If you’re looking for a hotel loyalty card that offers free nights, a solid return on hotel spending, and stellar perks, the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is a winning choice.
This card is loaded with valuable benefits, including an anniversary reward night, a fourth-night-free reward, statement credits, and extensive protection plans – all for only $99 per year.
You’ll also automatically get Platinum Elite status, which offers complimentary room upgrades, milestone rewards, a 60% points bonus, and other premium perks.
Let’s explore everything you need to know about the IHG Rewards Premier credit card.
- Earn 140,000 IHG Bonus Points After $3,000 in Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 10x Points at IHG Hotels and Resorts
- 5x Points on Travel, Dining, and Gas
- 3x Points on All Other Purchases
- IHG Platinum Elite Status
- Anniversary Free Night
- 4th Night Free on Awards
- Baggage and Trip Interruption/Cancellation Insurance
- Purchase Protection for 120 Days
- $99 Annual Fee
1. Welcome Offer of 140,000 IHG Points
The IHG® Rewards Premier allows new eligible cardholders to earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months of account opening.
2. Free Anniversary Hotel Night
One of the top benefits of the Chase IHG Rewards Premier card is the free night certificate for each card anniversary at a hotel worth up to 40,000 points.
Most 40,000-point hotels are worth at least $125+ per night, so this easily covers your $99 annual fee.
It’s also possible to top off your award using points so you can enjoy a more luxurious stay.
For example, you can redeem an extra 30,000 points to book a premium room costing 70,000 points with your free night certificate.
3. Platinum Elite Status
If you’re aiming for higher IHG elite status, getting the IHG Premier Card is the fastest route to obtaining Platinum Elite status.
IHG revamped its loyalty program, now called IHG One Rewards, to make your stays much more rewarding and enjoyable than ever.
Some of the premium perks Platinum elites receive include the following:
- 60% points bonus – You’ll earn 16 points per dollar at IHG hotels and 8 points per dollar at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites
- Complimentary upgrades – You can receive upgrades to suites and other better rooms.
- Reward night discounts – Platinum and Diamond elites get exclusive reward night discounts.
- Priority check-in – You can request to check in as early as 10 a.m.
- Late check-out – If you need more time to prepare for your next flight, you can request up to 2 p.m. late check-out.
- Milestone rewards – After earning 20 qualified nights, IHG lets you pick rewards you love the most for every 10 nights stayed until 100 nights. You can choose bonus points, food and beverage credits, confirmable suite upgrades, or even an annual lounge membership.
- Welcome amenity at check-in – Options include points, a drink, or a snack.
We have an ultimate guide that explains all the benefits of each IHG elite status if you want to learn more.
4. Fourth Hotel Night Free
You can get a fourth night free when booking a hotel stay of four nights or more with points. For example, if the hotel costs 25,000 points per night, and you are staying 4 nights, it would only be 75,000 points in total.
This is an amazing perk that you can use with no limit. You can even apply it when booking multiple rooms at a hotel.
5. 10X Points at IHG Hotels and Resorts
Cardholders earn 10 points per dollar spent at IHG Hotels and Resorts.
On top of that, IHG rewards you with up to 16 points for being an IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite member.
All of these total 26 points per dollar spent on IHG stays.
6. 5X Points on Travel, Dining, and Gas
The Premier Card features well-balanced bonus categories, earning 5 points for travel, food, and gas purchases.
7. 3X Points Everywhere Else
All other purchases earn you 3 points per dollar spent. This is a significant improvement compared to the card’s previous earning rate of 1 point per dollar, making the IHG Premier Card excellent for everyday spending.
8. $99 Annual Fee
The IHG Premier Card comes with a $99 yearly fee, which is easily justified by the anniversary free night certificate.
Plus, the complimentary Platinum Elite status, fourth-hotel-night-free perk, statement credits, and comprehensive travel insurance plans make the card well worth the annual cost.
9. Spend Your Way to Diamond Elite Status
The IHG Premier Card lets you reach top-tier status by spending $40,000 within a calendar year. Upon qualifying, your Diamond Elite status will remain valid until December 31 of the following year.
For example, if you obtain Diamond status in June 2022, you will stay a Diamond elite until December 31, 2023.
Diamond status boasts the best perks for IHG elites, including a 100% points bonus, an exclusive Hertz five-star status, a full hot breakfast as a welcome amenity, complimentary suite upgrades, and milestone rewards.
10. Up to $50 United Airlines TravelBank Cash Annually
IHG has partnered with United to offer up to $50 in United Airlines TravelBank Cash every year.
- You should register your IHG Premier Card with your United MileagePlus account to get the benefit.
- You’ll receive a $25 cash deposit in January and a second deposit in July per year.
- TravelBank Cash applies to United or United Express purchases only.
This is a nice perk that saves you money if you travel on United.
