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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...
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The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is a must-have for IHG loyalists and even those who stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts a handful of nights a year. This is due to all of the great benefits packed into the card, and how rewarding the card is when used at IHG hotels.
If you’re not sure if the IHG Premier card is a good fit for your travel needs, or you’d like to learn strategies on how to find the best bonus possible, you’ve come to the right place.
Benefits of the IHG Premier Card
Before discussing your options for how to find the best bonus offer possible on the IHG Premier card, let’s break down the top benefits of the card to see if it makes sense for your travel needs.
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 perfect card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Platinum Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.
The perfect card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Platinum Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
140,000 points
$700
$99
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
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 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.
Pros
Up to 26x points per $1 on IHG stays
5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants
3x points per $1 on all other purchases
Automatic Platinum Elite status, and the ability to spend your way to Diamond Elite status
Free anniversary night certificate
Fourth-night free on award stays
20% off when buying IHG Rewards points
Up to $50 in United Airlines TravelBank Cash each year
Earn a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year
Cons
$99 annual fee
Does not earn transferable points
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®
Free Anniversary Night: Each year, on your account anniversary, you’ll receive a free night certificate that can be used at any IHG hotel that costs up to 40,000 points per night. And now, you can combine additional points with your certificate to “top it off” if you’d like to stay at a more expensive property.
Fourth Night Free: IHG Premier cardholders get their fourth night free on all award stays.
IHG Platinum Elite Status: IHG Platinum Elite status includes benefits like complimentary room upgrades, 60% bonus points, and late check-out.
20% Discount on Purchased Points: Save 20% when you purchase IHG One Rewards points with your IHG Premier card.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/Nexus Credit: $100 credit every 4 years as a reimbursement for the application fee.
Purchase Protection: Purchases made with the card are covered for up to 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short due to a covered issue (like severe weather or an illness), you’re eligible for up to $5,000 of coverage for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses.
Baggage Delay Insurance: If your checked baggage is delayed more than 6 hours, you’ll receive $100 in reimbursements for essential items per day for up to 3 days.
How To Find the 140,000 (or Even 150,000) IHG Premier Card Bonus Offer
You can use your IHG One Rewards points to stay at breathtaking properties like the Intercontinental Maldives. Image Credit: IHG
Part of the game of credit card rewards is to always try to get the best bonus offer possible when applying for a new credit card. With that said, what are the best ways to track down the best offer possible on the IHG Premier card?
Increased Public Welcome Offer – Easiest Way
Occasionally, banks run limited-time increased bonus offers on their credit cards — making it so you don’t have to do much work to track down the best offer.
Here’s the current welcome offer for the IHG Premier 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 perfect card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Platinum Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.
The perfect card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Platinum Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
140,000 points
$700
$99
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
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 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.
Pros
Up to 26x points per $1 on IHG stays
5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants
3x points per $1 on all other purchases
Automatic Platinum Elite status, and the ability to spend your way to Diamond Elite status
Free anniversary night certificate
Fourth-night free on award stays
20% off when buying IHG Rewards points
Up to $50 in United Airlines TravelBank Cash each year
Earn a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year
Cons
$99 annual fee
Does not earn transferable points
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®
If the current offer is 140,000 or more, look no further. However, the elevated welcome offer is usually only around for a limited time, so if the card isn’t offering an increased public welcome offer, there are still other ways to find an elevated offer.
If you’re not already familiar, CardMatch is a free tool that allows users to check for targeted bonus offers from all CreditCard.com partners. What does this mean? Large U.S. credit card issuers, like Chase and American Express, publish these targeted offers to CardMatch who then reveals targeted offers to select users that use the CardMatch tool.
CardMatch doesn’t just offer the opportunity to check for targeted bonus offers — users can also check to see if they’re pre-approved for a card. That said, you should know that being pre-approved for a card does not guarantee you’ll be approved should you choose to submit an application — just that the odds of your approval are increased.
Either way, to check for targeted bonus offers or pre-approvals on CardMatch, you’ll need to provide the following details:
Full name
Address
Last 4 digits of your Social Security number
If you’re concerned about providing these personal details, you might feel better knowing that the entire website is a PCI Level 1 Compliant organization — the same level of security offered by a bank.
All in all, we think it makes a lot of sense to periodically check CardMatch for targeted offers because the service is free, secure, and does not perform a hard pull on your credit report.
Targeted Mailings From Chase
If you haven’t already, you should strongly consider opting into targeted mailings from Chase. Why? Because Chase will occasionally send out increased bonus offers that can be better than publicly available offers — but they’re only able to send them to you if you opt-in first.
To do so, simply go log into your Chase account, click Profile, then Settings. Once you’re on the Settings page you’ll want to click Marketing Preferences, and then click Yes to receive special offers from Chase.
Opt-in to Chase offers to increase your odds of an increased welcome bonus! Image Credit: Chase
Reasons You May Not Be Able To Get a Higher Welcome Offer
Chase’s 5/24 Rule
Like most Chase credit cards, the IHG Premier card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. Due to this rule, if you’ve opened more than 5 new credit cards in the last 24 months, you will likely be denied for the IHG Premier card.
You should know that the Chase 5/24 rule predominately applies to new personal credit cards, so most business credit cards, auto loans, or installment loans are not counted towards your 5/24 total.
You’ve Opted Out of Marketing Offers
Put simply, if you don’t opt-in to receiving marketing offers, Chase is prohibited from sending them to you. As we outlined above, opting-in to marketing offers with Chase is incredibly easy to do, so don’t let this be the reason that you don’t get targeted for an increased bonus offer.
Low Credit Score
This should come as no surprise, but if you currently have a low credit score then it is unlikely that you would be approved for the IHG Premier card.
Instead, you should opt to focus on ways that you can improve your credit score before considering applying for travel rewards credit cards.
Final Thoughts
All things considered, the IHG Premier card is a fantastic hotel rewards cards thanks to benefits like an annual free night certificate, fourth night free on award stays, and complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status.
So if you feel that the card is a great fit for your travel patterns and goals, make sure to exercise all of your options to get the highest bonus offer you possibly can — because more points equals more travel!
Featured Image Credit: IHG
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the IHG Premier card worth it?
If you’re an IHG loyalist or even someone who stays at IHG hotel semi-frequently, then the card is definitely worth holding.
You’re sure to get plenty of value from the perks included with the card like a free anniversary night, complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, and fourth night free on award stays.
Can you have 2 IHG cards?
Yes, if you currently hold the IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card (or have had it in the past), you are still eligible for the IHG Premier card. The same applies to those who are cardholders (or former cardholders) of the now-discontinued IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card. You can also have a personal and business IHG card at the same time as well.
Is the IHG Premier card metal?
No, the IHG Premier card is not metal.
Is the IHG Premier card subject to Chase's 5/24 rule?
Yes, the IHG Premier card is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. Those who have opened 5 or more new personal credit cards in the last 24 months are unlikely to be approved for the card.
How much are IHG One Rewards points worth?
Placing a value of travel rewards points and miles is entirely subjective and can vary from person to person. That said, we value IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents each, making 100,000 IHG One Rewards points worth $500.
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.