IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Elite status at a budget price

Get automatic Platinum Elite status and an annual free night for under $100 per year. 

About the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is an ideal hotel credit card for travelers who prefer staying at IHG hotels and resorts. It includes Platinum Elite status and the ability to upgrade to top-tier Diamond Elite status based on your spending. The card offers a generous welcome bonus and earns up to 26 points per dollar spent on IHG hotel and resort purchases. 

Cardholders can stretch the value of their points by getting the fourth night free when redeeming points for a four-night consecutive IHG hotel stay. Although the card has a $99 annual fee, it comes with an anniversary free night after every account anniversary year. Frequent IHG travelers can easily redeem this reward night for a hotel stay worth more than the annual fee.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card basics

• Annual fee: $99.
• Welcome bonus: 140,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Rewards: 10 points per $1 at IHG Hotels and Resorts, another 10 points per $1 as an IHG One Rewards member, 6 points per $1 from IHG with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card), 5 points per $1 on travel, dining and gas stations and 3 points per $1 on all other purchases.
• APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
• Other perks and benefits: Anniversary free night, fourth night free when redeeming points for a four-night consecutive IHG hotel stay, Platinum Elite status, up to $50 United® TravelBank Cash to use when you book United travel, purchase protections and TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS application fee reimbursement.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
• Recommended credit score. Good to excellent.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card other details

In addition to earning rewards based on your spending, the IHG Premier Card offers numerous other benefits to cardholders.

You’ll start off by earning automatic IHG Platinum Elite status as a cardholder. This elite status level includes various perks, such as early check-in and complimentary upgrades. Big spenders can upgrade to Diamond Elite status when they spend at least $40,000 on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card each calendar year.

When you spend $20,000 in a calendar year on the card, you’ll also receive a $100 statement credit and 10,000 IHG bonus points.

Each year you renew the card, you’ll also receive an anniversary free night that’s worth up to 40,000 points. If you want to book a room that costs more, you can add points from your IHG One Rewards balance to make up the difference. The anniversary free night is good for 12 months from its date of issue.

When you redeem points for stays, you’ll get the fourth night free when booking a stay of four or more consecutive nights at an IHG hotel. Members are charged the standard points rate for the first three nights, then zero points for the fourth night. This benefit can be used an unlimited number of times each year.

Cardholders also receive other perks that save money and time. There are no foreign transaction fees on international purchases, and it includes travel and purchase protections when using the card to pay. The card reimburses up to $100 in statement credits for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS application fees once every four years. Get a one-year complimentary trial of DoorDash DashPass with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders.

In addition, cardholders can receive up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each calendar year after registering the card with a MileagePlus account.

IHG Premier rewards

The IHG One Rewards Premier Card offers huge rewards with its welcome bonus and earnings bonus at IHG properties. New cardholders can earn 140,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. You’ll earn 10 points per $1 at IHG Hotels and Resorts, another 10 points per $1 as an IHG One Rewards member, 6 points per $1 from IHG with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card), 5 points per $1 on travel, dining and gas stations and 3 points per $1 on all other purchases.

Generally, the highest redemption value is booking reward nights at IHG properties. You can also combine points and cash to book rooms and stretch your rewards even further. With the IHG One Rewards Premier Card, you’ll get the fourth night free when booking four or more consecutive nights with points at an IHG hotel.

Points can also be used to book experiences, donate to charity, transfer to airlines and more. IHG partners with more than 40 airlines to earn and redeem rewards. Although each airline may have a different arrangement, you’ll generally receive 2,000 miles for every 10,000 IHG points you convert.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card rewards potential

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. Here’s a sample breakdown of how much you could earn from 

SPENDING CATEGORY	SPENDING AMOUNT	POINTS PER DOLLAR	POINTS EARNED
Hotels*	$868	26 points	22,568 points
Non-hotel travel	$2,073	5 points	10, 365 points
Dining	$3,526	5 points	17,630 points
Gas	$2,228	5 points	11,140 points
Other	$16,392	3 points	49, 176 points
TOTAL	$25,087		110, 879 points

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* This spending assumes that all hotel purchases are at IHG properties. Additionally, the cardholder stays at IHG properties that qualify for the maximum number of points.

That comes to a grand total of 110,879 in rewards points annually. Given that the average value of IHG points is about 0.5 to 0.7 cents each, those points could be worth around $554 to $776.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card APR

The IHG One Rewards Premier Card has a 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.

Pros

• Fourth night free when redeeming points for four or more consecutive nights.
• Automatic Platinum Elite status.
• Anniversary free night when you renew the card.
• Generous welcome bonus.

Cons

• No 0% intro APR offers.
• Anniversary free night is capped at 40,000 points.
• Rewards earned have a relatively low value.

How the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card compares to other travel cards

Before applying for the IHG One Rewards Premier Card, you may want to take a look at similar cards that may be a better fit for the way you spend.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card vs. IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For travelers who don’t want to pay an annual fee, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers many of the features of the IHG Premier Card without charging an annual fee. Cardholders receive automatic Silver Elite status and enjoy the fourth night free when redeeming points for a four-night consecutive IHG hotel stay. Additionally, they can upgrade to Gold Elite status by spending $20,000 on the card each calendar year. The Traveler Card offers a generous welcome bonus of 80,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, it earns 10 points per $1 spent from IHG for being an IHG One Rewards member, 5 points per $1 spent at IHG Hotels and Resorts with the card, plus 2 points per $1 spent from IHG with Silver Elite Status (a benefit of this card), 3 points per $1 spent at gas stations, on utilities; internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming services and restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent all-around travel credit card with a reasonable $95 annual fee. It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which transfer to numerous airlines and hotels on a 1:1 basis, including IHG One Rewards. The points can also be redeemed for cash back or gift cards, or you can receive 25% more value when booking travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Cardholders also receive an up to $50 statement credit each account anniversary year when they book hotel stays through Chase Travel. It offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening and earns 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card vs. Bilt World Elite Mastercard®

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard earns points that can be used to pay rent, save up towards a down payment on a future home, book travel or transfer to airline and hotel partners, like IHG One Rewards. Cardholders earn 1 point per $1 on rent payments without a transaction fee (on up to 100,000 points each year), 2 points per $1 on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company), 3 points per $1 on dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. At least five transactions must be made per statement period to earn these rewards. On “Rent Day” (1st of the month), the earning power is doubled on purchases (excluding rent), so you can earn up to 6 points per $1 on purchases that day. It has no annual fee, and it is the rare credit card that allows cardholders to earn rewards on their monthly rent without paying a transaction fee.

Should you get the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card?

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is an excellent choice for travelers who stay at IHG properties regularly. With the card, you can earn bonus points on IHG stays and common spending categories. When you renew the card, you’ll receive an anniversary free night worth up to 40,000 points. Plus, you receive automatic Platinum Elite status, which includes perks like complimentary upgrades, early check-in and a welcome amenity.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card summary

IHG ONE REWARDS PREMIER CREDIT CARD DETAILS
Annual fee	$99
Rewards	10 points per $1 at IHG Hotels and Resorts, another 10 points per $1 as an IHG One Rewards member, 6 points per $1 from IHG with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card), 5 points per $1 on travel, dining and gas stations and 3 points per $1 on all other purchases
APR	21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies
Foreign transaction fees	None
Major perks and benefits	Anniversary free night, fourth night free when redeeming points for a four-night consecutive IHG hotel stay, automatic Platinum Elite status, travel and purchase protections and TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS application fee reimbursement

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)