IHG Hotels
If you’ve been holding off on applying for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , now might be the perfect time to go for it. Even though we’ve seen better offers in the past, the slew of benefits make it a card to snag and hold onto for years to come.
Right now, new IHG One Rewards Premier card holders can earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Those bonus points are worth as much as $700 toward IHG hotels worldwide, according to the valuations of frequent-flyer site?The Points Guy, then add in another $100 in statement credits and the full bonus is worth up to $800. Plus, thanks to the IHG One Rewards Premier?card’s perks, having it in your wallet year-after-year can easily be worth the $99 annual fee.
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Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel?
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO? credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
IHG Premier credit card benefits
Although the IHG One Rewards Premier might not be the credit card you use for your everyday purchases, it’s a card that can save you a boatload of money — and points — throughout the year thanks to all its perks and benefits, both in your first year as a card holder and beyond. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
Annual free night award
Starting with your second year as an IHG One Rewards Premier card holder you’ll receive a free night award annually on each card holder anniversary. This free night certificate can be redeemed for a one-night stay at any IHG property that costs up to 40,000 points.
However, you can “top off” your IHG free night certificate by using points from your account. So if you have your eye on a hotel that costs 60,000 points per night, you can apply the certificate and redeem an extra 20,000 points. The certificate can be used at any IHG in the world, including Holiday Inns, Kimpton Hotels, InterContinental Hotels and many others.
Depending on the time of year, some notable properties where these certificates can be redeemed without having to use any additional points include the InterContinental Hotel Lisbon, the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa and the Hotel Indigo San Diego Del Mar.
The anniversary certificate expires a year after it’s deposited into your account — which means within a few weeks from your card anniversary date (or after meeting your minimum spend requirement in the case of the current welcome offer). This means you must travel by this date, not simply book by this date.
Fourth night free
The IHG One Rewards Premier card gets you a fourth night free on all IHG point reservations. That means when booking your stay, fourth night of your stay will automatically be zeroed out. This is a huge discount, and even with just one four-night stay a year, you can save thousands of IHG points.
For example, let’s say you find a property that typically costs 40,000 points per night during your ideal travel dates. Instead of spending 160,000 points for the stay, you’ll only have to redeem 120,000 points for that same exact reservation — a 25% savings.
You can even use this discount multiple times on long stays. So, an eight-night stay would receive two nights free if you’re paying with points.
Automatic IHG Platinum status
IHG One Rewards Premier credit card holders automatically receive complimentary IHG Platinum elite status. Although IHG Platinum status isn’t the best hotel status around, having some sort of elite status when you walk in the front door of a hotel is better than no status at all.
One of the main benefits of holding IHG Platinum status is that your points will never expire. Typically, IHG points expire if there’s no account activity within a 12-month time frame. IHG is very strict with this policy, so not having to worry about your points expiring is a great benefit.
Additionally, IHG One Rewards Premier card holders have the opportunity to earn IHG’s top-tier Diamond elite status. By spending $40,000 on purchases in a calendar year on the card and making one additional purchase after that, you’ll be able to reap IHG Diamond benefits, including a 100% bonus on points earned on IHG stays, complimentary upgrades (subject to availability) and a welcome amenity (which includes complimentary breakfast at select properties).
Earn bonus points at IHG properties and elsewhere
You’ll earn a whopping 10 points for every dollar you spend on the IHG Premier at IHG hotels, along with 5 points per dollar on purchases at gas stations, travel and on dining, as well as 3 points per dollar on all other purchases.
While the number of points you’ll earn for your IHG stays with the IHG One Rewards Premier is better than any other credit card out there, you can probably get more rewards in the other bonus categories and on everyday purchases with a different card.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve? earns 3 points on travel (or 5 total points on flights and 10 total points on hotels and car rentals if booked through Ultimate Rewards) and 3 points for every dollar you spend on dining. But based on the point valuations of The Points Guy, Chase points are worth at least four times as much as IHG points, and possibly even more depending on how you use them.
Since IHG points are only worth 0.5 cents apiece according to The Points Guy, you’re getting a 12.5% return on spending at IHG hotels with the IHG One Rewards Premier card, but only a 1.5% return on your non-category bonus purchases.
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit
When you apply for the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS trusted traveler programs, just pay with your IHG One Rewards Premier card and your application fee up to $100 will be reimbursed in full. The TSA PreCheck program gets you through TSA security faster at US airports, while Global Entry expedites going through immigration when you return to the US from being overseas. NEXUS also includes expedited entry into Canada.
Even if you already have one of these memberships, you can always use your IHG One Rewards Premier to pay for a friend or family member’s application fee and you’ll still receive the reimbursement — the name on the application doesn’t need to match the name on the credit card. And you can receive this fee reimbursement once every four years.
United TravelBank cash
Another benefit of the IHG One Rewards Premier is up to $50 in United TravelBank cash each calendar year. This TravelBank cash can be used toward air travel purchases on United and United Express flights. You can get up to $25 in credits every six months, with the first set starting around Jan. 1 each year and a second set around July 1 each year.
Deposits made in the first half of the year will expire on July 15, and the ones made in the second half will expire on Jan. 15 of the next year, so you won’t be able to just bank these credits for the long term. But as long as you typically fly United at least twice a year, this is an easy way to offset your annual fee.
10,000 bonus points and $100 statement credit
Additionally, with the IHG One Rewards Premier, you’ll have the opportunity to earn 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase on the card each calendar year.
However, we don’t necessarily recommend putting that much spending on this card since you can earn more rewards with other credit cards, including other travel credit cards. But if you’re strongly committed to IHG, then it’s a nice extra bonus for using the card regularly.
Should you apply for the IHG Premier credit card?
If you don’t spend a lot of time at IHG hotels, the IHG One Rewards Premier card might not be right for you, since you won’t be able to take advantage of its best benefits and perks.
But between its benefits and welcome bonus, the?IHG One Rewards Premier?card?is worth a look for even occasional IHG travelers. In the first year alone, you’ll end up with 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. As an ongoing benefit, you’ll also then be eligible for a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck?or NEXUS application fee reimbursement and up to $50 in United TravelBank credit per year.
So, if you’re planning to travel this year and expect to have at least two or more stays at an IHG hotel, the sweet haul of bonus points from the IHG One Rewards Premier credit card can get you well on your way.
All information about IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines, hotel chain, or other commercial entity and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of such entities.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended and should not be understood to constitute financial, investment, insurance or legal advice. All individuals are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified financial professional before making any financial, insurance or investment decisions.
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