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Kliment Dukovski is a credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
Expert Review
Review by
Kliment Dukovski
If you often stay at Holiday Inn, InterContinental or any other hotel in the IHG portfolio, then getting the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is a no brainer. You can earn accelerated points on your IHG stays and on everyday purchases like gas and groceries. Also, earn a generous welcome offer worth several reward nights — plus every year on your card anniversary you get a reward night.
Expert review
If you often stay at Holiday Inn, InterContinental or any other hotel in the IHG portfolio, then getting the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is a no brainer. You can earn accelerated points on your IHG stays and on everyday purchases like gas and groceries. Also, earn a generous welcome offer worth several reward nights — plus every year on your card anniversary you get a reward night.
The perks
Reward points. Earn 25x points at IHG hotel stays and 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants. Earn 1x points on everything else you buy.
Signup bonus. Spend $3,000 on purchases within your first 3 months of card membership and earn 140,000 bonus points.
Anniversary Free Night. Get a reward night each year on your card anniversary in a hotel of 40,000 points redemption level or less.
Fourth reward night free. Redeem your points for four or more nights and get an additional reward night.
How much rewards can I earn with IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card?
Where you spend
How much you spend
Total points
IHG hotels
$6,000
150,000
Restaurants
$3,000
6,000
Gas stations
$3,000
6,000
Grocery stores
$3,000
6,000
Everything else
$3,000
3,000
Total
$18,000
171,000
If your annual spending looks similar to this and you clear the signup bonus, for the first year you would earn a total of 311,000 points. Depending on which hotel you redeem your points at, points can be worth up to 1 cent each. In this scenario, according to the IHG website as of January 2020, after you pay the annual fee, your rewards for the first year can be worth up to 31 nights. And if you redeem points for four consecutive nights, the fourth night is free and you can max out your reward nights to 38 for the first year.
From the second year, your 171,000 points would be worth up to 17 nights. And with the fourth-night-free perk and the anniversary night, you can max out your reward nights to 27.
How much do I have to spend to make the annual fee worth it?
You’ll have to pay an annual fee of $89. However, the reward night you get each year is enough to offset the fee.
You’ll also like …
Platinum Elite status. As long as you own the card and your account is in good standing, you’ll have a Platinum Elite status. This gives you extras like 50% more points on IHG stays and complimentary room upgrades.
No foreign transaction fee. You won’t pay any foreign transaction fees when using this card outside of the US.
$100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit. Once every four years get Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit when you pay for your application using your card.
What to watch out for
Annual fee. You’ll have to pay an $89 annual fee for the card. But this is easily offset by the reward night you get every year on your card anniversary.
Signup bonus eligibility. You can’t get the signup bonus if you already have this card or if you’ve owned it and received a signup bonus in the last two years. However, if you’ve used the old card or the IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card, you may be eligible to get the bonus.
Minimum credit line. Your credit line is determined by several factors, but the minimum you can get with this card is $2,000. This is low compared to similar hotel cards where the minimum is $5,000.
No intro APR period. This card has no intro APR period. If that’s what you’re looking for in a card, consider a 0% intro APR card.
To apply for the card, you must be a US citizen and at least 18 years.
In your application form, you need to provide your:
Full name, phone number and address.
Date of birth and Social Security number.
Annual income and source of income.
What credit score do I need?
You can apply with a good credit score of 670 or higher. As with most credit products, a higher credit score will likely get you a lower APR and a higher credit limit.
What do customers say about IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Satisfied cardmembers love the signup bonus, they love the earning rate and especially the $100 Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credit they get once every four years.
The Better Business Bureau rates JP Morgan Chase with an A+. Most complaints on the BBB website revolve around the bank’s poor customer service. If you’d like to avoid calling customer service, the IHG website has a comprehensive FAQ and virtual assistant.
How to apply for the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
How long will it take to get my IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card?
You can get a decision in less than a minute. If Chase requires additional information, you may have to wait up to 30 days.
Once approved, your card should arrive in seven to 10 business days.
I got the card. Now what?
Download Chase Mobile app. Monitor your account, pay your bills, send wire transfers, use Zelle to send money, find ATMs near you and more.
Download IHG: Hotel Deals & Rewards app. Get mobile exclusive rates, review and redeem your points and more.
Avoid interest. Your due date is at least 21 days after the close of each billing cycle. To avoid paying fees and high interest, pay your bill before it’s due.
Customer service. For questions call support at 800-432-3117 or check the FAQ on IHG’s website.
How do I redeem rewards from IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card?
Log in to your IHG® Rewards Club account to redeem your points. Your options include:
Hotel stays, starting from 10,000 points.
Combine points and cash toward reward nights.
Experiences, such as concerts, sporting events or vacations.
Travel redemption, including flights, hotels and car rentals.
Shopping.
Gift cards.
Digital rewards like ebooks, games and software.
Transfer points to another account.
Donate to charity.
Bottom line
The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card can be a great choice if you often stay at Holiday Inn, InterContinental or any other hotel under the IHG umbrella. With this card you earn accelerated points on IHG stays, at gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores. In addition, you get free night every year and if you redeem for four nights or more, you get another free night.
Yes. Visit our IHG promo codes page to find out the lasted deals.
You can earn 125 IHG reward points every day on qualifying rentals at participating AVIS and Budget locations. Also, you can buy points once you log in to your IHG account.
No, it’s a plastic card.
Yes, you can take advantage of baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection and trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Disclaimer
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
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