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

If you’re eyeing a hotel credit card, Chase’s IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a remarkable welcome bonus offer — but for a limited time only.

The IHG One Rewards Premier 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.

BEST FIRST TRAVEL CARD

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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.

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

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

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

Welcome Offer

Earn 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

19.24% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

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 card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), gas, EV charging, vacation home rentals with top brands, and streaming services.

It offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and strong travel insurance coverage, including primary car rental insurance. If you travel a few times a year and spend on dining, the card is likely to be a good choice, but it’s hard to justify if you don’t dine out or travel often.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via Chase Travel
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), gas, EV charging, vacation home rentals with top brands (such as Airbnb and Vrbo), and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Subject to Chase’s 5/24 application restrictions

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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 TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation and more
• Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 – a value of $156.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for 12 months when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck^® or NEXUS application.
• Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.49% 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 $100 Chase Travel hotel credit
• Travel with peace of mind thanks to trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary car rental insurance, baggage insurance, and more

IHG Premier Card Overview

The IHG Premier card is a solid 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 $150 annual fee.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

The New 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 ins and outs 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.

An excellent card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Gold Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.

The New IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

An excellent card for IHG fans, offering a free night every year, automatic Gold Elite status, and your fourth night free on award stays.

Welcome Offer

Earn 180,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

180,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$150

APR

19.24% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

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 card application.

Good to Excellent

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 Gold elite status, an annual free night certificate, and travel protections.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 24x points on IHG stays
• 5x points on flights booked directly and car rental agencies, dining, gas stations, and grocery stores
• 3x points on all other purchases

Cons

• $150 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable points

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Card Highlights

• Limited Time Launch Offer! Earn 180,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Earn up to 24X total points on stays at IHG Hotels & Resorts
• Earn 5X points on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, at gas stations, grocery stores (new!) and restaurants. Earn 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Get an Anniversary Free Night each year. Plus, redeem 3 nights, get 4th night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
• NEW! Enjoy up to $100 in Food & Beverage Rewards annually at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• This card offers over $700 in value your first year!
• Automatic Gold Elite Status as long as you remain an IHG One Rewards Premier cardmember. Plus, get 15 Elite Night Credits each year (new!).
• IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental^®, Kimpton^®, Hotel Indigo^®, Crowne Plaza^®, EVEN^® Hotels, & Holiday Inn^®
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Right now, new applicants can earn the following welcome bonus offer:

• Earn 180,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

We value IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents apiece, meaning the welcome offer is worth $900 for hotel nights.

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

• Earn up to 24 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG properties.
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent on tflights booked directly, rental cars, dining, grocery stores, and gas stations.
• 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 Gold 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.
• Earn 15,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases with your card annually.
• Spending-based benefits like earning Elite Night Credits and Diamond Elite status.
• 30% discount on points purchases.
• Annual credits for airline spending, United TravelBank Cash, and Food & Beverage Rewards.

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.

I was immediately interested in the elevated welcome bonus offer on the IHG Premier card. Earning bonus points and receiving an annual free night award is significant, especially considering the card only has a $150 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 my points balance.

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 5,000 or 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 balance would be sufficient for this property.

Since I found the availability, I booked 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.

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!

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.

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.