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In this review of the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card, we take a look at its features and how it can be of benefit to frequent travelers with loyalty to IHG hotels. The card comes with a free anniversary night, a generous welcome bonus offer of 175,000 reward points, a free reward night when you redeem reward points for a stay of four nights or more and high reward rates on travel purchases made with the card.

Card Details to Know Up Front
- Bonus, Fee or FeatureHas or Not
- Has Annual Fee
- Has Balance Transfer Offer
- Has APR Offer
- Cash Back Rewards
- Travel Rewards
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card at a Glance
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is a travel-focused card with many benefits that can come in handy for customers with frequent travel needs and loyalty to IHG properties. It comes with a generous welcome offer of 175,000 reward points and a free anniversary night every year, along with a complement of travel-focused features and perks. You can get Platinum Elite status with IHG with this card and get up to 25x reward points for every dollar spent with IHG.
- IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
A fantastic card for earning rewards when you stay at IHG hotels and resorts.
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
- $99Annual Fee
- 1–25 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
- 25xRewards Rate at Hotels
- 2xRewards Rate on Groceries
Pros & Cons Explained
If you need to evaluate the Chase IHG Reward Club Premier credit card and see if the benefits are in line with your planned use case, it’s a good idea to take a look at the pros and cons of the card.
Pros
- BenefitsDescription
- Generous welcome offerCardholders can earn 175,000 reward points as a welcome offer by spending $3,000 or more in the first three months. In addition, you can earn a further 10,000 bonus points each year if you spend $20,000 or more with your card.
- High IHG rewardsWith this card, you can earn up to 25x reward points per dollar spent at IHG properties. This is broken down into 10x reward points as a cardholder, 10x reward points for being a member of the IHG Rewards Club and 5x reward points for having Platinum Elite status with IHG.
- Free nightsYou get a free anniversary night each year with the card. You can also earn an additional reward night if you book a stay of four or more nights with your reward points.
- Platinum statusYou get a complimentary Platinum Elite status with IHG when you qualify for this card. This opens the doors to many more benefits and perks.
Cons
- DrawbacksDescription
- Points valueExcluding expenses at IHG, you will earn a low rate of points for everyday purchases. There is also a very limited option to redeem rewards points, except for expenses at IHG properties.
- Annual feeThe IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card comes with a $99 annual fee.
- IHG rewards chartGenerally, the IHG rewards chart that governs how much value you get out of your reward points tends to be quite expensive compared with other hotel co-branded cards.
MoneyGeek analyzes the features of every card monthly and chooses the top picks across all popular categories. Check out our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2022.
Bonuses & Rewards Explained
The Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card comes with many benefits. You can earn rewards at a 25x rate for purchases with IHG. You earn 10 reward points for every dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts as a cardholder and up to 10 points per dollar for being a member of the IHG Rewards Club. You can earn a further five points for every dollar on account of your Platinum Elite Status with IHG. The welcome offer of 175,000 bonus points is contingent on spending at least $3,000 in the first three months, and you can earn a further 10,000 points if you spend $20,000 on purchases in a calendar year. You also get one free anniversary night every year and another free night when you redeem your rewards for a stay of four or more nights.
You can redeem your points in the following ways:
You can redeem reward points directly with IHG by exchanging them for reward nights, or use them to upgrade your stay.
You can also redeem your points at non-IHG hotels, but only through the IHG travel portal.
You can also redeem points to purchase gift cards, merchandise, digital downloads or flights through the IHG travel portal.
Other Features Explained
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card comes with several other benefits and perks.
- Card FeatureDescription
- Elite status perksThe card comes with a complimentary Platinum Elite status membership with IHG, which comes with several perks. You can enjoy guaranteed room availability, 50% increased bonus earnings on hotel stays, complimentary room upgrades on eligible stays, late checkout and free minibar access at eligible hotels.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheckIf you use your credit card to pay for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck applications, you are eligible for reimbursement of up to $100 once every four years.
- Luggage protectionWith this card, you can qualify for reimbursement of up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days for basic supplies if your luggage is more than six hours late. If your luggage gets damaged or lost, you can get up to $3,000 in compensation per passenger.
"The free night award helps this card make sense and there are some incredible international IHG hotels where you can use the free night certificate." - Alene Laney, Credit Card Journalist
Understanding the Fine Print
- Card FeatureAmount or Rate
- APR20.99% – 27.99% Variable
- Annual Fee$99
- Cash Back Rewards
- Rewards Rate1–25 Points per $1*
- Airline Benefits
Regular APR
The card charges a variable APR of 20.49% – 27.49% for both purchases and balance transfers.
Annual Fee
The annual fee for the card is $99. However, this fee is waived for the first year of use.
Other Fees
The card does not charge foreign transaction fees. For cash advances, the card charges either $10 or 5% of each transaction, whichever is higher.
To compare this card with other hotel co-branded cards or travel cards, look at essential factors like the APR, the rewards structure and all the fees and charges involved. To compare with an existing credit card, take a look at your last monthly billing statement or consult the website of the card provider. Alternatively, you can also get information from the credit card agreement database maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card?
Other Considerations for IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Depending on your targeted use case, the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card might be the right choice for you. That depends on whether you plan to use this as your only card or want to add it to an existing collection of cards.
Things to Consider if This Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card
We recommend using this as your only card only if you travel frequently and have an exclusive loyalty to IHG properties and partner hotels. Considering the steep price you need to pay to transfer balance to airline partners and other categories, redeeming at IHG properties is the most efficient way to use these reward points. If you are averse to an annual fee, look elsewhere.
Things to Consider if This Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet
If you already have a travel- or rewards-focused card, this can be a good addition to your wallet if you have existing loyalty to the IHG brand, frequently travel to locations where there are IHG hotels or want to get loyalty status with IHG fast. The free stays alone can justify the annual fee of the card.
At MoneyGeek, we follow a meticulous and detail-oriented process of reviewing credit cards. We collect data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau database, standardize data points for easy analysis, determine the long-term value of cards, analyze average spending profiles and re-rank our cards frequently.
How IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card Compares to Other Cards
The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card can present good value for frequent travelers with brand loyalty to IHG. However, to get a better idea about what might work best for you, you can take a look at viable alternatives.
In-Depth Credit Card Comparisons:
- IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card vs IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card vs World of Hyatt Credit Card
Quick Comparison of IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Annual Fee: $99
- Reward Rate: 1x–26x reward points
- Free stays: Free night award on each card member's anniversary
- Platinum Elite status with IHG
- Best for: Travelers with loyalty to IHG
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Annual Fee: $95
- Reward Rate: 1x–17x reward points
- Free Stays: Free night award on each card member's anniversary
- Silver Elite status with Marriott
- Best for: Travelers with loyalty to Marriott
Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As
Here are some important frequently asked questions about the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card.
Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.
If you are still not sure about this card, take a look at our top picks for hotel co-branded cards and travel cards. If you are not interested in a travel card, you can consider a balance transfer card or a rewards card.
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sources
- Chase Credit Cards. "IHG Rewards Club Premier." Accessed September 5, 2021.
- Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. "Credit card agreement database." Accessed September 5, 2021.
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