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IHG Rewards Premier Card Review: A Hotel Credit Card With Lots of Perks

Review Updated
Elizabeth Aldrich
By: Elizabeth Aldrich

Our Credit Cards Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Hotels are one of the biggest expenses when it comes to vacationing -- but with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card in your pocket, it won't take you long to get to a free hotel stay. This is a hotel credit card favorite for good reason: It comes with a generous sign-up bonus, a great rewards rate, and perks like hotel status and annual free nights. Discover all the travel benefits of this card in our IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card review.

Ratings Methodology

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$99

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 165,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earn 165,000 bonus points

  • This card has a very lucrative bonus you can earn after opening an account, and allows you to rack up tons of point on hotel stays.

    • Big sign-up bonus
    • Free night award
    • Automatic elite status
    • Bonus IHG® rewards
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • Annual fee
    • Limited Time Offer! Earn 165,000 Bonus Points
    • Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
    • Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
    • Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
    • Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
    • Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
    • IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
    • Member FDIC

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on travel purchases 		Up to $300 cash back Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 1.5% - 5% cash back Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for travel and points transfers 		60,000 bonus points Circle with letter I in it. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular: 21.49%-28.49% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Full IHG Rewards Premier Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Travelers who want to earn free nights and get special perks at IHG® hotels.

Top perks

140,000-point sign-up bonus

Spending at least $3,000 in the first 3 months will earn you 140,000 bonus points and a free night. This is a very competitive sign-up bonus for the annual fee.

Free night every anniversary

Every year on your card anniversary you'll be gifted a free night that can be used at any IHG® hotel that's worth 40,000 points per night or fewer.

Platinum Elite status

Cardholders are automatically upgraded to IHG® Rewards Club Platinum Elite status, which comes with a few useful perks. You'll get 20% off point purchases, the anniversary free night, and a fourth reward night free. The latter benefit gives you a free reward night every time you book an award stay of four nights or more.

No foreign transaction fees

For those who travel abroad frequently, it's important to have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card does not charge one.

What could be improved

Annual fee

The $99 annual fee is lower than many travel credit cards, but it's not waived the first year. The annual free night is offered as an incentive to keep the card and pay the fee, but because the annual free night can be redeemed only at hotels valued at 40,000 points or below, there is a limit to how much value you can get from it.

Transfer partners

If you're looking to redeem your points for something other than a stay at an IHG® hotel, you won't have much luck. While this credit card does offer plenty of options for transferring your points to various airlines, most of them transfer at a rate of 10,000 points for 2,000 miles, meaning even the 140,000-point sign-up bonus isn't enough for a round-trip flight on most airlines.

Low value points

While the sign-up bonus and rewards rate on this card are massive, the points you earn are worth less than most other hotel points. We calculate that IHG® points are worth $0.005 each on average.

Read more: Best Travel Cards With No Annual Fee

Find the best credit card for your needs

Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.

Compare Cards

Suggested credit score

Applicants with excellent credit (a FICO® Score of at least 670) have a great chance of approval for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

The IHG Rewards Premier Card is right for you if:

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is a very high-value card for people who stay in IHG® hotels regularly, and even for those who just want to travel more often and enjoy IHG® properties. Even though there's an annual fee, we calculate the sign-up bonus on this card to be worth at least $625 in hotel spending.

In addition, if you travel regularly, you'll still find the card worthwhile beyond the sign-up bonus. The Global Entry statement credit saves you $100 every four years. And the annual free night perk alone makes the annual fee worth it if you already have plans to stay in a qualifying IHG® hotel the following year.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • The minimum starting credit limit for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is $2,000. Credit limits vary depending on the applicant's creditworthiness, and some cardholders have reported much higher limits of $15,000 or more.

  • No, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card isn't free. It has a $99 annual fee.

  • No, points earned with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card don't expire as long as your card remains active. Cardholders are automatically upgraded to IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card status, and points don't expire when you have elite status. Without elite status, points would expire after 12 months of no account activity.

Our Credit Cards Expert

Elizabeth Aldrich
Elizabeth is a personal finance writer specializing in credit cards, debt repayment, and small business. Her work has appeared on The Motley Fool, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, and Business Insider. She’s an avid credit card points collector and perpetual traveler currently living in Costa Rica.