IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card review

Finder experts pick IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card as a 2021 best product for credit cards.

How to apply for IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card

1. Learn more about how to apply for IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card.
2. Complete the application form with information such as your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, contact information and total annual income.
3. Review your details and submit your application.

What credit score do I need?

Consider applying for this card with a good to excellent credit score of 670 and higher.

IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card benefits

• No annual fee. You won’t pay anything to own the card.
• No foreign transaction fees. You won’t pay transaction fees on purchases made abroad.
• Signup bonus. Spend $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to earn 120,000 bonus points. At the time of this writing, we peg each IHG point at a value of $0.50 cents each. That means 120,000 points are worth $600 — impressive for a no-annual-fee card and superior to what you’ll find with similar hotel cards.
• Up to 17x total points at IHG hotels. At our current valuation, 17x points at IHG hotels means you’re effectively earning a 8.5% reward rate. If you’re a loyal IHG customer looking for a no-annual-fee card, that’s a great deal. In other categories, the card’s rewards are nothing to write home about: 3x points on monthly bills, gas stations and restaurants translates to a 1.5% reward rate. That’s disappointing, considering specialized cards offer much higher rates and even flat-rate cashback cards offer better rewards. And the base 2x-point tier is anemic, offering just a 0.5% reward rate.
• Gold Elite status each calendar year you spend $10,000 on purchases. This level comes with certain benefits not available to the basic Club Member tier. Here are a few perks it offers that you won’t find with normal Club Member status: Extended checkout, priority check-in, welcome amenity, a $10 credit valid at the hotel’s restaurant bar or your in-room bar during an eligible stay, one free Amazon Kindle eBook per quarter, 10% bonus earnings for base points and your points won’t expire
• Purchase and travel protections. Many card providers cut these benefits, but Chase offers an impressive suite of protections with the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card. With this card, you can get: purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, travel accident insurance, travel and emergency assistance services, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay reimbursement and auto rental collision damage waiver.
• Fourth reward night free. Take advantage of this feature when you use points to book a stay at an eligible IHG hotel.

Where will I earn x points with the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card?

You’ll earn this rewards rate when you spend at these properties:

• InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
• InterContinental Alliance Resorts
• Crowne Plaza
• Hotel Indigo
• Holiday Inn
• Holiday Inn Express
• Holiday Inn Resort
• Holiday Inn Club Vacations
• Staybridge Suites
• Candlewood Suites
• EVEN Hotels
• Hualuxe

IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card drawbacks

• Gold Elite status requires a $10,000 spend. No-annual-fee cards from other hotel chains often give you elite status without a spend requirement.
• Strong rewards only at IHG properties. If you don’t stay at IHG properties much, consider another travel credit card.
• Fourth-night-free benefit applies only to Reward Nights. You need enough points to redeem for a stay longer than four nights.

Customer reviews and complaints

Some consumers mention Chase’s 5/24 rule, which means the provider automatically denies your application if you’ve opened five cards within the last 24 months. Customers commonly say you’re better off filling one of those five slots with the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card instead.

Other consumers warn that IHG’s PointBreaks program — through which you can book nights for as little as 5,000 points each — often include a disappointing array of properties.

JPMorgan Chase Credit Card is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but it has an C+ rating from the agency. According to the BBB, this rating indicates that Chase offers customer support to its customers.

The bank’s customer rating averages at 1.6 out of 5 stars. Some customers cite unexpected account closures, unfulfilled signup bonuses and unhelpful customer support.

Compare hotel credit cards

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Name	Product	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
The World of Hyatt Credit Card		30,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus 2x instead of 1x points on up to $15,000 (up to 30,000 more points) in the first 6 months	9x total points at Hyatt hotels as a World of Hyatt member, 2x on gyms, commuting, dining and airlines and 1x on all other purchases	$95		Earn 30,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus earn 2x instead of 1x points on up to $15,000 (up to 30,000 more points) in the first 6 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card		Earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening	Earn up to 17 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.	$0		Earn 120,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card		Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening	Up to 26x points total at IHG hotels, 5x points on travel, gas stations and restaurants and 3x points on all other purchases	$99		Earn 140,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Bottom line

The IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card offers attractive rewards on IHG spending. However, it’s stingy on status bumps, and you’ll find better rewards elsewhere in non-IHG categories. Its sibling card, the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card, is a much better choice. However, if you get the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card, you can always upgrade to its sibling card by calling the number on the back of your card.

If you’re not sure this card is right for you, consider other hotel credit cards.