Sign-up bonuses, fees and credits change often — confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before you apply.
IHG runs 6,000+ hotels — Holiday Inn and Candlewood on the mass end, InterContinental, Kimpton, Six Senses and Regent at the top — and the IHG One Rewards Premier Card (issued by Chase) is one of the best-value hotel cards for its ~$99 fee, built for IHG guests who want a free night and Platinum status cheaply. IHG points are cheap (we peg them at 0.6¢), but this card bundles an anniversary free night, automatic Platinum Elite, and the standout 4th-award-night-free perk that quietly discounts every points stay by 25%.
Advertiser disclosure: we may be compensated when you're approved through our links. It doesn't affect our editorial take. Terms apply — see the issuer's Rates & Fees.
Quick answer
- Best for: IHG guests who want a free night and Platinum status cheaply
- Annual fee: ~$99 — an anniversary free night (up to 40,000 points, top-ups allowed) covers it
- Welcome bonus: 180,000 points after $3,000 spend in 3 months, +10,000 for adding an authorized user; limited-time offer ends 18 November 2026 (verify current offer)
- Key benefit: automatic Platinum Elite while you hold the card, plus the 4th-reward-night-free perk that knocks 25% off every 4+ night award stay
- Earning: up to 26x at IHG, 5x travel, gas & dining, 3x everything else; points worth ~0.6¢ each at our valuation
- Skip it if: you don't want a fee (the $0 Traveler has 4th-night-free but no free night), or per-point value matters more — look at the World of Hyatt card
Free tool: find the credit card that earns the most for how you spend, and track every statement credit at kritdeals.com/points-path, or in the free KritDeals app for iPhone and Android.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | ~$99 (verify current offer) |
| Sign-up bonus | 180,000 points after $3,000 spend in 3 months on the Premier, +10,000 for adding an authorized user (Traveler: 125,000 after $2,000, +10,000); limited-time offers end 18 November 2026 |
| Bonus value | ~$1,080 (Premier) / ~$750 (Traveler) at our 0.6¢ valuation, before the authorized-user bonus |
| Best for | IHG guests who want a free night + Platinum status cheaply |
| Points earned | IHG One Rewards |
| Points worth | 0.6¢ each (our valuation) |
| Key perk/status boost | Anniversary free night (up to 40,000 points) + automatic Platinum Elite |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Card network | Mastercard (issued by Chase) |
Apply now → see the current offer
What the points are worth
We value IHG One Rewards points at 0.6¢ each. Like Hilton, IHG prices awards dynamically, so there's no chart to exploit — but you earn points in bulk (up to ~26x on IHG stays once card, status and base member earning stack), and one card perk turns every award stay into a deal.
CPP formula: (cash − taxes) ÷ points × 100 = ¢ per point.
Worked example — an InterContinental over-water villa at $1,200/night, 70,000 points: a single night is (1,200 − 0) ÷ 70,000 × 100 = 1.71¢. Now apply the card's 4th-night-free perk to a 4-night stay: you pay 3 × 70,000 = 210,000 points for $4,800 of rooms → 4,800 ÷ 210,000 × 100 = 2.29¢/point — nearly 4x baseline. See our full InterContinental over-water villa on points write-up.
These are IHG-only points — they don't transfer to airlines. IHG is fed by Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1) if you ever need to top off an award — a Chase Sapphire Preferred makes a natural partner.
Expiry: points expire after ~12 months of no account activity — but elite members are exempt, and since the card grants Platinum Elite, holding it keeps your points alive indefinitely.
Earning rates
| Rate | Category |
|---|---|
| up to 26x | IHG hotels (10x card + up to 10x Platinum bonus + base member earning) |
| 5x | Travel, gas stations & dining |
| 3x | Everything else |
Even at 0.6¢/point, up to 26x at IHG = an effective ~15% back in points on your hotel bill, and the flat 3x on all other spend is strong for a hotel card.
Benefits & credits
- Anniversary free night each account anniversary, valid at properties pricing up to 40,000 points. Unlike some competitors, IHG lets you top up the certificate with your own points to book a higher-priced night — so the 40,000 cap is a floor, not a ceiling. A Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza pricing $200/night easily covers the ~$99 fee twice over; use the cert at a nicer property and it's pure profit. Free nights expire ~12 months after issue and require standard-room award availability.