11. $100 Statement Credit and 10,000 Bonus Points
You’ll receive a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 in a calendar year and making one additional purchase.
12. Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus Statement Credit
You’ll receive up to $100 of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus credit every four years if you charge the membership fee to your Premier Card. You can pay for anybody’s membership fee and get a reimbursement as long as you use your card.
13. 20% Off Points Purchases
We generally don’t recommend purchasing points. But if you need more points for a reward night, IHG lets you buy points with a 20% discount with your Premier card. The maximum amount of IHG points you can purchase is 150,000 points per calendar year.
14. No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
15. Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Coverage for the Chase IHG Premier is $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip.
16. Travel Accident Insurance
Travel accident insurance pays out a specified benefit in the very unlikely scenario that you or your immediate family become severely injured, including dismemberment, loss of sight, hearing, or speech, or death due to a covered accident on a common carrier during your travels when purchased with this card.
17. Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
You can call the Benefit Administrator if you need help with travel assistance like legal and medical referrals when you’re miles away from home.
18. Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
The Chase IHG Premier will reimburse up to $100 per day for three days if you bag is delayed by more than six hours.
19. Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
The IHG Rewards Premier covers you up to $3,000 per person for each trip, including up to $500 per person for jewelry, cameras, and other electronic equipment.
20. Secondary Rental Car Insurance
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
21. Purchase Protection
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
22. Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
Advantages of the Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Offering a robust return on spending and solid perks, the IHG Premier Card is a lucrative earner and certainly a keeper.
Free Night Certificate and Fourth Night Free on Award Stays – The anniversary free night is the best advantage of having the card, and you can now top off your certificate with points to book a more expensive hotel. This free night certificate alone already offsets the $99 annual fee. Plus, you can save considerably on award redemptions with the fourth-night-free perk.
Automatic Platinum Elite Status – IHG’s reinvented hotel loyalty program is now more rewarding than ever, so getting the higher-tier Platinum Elite status is an outstanding benefit that can level up your hotel experience.
Up to 26 Points at IHG Properties and 5 Points in Well-Rounded Bonus Categories – You can earn 10 points on IHG stays when you pay with your card, plus 10 points as an IHG One Rewards member and 6 points as a Platinum Elite. The Premier Card also earns 5 points on travel, gas, and dining and 3 points everywhere else, so it’s great to use for everyday purchases.
Huge Welcome Bonus – You’ll get a sign-up bonus of 140,000 IHG points that you can redeem for free nights. These points easily get you two free nights at a higher-end hotel, and you can maximize your benefits with the fourth-night-free perk.
Up to $250 Credits – The IHG Premier Card gives you up to $100 of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus credit every four years plus $50 in United TravelBank Cash each year. On top of that, you’ll get a $100 statement credit and bonus points when you spend $20,000 on your card.
Extensive Travel Coverage – Insurance plans like trip cancellation, baggage delay, and purchase protection can save you from headaches in case unforeseen situations happen.
Disadvantages of the Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Less Flexible – The IHG Premier Card is fantastic for IHG loyalists. However, if you like to stay at different hotels, you may want to consider general travel rewards cards that offer better flexibility. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you transfer Chase points to IHG and various other airline and hotel transfer partners through the Ultimate Rewards program.
$99 Annual Fee – The card’s perks undoubtedly outweigh the annual cost, but the $99 fee can discourage those who don’t want a yearly commitment. If you’re looking for a zero-annual-fee card, the IHG Traveler Card is a good alternative. This no-annual-fee card doesn’t have an anniversary free night, but it comes with IHG Silver status and earns up to 17 points at IHG hotels and resorts and 3 points on monthly bills, gas, and dining.
The Verdict
Overall, the IHG Premier Card is definitely a must-have for most travelers, whether you’re a loyalist who frequents IHG properties or an occasional out-of-towner who books IHG stays several times a year.
IHG has a large global footprint with over 6,000 hotels and 17 brands across 100 countries worldwide, so you’ll likely find a hotel that fits your preferences wherever you go. You can book lavish stays at world-class InterContinental Hotels and Resorts or enjoy a family vacation at budget-friendly Holiday Inn resorts.
You can easily offset the $99 annual cost with the free night certificate, fourth night free on award stays, statement credits, sizeable welcome bonus, and a lot more.
This card is also the easiest shortcut to Platinum Elite status. And if you covet the top-tier status, the IHG Premier Card lets you spend your way to Diamond Elite status.
- Earn 140,000 IHG Bonus Points After $3,000 in Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 10x Points at IHG Hotels and Resorts
- 5x Points on Travel, Dining, and Gas
- 3x Points on All Other Purchases
- IHG Platinum Elite Status
- Anniversary Free Night
- 4th Night Free on Awards
- Baggage and Trip Interruption/Cancellation Insurance
- Purchase Protection for 120 Days
- $99 Annual Fee
