The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is a viable option for applicants who want a more dynamic co-branded hotel credit that provides perks for staying at IHG hotels. While it only offers you two points for each dollar you spend on your daily purchases, you can use it at other IHG properties, gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants. Using this card can help you earn Gold Elite status, with which you can earn a 10% bonus on hotel stays. The card has a regular variable APR of 21.49% – 28.49% with no foreign transaction fees.
MoneyGeek’s Take
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card Review
Travelers considering staying in any of the brands owned by IHG who want to avoid an annual fee can get a lot of value from the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card’s card. It has a Limited Time Offer of 100,000 bonus points after making $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of opening an account.
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Doug Milnes, CFA
Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets. Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
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Alene Laney
Finance Journalist
Alene Laney is an award-winning personal finance writer with over a decade of experience in media. Her works have been featured on Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, GoBankingRates and Yahoo! Finance, among others. Laney has a degree in English literature, history from the University of Utah.
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Doug Milnes, CFA
Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets. Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/moneygeek/image/upload/c_scale,q_auto:eco,f_auto,fl_lossy,w_100,b_white/v1630654707/Alene_Laney_26e3c3120c.jpg)
Alene Laney
Finance Journalist
Alene Laney is an award-winning personal finance writer with over a decade of experience in media. Her works have been featured on Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, GoBankingRates and Yahoo! Finance, among others. Laney has a degree in English literature, history from the University of Utah.
Updated: July 11, 2024
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- We recommend the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card to people who frequently stay at properties that are part of the InterContinental Hotels Group and wish to earn reward points faster. You earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 3X points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
If you spend $10,000 or more on purchases in a calendar year, you get Gold Elite Status that remains valid until the end of the following year. If you redeem your points for stays of four or more nights, you get a free reward night. This card is perfect to use outside of the U.S. as it comes with no foreign transaction fees.
Additional benefits include purchase protection and travel insurance coverage.
MoneyGeek uses a thorough and up-to-standard methodology and review process to determine the best credit cards for our readers based on factors such as credit fees, rewards, benefits and more. The process involves gathering data from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s database, getting up-to-date data points for easy ranking calculations, projecting the annual average spend profile, determining annual and introductory bonuses, determining the long-term value of holding the card and conducting a regular review and re-ranking processes.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card Overview
You can keep your points active by extending the expiration date once you use your IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card, transfer IHG points or make a reservation at any IHG properties around the globe exceeding 5,800 points.
The best way to earn points with Chase IHG Rewards Club Traveler is to pay for hotel stays with the card. You’ll get even more value by booking four nights or more since the fourth night is free.
>>MORE: CHASE ULTIMATE REWARDS: PROGRAM GUIDE
Quick Take
- Certain purchases may not earn points
- Points may expire if you do not have 12 months of consecutive activity on your card
- Benefits and rewards may vary by location
Important Card Details
Regular/ Variable APR
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has a high variable APR rate of between 21.49% – 28.49% on purchases and bank transfers. Your card starts accruing interest when you start making purchases, and the percentage may differ depending on the current prime rate.
Balance Transfer Fee
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card charges a relatively high fee of up to 5% on the total amount you transfer. The percentage is equivalent to a fee of up to $10. For instance, if you make a $2,000 transfer, you’ll pay $100 as your balance transfer fee.
Annual Fee
This card charges no annual fee.
Additional Benefits
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card doesn't offer a ton of luxury perks. However, it has other features and benefits that are beneficial.
- 20% discount on IHG rewards club point purchases: This perk comes in handy when you need more points to redeem your rewards.
- Purchase protection: The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card protects all your new purchases for up to 120 days against damage or theft with up to $500 for every claim and $50,000 per account.
- Cell phone insurance: If you're using your card to pay for your monthly phone cell bill, the card protects your phone against theft or damage with up to $600 per claim and $1,000 per year.
- Baggage delay insurance: The card will cover your purchases such as toiletries and clothing for baggage delays by airline carriers that are over six hours in length. The insurance amount is up to $100 per day for three days.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: If a collision occurs while you are renting a car, you can charge the entire cost on the card instead of using the rental company's collision insurance. Using the card will give you secondary coverage to your insurance.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or your immediate family member's luggage is lost, the card covers up to $3,000 per passenger.
- Trip cancellation or interruption insurance: Your trip may be canceled or cut short due to certain covered situations such as illnesses and severe weather conditions. In this case, you're eligible for reimbursement of up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for pre-paid and non-refundable expenses.
- Travel accident insurance: Paying for your air, bus, train or cruise transportation using the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card guarantees coverage of up to $500,000 of any accidental death or dismemberment.
- Travel and emergency assistance services: If you encounter an issue during your travel, contact the Benefit Administrator for a legal or medical referral.
- Add authorized users: You can get complimentary cards for your family members and friends. You'll earn extra reward points faster since you’ll have multiple people using your account.
How the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card Compares To Other Cards
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card rivals other cards as it does not have annual fee and foreign transaction fees. However, comparing it with other travel cards will depend on what you want from the card.
In-Depth Credit Card Comparisons:
How the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card Compares
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- Annual fee: $0
- Purchase APR: 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Cash back: Earn Up to 17 points total per dollar on IHG hotel stays, 3 points per dollar on monthly bills, gas stations and restaurant purchases and 2 points per dollar on other purchases
- Best For: Cardholders who plan to use reward points for travel stay without paying an annual or foreign transaction fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Annual fee: $0
- Purchase APR: 0% intro APR for 15 months, then a variable APR of 20.49% – 29.24% after that
- Cash back: 1.5% on general purchases
- Best For: Cardholders looking to get valuable cash backs on travel purchases
Frequently Asked Questions
The average IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card credit score is between 670 -739.
Yes. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card reports your account activity to all three credit bureaus.
There’s no IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card pre-approval process. You have to apply for the card. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card application process is not lengthy and involves visiting the card's website, completing an application and submitting it. You can complete the process within 10-20 minutes. If your application doesn't need extra information, you can receive further details via mail within 10 business days.
You need to give your personal information such as name, date of birth, Social Security Number, contact information including home address and email address and your financial information, including annual income and monthly expenses.
While it's challenging to determine the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card customer service performance based on the card specifically, it's often recommended for travelers looking to use IHG properties.
Yes. You may use the IHG website or mobile app to manage your traveling journal and make payments.
Yes. Your IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card credit limit may automatically increase after every six to twelve months if you have a good standing.
Yes. You can cancel your account using the mobile app or website. For further assistance on how to go about freezing your account, call the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card phone number or contact them through the other options available.
Yes. Some other Chase credit cards include Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card, Chase Freedom Flex℠ credit card and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card credit card.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
![Doug Milnes, CFA headshot](https://res.cloudinary.com/moneygeek/image/upload/c_scale,q_auto:eco,f_auto,fl_lossy,w_160/v1585262247/bbgpw5eliaweh29jfpd8.png)
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.