimentary room upgrades, and a welcome amenity.
While the IHG Premier card charges an annual fee, you can easily offset that thanks to the free night certificate you’ll receive each year. Plus, the card gives you added value on award stays by giving you your fourth night free when you use points for a 4-night stay or longer.
IHG Premier Card Top Benefits
Anniversary Free Night Certificate
The free night certificate, given to cardholders each year on their account anniversary, can easily offset the cost of the $99 annual fee on its own. You can redeem the certificate for a free night at any IHG hotel that costs up to 40,000 points per night.
IHG Rewards no longer publishes an award chart, but rest assured that a 40,000 points hotel in the portfolio can easily cost between $200 to $300 a night depending on the location and season.
Hot Tip: IHG now allows IHG Premier cardholders to add points on top of their free night certificate to book more expensive hotels. For instance, if you want to book a night at a property that costs 60,000 points per night, you could apply your free night certificate, plus 20,000 points, to do just that!
Platinum Elite Status
IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status, earned after 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying points, comes complimentary to cardholders of the IHG Premier card.
Your new Platinum Elite status comes with the following perks:
60% bonus points earned on IHG stays
Priority check-in and extended checkout
Complimentary room upgrades
Welcome amenity
The 60% bonus jumps your points earned from 10x points per $1 to 16 points per $1 on your IHG stays. Don’t forget, when you use your IHG Premier card to pay for your stay, you’ll earn another 10x points per $1 for a total of 26 IHG Rewards points per $1 on stays. This represents a return of 13% on your IHG stays based on our points and miles valuations.
As if that’s not enough, you’ll also receive complimentary room upgrades, a welcome amenity during check-in, and extended checkout times. So if you stay at IHG hotels with any sort of regularity, you should be able to get plenty of value out of your IHG Platinum Elite status.
Further, those who are big spenders will have the ability to spend their way to top-tier Diamond Elite status by spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Fourth Night Free on Award Stays
Once you’ve racked up a large balance of IHG Rewards points, your IHG Premier card will help you stretch those points even further by giving you your fourth night free on all award stays. Keep in mind that this benefit only applies to award stays and not paid stays.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your IHG Rewards Points
If you want to earn lots of IHG Rewards points, you have far more options than simply using the IHG Premier card for your purchases. Read through our dedicated guide to the best ways to earn lots of IHG Rewards points for all of your options.
When you’re ready to redeem your points, you might find yourself a bit overwhelmed with all of the options. While you could just redeem your points at any hotel that seems convenient, you should read our guide to the best ways to redeem your IHG Rewards points if you want to get the maximum value out of your points.
Alternative Cards to the IHG Premier Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
If you’re not a fan of the IHG Rewards program or are more agnostic when it comes to hotel loyalty programs, then you should consider the World of Hyatt card.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.
The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.
Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.
Up to 60,000 points
$450
$95
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The World of Hyatt Credit Card makes your Hyatt stays more rewarding and helps you get coveted World of Hyatt elite status faster. This card is a must-have for any traveler who regularly stays at Hyatt hotels, or even for anyone who’s able to take advantage of the card’s annual free night certificate.
When you factor in all the benefits the World of Hyatt card offers, it’s easy to see why it is one of the best co-branded hotel credit cards on the market.
Pros
Up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays: 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
2x points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit, rideshares, and fitness clubs/gym memberships
1x point per $1 on all other purchases
1 Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary (Category 1 to 4)
A second Free Night Award when you spend $15,000 on the card
Hyatt Discoverist status
5 automatic elite night credits each year
2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card
DoorDash DashPass subscription
No foreign transaction fees
Purchase protection
Trip cancellation/interruption and luggage insurance
Cons
$95 annual fee
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
Earn 3 Free Nights after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases (each night valued up to 50,000 points) within the first 3 months from account opening.
Up to 3 Free Nights
$1,050
$95
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.
Pros
Earn big when you use your card at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
New benefit to earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
Automatic Silver Elite Status
1 Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary (up to 35,000 points)
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
The Marriott Boundless card offers automatic Silver Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, an annual free night certificate, and 15 Elite Night credits each year to help you reach higher levels of elite status.
The information regarding The World of Hyatt Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the annual fee on the IHG Premier card?
The annual fee is $99.
Is the IHG Premier card worth it?
If you visit IHG hotels at least a few times a year and would get value out of IHG elite status and the annual free night certificate, then yes, the IHG Premier card would likely be worth it for you.
Do IHG Rewards points expire?
Your IHG Rewards points will expire after 12 months of no account activity. To keep them alive, you just need a qualifying activity such as earning or redeeming points.
Is the IHG Premier card metal?
No, the card is plastic, not metal.
Is the IHG Premier card subject to the Chase 5/24 rule?
Yes, the card is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. So if you’ve opened up 5 or more new credit card accounts within the last 24 months, it is very unlikely that you’ll be approved for the card.
Does the IHG Premier card charge foreign transaction fees?
The card is a no foreign transaction fee card. So the card can be used anywhere in the world that accepts Mastercard with no additional fee.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
