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

Review Updated
Elizabeth Aldrich
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 that our product ratings are not 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.

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.
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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.
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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

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

20.74% - 27.74% 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.

N/A

Annual Fee

$99

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Earn 140,000 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
    • Earn 140,000 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 ($120 starting 10/1/24) 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.
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Best for cash back on rotating categories
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 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.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

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.
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Best for cash rewards on everyday spending
$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 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.
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Best for unlimited rewards on purchases
25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

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

5 free nights-point sign-up bonus

Spending at least $4,000 in the first 3 months will earn you 5 free nights 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 5 free nights-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
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Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.

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 Motley Fool Money, 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 Motley Fool Money 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.