Chase just rolled out some of the best offers we've ever seen on its pair of personal IHG co-branded credit cards. With these new offers, you can earn five free nights (worth up to 60,000 points each) or 120,000 points depending on which version of the card you go with.
Here's how the bonuses shake out:
- *ihg rewards club premier*: bonus_miles_full
- *ihg one rewards traveler*: bonus_miles_full
Either of these cards would be a good choice for even occasional travelers, as there are tons of IHG properties throughout the world. Putting these big welcome bonuses to good use shouldn't be any trouble at all.
With valuable perks like IHG Platinum Elite status, an annual free night award (for hotels costing up to 40,000 points each night), up to $50 a year in United TravelBank credit, and a fourth-night free benefit on award stays, there's a lot to like about these cards.
Read on for everything you need to know about Chase's IHG credit cards and these exciting new bonus offers.
Full Benefits of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- bonus_miles_full
- Earn 5x points per dollar spent on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants
- Earn 3x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Free night award certificate starting in your second year of card membership
- Link your United MileagePlus account and get up to $50 of United TravelBank cash each calendar year.
- Receive 10,000 IHG bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Automatic IHG Platinum Elite status
- IHG Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 and making one additional purchase each calendar year
- Up to a $120 statement credit for NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck
- Get your fourth night free when booking with points
- $99 Annual Fee
Learn more about the *ihg rewards club premier*.
Full Benefits on the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- bonus_miles_full
- Earn 3x points per dollar spent on utilities, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services purchases
- 3x points per dollar spent at gas stations & restaurants
- 2x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Automatic IHG Silver Elite status
- Receive 10,000 IHG bonus points after spending $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Get your fourth night free when booking with points
- No Annual Fee
Learn more about the *ihg traveler*.
Who Are These Cards Good For?
The *ihg premier* offers a solid list of benefits for a card with an annual fee under $100. With hotel rates rising, the big bonus and the annual free night certificate you get just for holding the card (starting in your second full year with the card) could easily make this one a keeper for many travelers. That, coupled with the IHG Platinum Elite status and semi-annual United TravelBank Credit, should make the IHG Premier card the easy choice for most despite the $99 annual fee.
Still, with the *ihg traveler* you're getting a no-annual fee hotel card that will help you stretch your points further by offering a fourth-night free benefit on award stays. This benefit alone can make the card worth having in the long run.
They're both compelling cards for any traveler with an eye on IHG properties and an especially great fit for families who take a yearly road trip – or even those looking for a beachside vacation. Because of IHG's vast footprint, you shouldn't have any issue using these free nights or points no matter where your travels take you.
How Good Are These Offers?
With the current offer on the *ihg rewards club premier*, you could turn those five free night awards into a pretty lavish vacation without much work. Just know, that unlike the annual free night certificate you get each year upon renewing your card, the free nights that come with this offer can't be topped off with extra IHG points. But since these free nights have a higher cap at 60,000 points each, you should have a lot more options when you go to redeem them.
Take Cancun, for example: This tourist hotspot is known for its all-inclusive mega resorts and party vibes. But there are a handful of luxury hotels, like the Intercontinental Presidente, sprinkled in as well. Nights at this high-end property don't come cheap, regularly clocking in at $400 or more.
If you opted to use points instead, you'd be on the hook for nearly 54,000 points per night at this property. But since the current offer comes with five free nights (up to 60,000 points each), instead of the usual point bonus, you could book a five-night stay next January for nothing out-of-pocket and save nearly $2,000 in the process.
If you're prefer the flexibility of points, there's nothing wrong with the bonus on the no-annual fee *ihg traveler*, either.
Let's say you wanted to trade turkey for tan lines and book a four-night stay on Honolulu's famous Waikiki Beach over Thanksgiving. If you used cash for a stay at the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki, it would cost $235 per night – nearly $1,000 in total. Yikes!
But instead, you could book that exact same hotel for just 39,000 IHG points per night.
Consider this: After spending the $2,000 required to earn the bonus on the IHG Traveler Card, you'd have over 124,000 IHG points. With IHG's fourth-night-free benefit factored in, you'd have more than enough points to cover four nights at this property since the last night is literally free!
These are just a couple of example of how to use your points – and you could easily get more (or less) value out of them by cherry-picking where you stay. But at the end of the day, there is definitely value to be had within the IHG program and these new bonuses specifically.
Read more: What are points and miles worth?
Our Analysis
We've said it before and we'll say it again: There's value to be had with the IHG program and these are great offers on both the *IHG Premier* and the no-annual-fee *IHG Traveler*.
Both of these cards were revamped in recent years and perhaps the best new benefit is how the anniversary free night certificate you'll receive in your second year with the Premier card works. For years, IHG Anniversary Free Night certificates had been capped for properties costing 40,000 points. You get one of these certificates each year you renew your card, starting in year two.
Now, IHG One Rewards Premier cardholders can add an unlimited amount of IHG Rewards points to redeem those certificates at hotels above the 40,000-point redemption limit. That means you could book a 50,000-point-per-night award stay using a certificate and kicking in another 10,000 points. Or put in another 30,000 points to book a 70,000-point award stay.
For example, you'd only need to add an extra 4,000 IHG points to your reservation to get a free night at the InterContinental Sydney. Saving hundreds of dollars on your hotel bookings could be a great way to use your annual free night certificate.
Add in the Premier card's annual $50 United TravelBank cash you'll get each year, and we think it's a no-brainer as that alone can easily wipe out half of your annual fee.
It’s important to note that Chase’s 5/24 rule does apply to these cards. If you have opened more than five credit cards from any bank (not just Chase) in the last 24 months, you will not be eligible for card approval.
Read More: Master Guide to Credit Card Applications: All the Rules You Need to Know, Bank by Bank
Bottom Line
Chase and IHG are out with their best offer of the year on both the *IHG Premier* and the no-annual-fee *IHG Traveler*.
In addition to all those free nights (or points), these cards include added benefits like elite status, an annual free night certificate, and even United Travel Bank credit, making them worth having and holding for the long run.
Learn more about the *ihg rewards club premier*.
Learn more about the *ihg traveler*.
I spent $20000. Already see the 10000 bonus points but haven’t received the $100 statement credit. How long does it take to receive it? Who do you contact to find out why I haven’t received it?
My husband wants to get this card. He applied for another Chase card this month already. Since this offer end 9/27, would he be eligible to apply now?
I’m not eligible.