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IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card review
Earn accelerated points, hotel stays and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit.
finder.com’s rating: 4.6 / 5
★★★★★
- Get this card if you frequently stay at IHG hotels.
- Pick something else if you don’t want to pay an annual fee, or if you want an intro APR period.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
Up to 25x points total at IHG hotels, 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases
Rewards
$89
Annual fee
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Purchase APR
670
Minimum Credit Score
Details
| Annual fee | $89 |
|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Earn 125,000 bonus points + a Free Night after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening |
| Rewards | Up to 25x points total at IHG hotels, 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases |
| Purchase APR | 15.99% to 22.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 15.99% to 22.99% variable |
| Minimum Credit Score | 670 |
| Issuer | Mastercard |
Review by
Kliment Dukovski
kliment.dukovski@findercrew.comKliment Dukovski is an investments writer who has written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best financial options. 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
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.
Finder experts pick IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card as a 2021 best product for credit cards.
How to apply for the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
To apply for the card, you must be a US citizen and at least 18 years.
- Learn more about how to apply for IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.
- Fill out the application form with all of the required details, including your personal and income information.
- Review your application and submit it.
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.
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.
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card benefits
- 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 125,000 bonus points and one Free Night. This is worth at least $900 according to our May 2021 valuations.
- 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.
- 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.
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card drawbacks
- Annual fee. You’ll pay an $89 annual fee for the card starting the second year. 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 Premier 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.
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 321,000 points. Depending on which hotel you redeem your points at, points can be worth up to 0.7 cents each. In this scenario, according to the IHG website as of April 2021, your rewards for the first year can be worth up to 25 nights. And if you redeem points for four consecutive nights, the fourth night is free and you can max out your reward nights to 31 for the first year.
From the second year, your 171,000 points would be worth up to 14 nights. And with the fourth-night-free perk and the anniversary night, you can max out your reward nights to 17.
How much do I have to spend to make the annual fee worth it?
You’ll have to pay an annual fee of $89 starting the second year. However, the reward night you get each year is enough to offset the fee.
Compare travel rewards credit cards
If this card isn’t right for you, compare other travel rewards credit cards on the market. Consider factors such as where you travel most, what airlines you use and which hotels you tend to stay at. Also consider the annual fee of the card and the rewards it has to offer.
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card reviews and complaints.
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.
As of December 2021, the Better Business Bureau rates JP Morgan Chase with an C+, though Chase is not accredited with the bureau. 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.
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.
Not certain whether this could be a great card for you? Look into other travel credit cards and compare your options.
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card: What’s changed?
| 05/13/2021 | Old: Earn 125,000 bonus points plus a Reward Night after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening | New: Earn 125,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. |
Credit card ratings
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★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
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