The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card has just been enhanced with new earning rates, benefits, and, most exciting, a brand-new welcome offer. What’s long been the most popular card for IHG loyalists has gotten even better.
Here’s a look at everything you need to know about this card’s makeover!
IHG Premier Card Welcome Bonus
With the IHG Premier card, you can earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
We value IHG points at 0.5 cents apiece, making this bonus worth $700. With that said, you can often get much better value if you redeem your points at high-end (and expensive) properties. For some examples of how you can do just that, check out our best ways to redeem IHG One Rewards points for maximum value.
IHG Premier Card Earning Rates
You’ll earn points with the IHG Premier card according to the following structure:
- Up to 26x points per $1 spent on IHG stays
- 5x points per $1 spent at restaurants and gas station purchases (up from 2x previously)
- 5x points per $1 spent on travel purchases (up from 1x previously)
- 3x points per $1 spent on all other purchases (up from 1x previously)
As you can see, aside from the rate for using your card at IHG hotels, other spending categories have received a significant boost in their earning potential.
IHG Premier Card Benefits
Image Credit: IHGBeyond the ability to earn more points on your purchases, here are the other benefits you’ll receive with this card:
- Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status, plus the ability to spend your way to Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year
- Anniversary Free Night certificate
- Fourth night free on award stays
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS statement credit
- 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
- 20% discount on IHG point purchases
- Purchase protection
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
A downside to this card’s updates is that the annual fee is increasing from $89 to $99. Despite this $10 hike, the new $50 annual United Airlines TravelBank cash alone should more than make up for the added expense, not to mention the card’s other great benefits that help offset its annual fee, like the annual free night certificate, and automatic Platinum Elite status that gets you benefits like extended checkout, priority check-in, and complimentary room upgrades.
Final Thoughts
The IHG Premier card was already a great option for those who frequent IHG hotels, but now the card is even better in our view thanks to these added benefits and the fact that it earns significantly more points on all of your daily purchases.
Better yet, if you don’t already have the IHG Premier card in your wallet, now is a great time to add it so you can take advantage of its 140,000-point welcome bonus.
Featured Image Credit:
IHG