Why the IHG Premier and Chase Sapphire Preferred Cards Make the Perfect Pair

Updated: July 3, 2025, 8:30am CDT

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Table of Contents

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview
IHG Premier Card Overview
Pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card With the IHG Premier Card
Step 1: Use the IHG Premier Card’s Welcome Bonus Offer
Step 1: Use Ultimate Rewards Points To Extend the Trip
Final Thoughts

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If you’re eyeing a hotel credit card, Chase’s premium IHG co-branded card has a remarkable welcome bonus offer — but for a limited time only.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card comes with a lot of perks for your IHG hotel and resort stays, and it pairs perfectly with a travel credit card most people already have: the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card.

Combined, these cards complement and magnify each other, providing even better returns for your travels. Let’s look at the details of each card and outline how they can work together to provide even better travel experiences.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is an amazing travel credit card with a manageable $95 annual fee. It checks all the right boxes: a valuable rewards program, high earning potential, travel protections and primary rental car insurance, practical everyday credits, and no foreign transaction fees.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome OfferEarn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:
$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel^SM
10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Based on our valuation of Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, this welcome offer translates to a value of $1,500.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Benefits

Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most powerful points you can earn, given the program’s lengthy roster of airline and hotel transfer partners. Generally, these kinds of points are known as transferable points because you’re not limited to a single airline, hotel chain, or car rental agency.

Here’s a brief look at the earning structure and some of the top benefits of the card:

Earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased via Chase Travel
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other travel purchases
Earn an annual $50 Chase Travel hotel credit
Travel with peace of mind thanks to trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary car rental insurance, baggage insurance, and more

Hot Tip:

We love transferable points, as you can decide where your points will give you the most value and transfer them accordingly. Remember, too, that many programs offer transfer bonuses, allowing you to stretch your points even further!

IHG Premier Card Overview

The IHG Premier card is the top option when it comes to the lineup of Chase’s co-branded IHG cards. It offers a ton of value for travelers who frequent IHG properties regularly on their travels, though it comes with a $99 annual fee.

BEST OFFER OF 2025

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

U.P. Rating

The perfect card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Platinum Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

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.

Welcome OfferEarn 5 Free Nights – valued at up to 300,000 total points – after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Each Free Night is valued at up to 60,000 points.
5 Free Nights

UP's Offer Valuation*:
$1,500

Annual Fee

$99

APR

19.99% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

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 & Cons

Pros

Up to 26x points per $1 on IHG stays
5x points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants
3x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

$99 annual fee
Does not earn transferable points

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Our Best Offer of 2025! Earn 5 Free Nights
Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG^® hotel stay.
Earn up to 26 total points 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 cardmember
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck^® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 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^®
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.99% - 28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Right now, new applicants can earn 5 free nights — with a 60,000-point maximum per night — after spending $5,000 with your card in the first 3 months with this welcome bonus offer.

If you maximize the offer on the IHG Premier card, it could be equivalent to a staggering 300,000 IHG One Rewards points. We value IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents apiece, meaning the welcome offer is worth $1,500 for hotel nights.

IHG Premier Credit Card — And another card looking for a perfect match. Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Here are the highlights of this card’s benefits, aside from its excellent welcome offer:

Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG properties
Earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel, gas station, and restaurant purchases
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Earn an annual free night certificate at each card anniversary
Get the fourth night free when you redeem IHG One Rewards points for a consecutive 4-night stay
Earn automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
Earn a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card

Pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card With the IHG Premier Card

When taken together — and factoring in the perks you get with the IHG Premier card — it’s easy to see how an IHG loyalist (or just anyone looking for a top-tier vacation) can make use of both cards to book an incredible vacation for very little money out of pocket.

Let’s run through a real-life example to illustrate how combining these cards can provide incredible travel experiences. I’m currently jonesing for a relaxing, beach-centric vacation later this year.

Punta Mita Mexico Beach — How great does this beach in Mexico look right about now? Image Credit: Nick Ellis

I was immediately interested in the elevated welcome bonus offer on the IHG Premier card. Earning 5 award nights up to 60,000 points each is significant, especially considering the card only has a $99 annual fee.

I applied for the card with the express purpose of booking my desired beach vacation, and as I was planning, I realized how this welcome offer could be taken to the next level by already having the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Step 1: Use the IHG Premier Card’s Welcome Bonus Offer

I wanted to stay relatively close to home, so I turned to Mexico because I love the beautiful beaches, the culture, and, perhaps most importantly, the cuisine. I narrowed my focus to the Cancún area thanks to plentiful nonstop flights and an easy time change from my home in Chicago.

Lo and behold, I came across the InterContinental Presidente Cozumel Resort & Spa, a beautiful property directly on the beach on the island of Cozumel, an easy journey from Cancun International Airport (CUN).

Thankfully, I have a fairly flexible schedule, which means I could search for award availability that included a string of 5 consecutive nights at rates that conformed to the certificates’ 60,000-point maximum.

The IHG One Rewards program uses a dynamic pricing model, meaning there’s theoretically no maximum number of points that can be charged for a room on a given night, so using the free night certificates could potentially be tricky. However, as long as you stay away from the chain’s most desirable properties, you should be able to find great options for 60,000 points or fewer per night.

Sure enough, the InterContinental Presidente Cozumel had several consecutive nights available, ranging from 45,000 to 49,000 IHG One Rewards points per night, meaning my certificates would be eligible for this property.

InterContinental Presidente Cozumel award rates — Ponts rates. iImage Credit: IHG Hotels & Resorts

Since I found the availability, I applied these certificates for a 5-night stay, and I was officially going to Mexico! However, I wasn’t done quite yet.

Step 1: Use Ultimate Rewards Points To Extend the Trip

Here, we’ll see how combining points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card with the perks of the IHG Premier card can result in a powerful combination that can create even better travel experiences.

I wanted to craft an even longer vacation in Mexico to soak up as much sun, sand, and guacamole as possible. Since I already had 5 nights booked in Cozumel, I figured it’d be a good opportunity to change up my location and visit Tulum — somewhere I still haven’t been.

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer over to IHG One Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, meaning I can earn even more IHG points for more hotel nights!

I noticed that award rates in Tulum were particularly reasonable. For example, the Kimpton Aluna Resort Tulum was available for just 24,000 IHG One Rewards points per night, a very reasonable rate.

Kimpton Aluna Tulum. Image Credit: IHG Hotels & Resorts

However, it gets even better. One of the standout perks of the IHG Premier card is the ability to get the fourth night free when redeeming IHG One Rewards points for 4 consecutive nights, meaning I could extend my trip for another 4 nights and only have to pay the cost of staying 3 nights — another win!

Kimpton Aluna Tulum award rates — Points rates. Image Credit: IHG Hotels & Resorts

In all, transferring just 72,000 Ultimate Rewards points allowed me to book another 4 nights for almost no cash out of pocket in Tulum, giving me a total of 9 nights in Mexico — all on points and thanks to the unique synergies between the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the IHG Premier card.

Hot Tip:

While the IHG Premier card gives you the fourth consecutive night free, this perk only applies to award nights — and not the certificates you receive with the welcome bonus offer. Still, it’s a great benefit to have to stretch the value of your IHG One Rewards points.

Final Thoughts

After breaking it all down, it’s easy to see how the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the IHG Premier card can be paired to craft a fantastic (and lengthy) trip.

On their own, each of these cards is fantastic in its own right. However, when you harness the power of having both of them in your wallet, you can leverage the transfer partnership between Chase and IHG and the IHG Premier card’s fourth-night free perk to put together incredible vacations.