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


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Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of credit cards and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best card for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.

  • 50+ cards analyzed.
  • 8 data points considered.
  • 5-step fact-checking process.

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 CATEGORYSPENDING AMOUNTPOINTS PER DOLLARPOINTS 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

* 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

Methodology

Our credit cards team has spent hours analyzing hundreds of travel credit cards. We took a deep dive into the details of each product and that analysis, combined with our years of experience covering credit cards, informed us as we developed these credit card rankings. We factored the following into our analysis:

  • Annual fees.
  • Travel reward rates.
  • Value of rewards.
  • Redemption options.
  • Additional benefits that a card may offer for travelers, such as travel insurance.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Your credit limit with the Chase IHG One Rewards Premier Card depends on your household income, monthly debt payments, other Chase credit card limits and other factors. If your credit limit isn’t as high as you’d like, you may qualify for a higher limit by paying down your debt or increasing your income. Additionally, you may qualify to transfer a portion of your credit limit from an existing Chase credit card to the IHG Premier Card.

IHG uses a variable redemption chart, so the number of points for a free night varies based on the property and time of year you’re traveling. IHG One Rewards members can redeem for free nights starting at 5,000 points per night.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Card charges an annual fee of $99. This annual fee includes higher earning power at IHG, Platinum Elite status, and an annual free night, which easily justifies the cost.

Chase charges an annual fee to compensate for the many valuable features and benefits available to cardholders. In most instances, Chase will not waive the card’s annual fee. If you want to earn IHG points without paying an annual fee, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is a good option.

*The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and 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.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Lee Huffman

BLUEPRINT

Lee Huffman spent 18 years in banking and investments and now uses that insider knowledge to write about credit cards, travel, and other personal finance topics. Lee enjoys showing people how to travel more, spend less, and live better through the power of travel rewards. You can connect with him at BaldThoughts.com.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

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