- Automatic Platinum Elite the whole time you hold the card — room upgrades when available, welcome amenity, late checkout, and a points bonus on paid stays.
- 4th reward night free: on any award stay of 4+ nights, IHG rebates the points for every 4th night. It's the reason IHG award value beats its 0.6¢ baseline — it silently knocks 25% off every longer points booking.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit (up to ~$100 every four years).
- Up to $50 United TravelBank Cash each calendar year on the Premier, issued as two $25 deposits — registration required (verify current terms).
- Bonus points and an anniversary reward on high spend (verify current thresholds).
- No foreign transaction fees — use it abroad freely.
Best uses
- Anniversary night as fee offset. The free night at a Crowne Plaza pricing $220/night: that's $220 of hotel for $0, clearing the ~$99 fee with room to spare in year one.
- Long luxury award, milked with 4th-night-free. A Six Senses or InterContinental at $1,000/night, 65,000 points. Book 4 nights: pay 3 × 65,000 = 195,000 points for $4,000 of rooms → 4,000 ÷ 195,000 × 100 = 2.05¢/point, and the resort experience is included.
- Top-up the free night. Your certificate caps at 40,000, but the property prices at 55,000. Add 15,000 of your own points and you've stretched the cert onto a much nicer night — a flexibility Marriott's free nights don't offer.
Who should get it
Get the IHG One Rewards Premier if you stay at IHG hotels even a few nights a year, want automatic Platinum status, and would use a free night that pays the fee plus the 4th-night-free discount on longer trips. It's one of the cheapest ways to hold real hotel status.
- Good alternative: IHG One Rewards Traveler — IHG earning and 4th-night-free without an annual fee.
- Good alternative: World of Hyatt card — if per-point value matters more than IHG's giant footprint.
The no-fee alternative: IHG One Rewards Traveler
Don't want the fee? The IHG One Rewards Traveler Card ($0 annual fee) earns well (elevated points at IHG, plus bonus categories on travel, gas, dining and streaming), gives a lower automatic status and a fourth-night-free perk on award stays — but no anniversary free night. Its current offer is 125,000 points after $2,000 (+10,000 for an authorized user). It's a fine keeper once you've held the Premier, or a low-commitment entry point. There's also an IHG One Rewards Premier Business card with its own free night for business spenders.
Fine print worth knowing
- Chase 5/24: this is a Chase card — 5+ new cards across all issuers in 24 months usually means a denial. Check your count first.
- IHG's dynamic pricing means award costs move with demand; there's no chart, so compare cash-vs-points on every booking.
- The anniversary free night and 4th-night-free apply to standard-room awards subject to availability.
- Points expire after ~12 months of no account activity — elite members (including cardholders, via Platinum Elite) are exempt.
Bottom line
The IHG Premier is a quiet overachiever: a low fee, a free night that beats it, automatic Platinum, and a 4th-night-free perk that makes IHG's cheap points redeem for far more than 0.6¢ on any stay of four nights or more. Feed it from Chase Ultimate Rewards and it slots neatly into a broader points strategy.
Apply now → see the current offer
Note: Sign-up bonuses and benefits change. Always confirm current terms on the issuer's site before applying.
FAQ
Can I use the free night at a hotel that costs more than 40,000 points? Yes. IHG lets you top up the certificate with your own points — a property pricing 55,000 needs 15,000 of your own points on top.
How does the 4th night free work? On any award stay of 4+ nights, IHG rebates the points for every 4th night — a 25% discount on longer points bookings. It applies to standard-room awards subject to availability.
Do IHG points expire? After ~12 months of no account activity, but elite members are exempt — and since the card grants Platinum Elite, holding it keeps your points alive indefinitely.
Can I transfer points into IHG? Yes, Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to IHG 1:1, so a Chase Sapphire card can top off an award. IHG points don't transfer to airlines.
Is this card subject to Chase's 5/24 rule? Yes — 5+ new cards across all issuers in 24 months usually means a denial.
