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IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card review
Last updated:
Get up to 15x points on IHG hotel purchases, coming to 10.5% back in IHG redemption.
finder.com’s rating: 4.5 / 5
★★★★★
- Get this card if you’re a frequent IHG guest and want a no-annual-fee card.
- Pick the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card if you want to get the highest value.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
60,000
Points as welcome offer
Up to 15x
Points
$0
Annual fee
15.99% to 22.99%
Purchase APR (variable)
Details
| Annual fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Welcome Offer | 60,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months |
| Rewards | 15x total points 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 |
| Recommended minimum credit score | 670 |
| Issuer | Mastercard |
Expert review
Review by
Kevin Joey Chen
kevin.chen@findercrew.comKevin Joey Chen is a credit cards, banking and investments writer whose work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Business.com, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com. He's passionate about helping you get your finances in order by expertly navigating cutting-edge financial tools — including credit cards, apps and budgeting software.
Expert review
The IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card comes with 15 points per dollar spent on purchases at IHG locations. With a value of 0.7 cents per point, this comes out at 10.5% back in value, which is massive for a no-annual-fee card.
What’s more, you get to earn a generous signup bonus worth up to $420 in redemption value. There’s no other no-annual-fee hotel card that can match both the rewards rate and the signup bonus of this card. On top of that, you get a fourth night free when you redeem your points for four or more hotel stays.
On the downside, you don’t get an elite status right away as a cardmember. you have to spend $10,000 in one year to earn Gold status. Other no-annual-fee hotel cards come with Silver status.
Considering you don’t pay an annual fee for the card and you get generous rewards, this is an excellent card to consider. But if you want to get even more value on your IHG stays, consider the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card. For $89 a year, you’ll find lots of bang for your buck, including automatic Platinum Elite status, a free night after every card anniversary and even higher rewards rate on IHG spending.
Finder experts pick IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card as a 2021 best product for credit cards.
How to apply for IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
- Learn more about how to apply for IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card.
- Complete the application form with information such as your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, contact information and total annual income.
- 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 Club 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 60,000 bonus points. At the time of this writing, we peg each IHG point at a value of 0.7 cents each. That means 60,000 points are worth $420 — impressive for a no-annual-fee card and superior to what you’ll find with similar hotel cards.
- Up to 15x total points at IHG hotels. At our current valuation, 15x points at IHG hotels means you’re effectively earning a 10.5% 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: 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants translates to a 1.4% reward rate. That’s disappointing, considering specialized cards offer much higher rates and even flat-rate cashback cards offer better rewards. And the base 1x-point tier is anemic, offering just a 0.7% 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 andyour 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 Club 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 5x points with the IHG® Rewards Club 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 Club 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 Club 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 A+ 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 out of 5 stars. Some customers cite unexpected account closures, unfulfilled signup bonuses and unhelpful customer support.
Compare hotel credit cards
Bottom line
The IHG® Rewards Club 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 Club Premier Credit Card, is a much better choice. However, if you get the IHG® Rewards Club 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.
Credit card ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
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