Confirmed by multiple sources and the updated terms, this card’s annual fee will increase to $99. Benefits are not changing. However, the change starts on April 1 of next year. If your 2027 annual fee date is before April 1, 2027, then you will not be charged the new $99 annual fee until 2028. I just wish the free night certificate it gives could be topped up.

【5/14 Update】According to MilesToMemories, cardholders of this old card will receive a link to upgrade to the new version of the IHG Premier Credit Card. After upgrading and making one purchase, you can earn 5,000 IHG points. The upgrade must be completed by June 30. The biggest advantages of the new card over the old card are that IHG purchases earn 10x and award stays get a fourth night free, which is equivalent to 25% off. The advantages of the old card are its annual fee being $40 lower—the new card is $89—and the 10% rebate on award stays. In addition, after upgrading, I suspect your next IHG free night certificate will become a restricted free night certificate that can only be used at IHG hotels costing 40,000 points or less. You can decide whether to upgrade based on your own situation. Personally, I will not upgrade. Rather than upgrading, I would rather apply for another IHG Premier Credit Card and also earn the 85,000-point welcome bonus.

Image from MilesToMemories

【5/4 Update】IHG’s Twitter account announced some good news: free night certificates earned by existing cardholders before May 2019 will still have no category restriction and can be used at any IHG hotel worldwide. Since this card could not be applied for after May 2018, new applicants can still get one unrestricted free night certificate after paying the annual fee in the second year. Take advantage of this final opportunity and stay at InterContinental hotels in major cities while you can.

Chase IHG Co-Branded Credit Card Review

Application Link

No longer available

Basic Features

  • Welcome bonus: 60,000 IHG Points (spend 1,000 in three months) + 5,000 (add an authorized user)
  • Earn IHG Points on purchases: 5x points/$ on IHG purchases; 2x at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations; 1x on all other purchases
  • Point redemptions: can be redeemed directly for IHG hotel stays
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $49 annual fee (waived for the first year)

Highlights

  • 1 free night certificate every year, great value to keep: This card gives one free night each year at an IHG hotel of any category. In popular destinations, you can get up to $400 in value at InterContinental hotels. The annual fee is only $49, making it genuinely great value to keep.
  • Points Break redemptions can be an excellent deal: Each quarter, IHG releases a batch of hotels where a night can be redeemed for as few as 5,000 points, which is like paying $30 for one night. Sometimes even top-tier InterContinental hotels appear on the list, and if one fits your plans, it is an outstanding deal. Points Break introduction
  • 10% rebate on point redemptions: After you hold this credit card, all IHG point redemption activities are eligible for a 10% rebate, such as redeeming for hotel stays, transferring to airline miles, or redeeming for elite status.
  • Complimentary IHG Platinum status: Enjoy IHG hotel benefits such as bonus points on stays and room upgrades. You can also get an extra discount on gas through Fuel Rewards.
  • Authorized user bonus: Add an authorized user to this card and make one purchase to earn an extra 5,000-point bonus. For more on authorized users, see: Complete Guide to Authorized Users on Credit Cards

Drawbacks

  • IHG points are worth only 0.6 cents each, so this card is not suitable as an everyday spending card.

Introduction to IHG Points

  • Point value: The average value is 0.5 c/p, so 100 IHG = $0.5 (Points Value and Analysis). In other words, a hotel night worth $50 would generally require about 10k IHG points.
  • How to redeem: You can search and book directly on IHG.com. Hotels are divided into 11 award tiers, with redemption rates ranging from 10k to 70k points. Cash + Points redemptions are also available. If you have the IHG Premier credit card, when redeeming points for three consecutive nights, you can get the fourth night free. That means four nights cost only 75% of the points normally required.
  • Point expiration: If there is no activity in your IHG account for 12 months, your points will expire. If you hold a co-branded credit card or have IHG Gold status or higher, your points will not expire.
  • My take: If you want to get strong value from IHG points, they are often best used for hotels near major attractions or during special high-demand periods, such as New Year’s Eve in Times Square, New York. IHG’s strength is its broad footprint and large number of properties across the U.S., so it is usually easy to put your points to use.
  • Related credit cards: Chase IHG Premier, Chase IHG Rewards Club (older version)
  • Detailed analysis: Introduction to IHG Points and Elite Status

My Take

This card is truly a high-value hotel card. The annual free night certificate is enough to cover the modest annual fee ($49). Add in the 10% rebate on award stays, and for people who like to travel, there is basically no reason not to have this card. IHG also has a broad footprint with properties across high-, mid-, and low-end segments, so you do not need to worry about having no place to use IHG points. Paired with IHG Points Break, the points can be even more valuable!

Matching the Welcome Bonus (YMMV)

According to Chase’s welcome bonus matching policy, welcome bonuses other than targeted offers can be matched. So when you apply, you can choose the offer that best fits your needs. If you later decide you want another offer, you can also contact Chase to change it to the other one.

A reader previously applied for the 60,000-point offer and successfully matched to 80,000. Here is a summary of the steps:
【No longer available】

  • You should receive a reply within 1–2 business days, similar to the one below. There is a good chance Chase will not match the $50 for you, but will match the 80,000 points; there is also a small chance the customer service representative will give you the $50 as well.
Thanks to a reader for providing the screenshot
  • Do not delete this message. Spend $2,000 on the IHG credit card within three months. After the purchases have posted, reply to this message and state that you have met the requirement.
  • The representative will add it for you within a certain amount of time. Usually, you need to wait until the next statement for the 60,000 + 20,000 to post together.
  • In fact, matching is better than receiving 80,000 directly, because the matched 20,000 points count as IHG qualified points earned. Once you reach 75,000 in a year, you can upgrade to the top-tier Spire status.
  • If you applied through the 60,000-point link within the past 90 days, you should be able to match according to Chase’s welcome bonus matching policy.
  • In addition, if you applied for the 50,000 + $100 welcome bonus, you can also match to 80,000.

Application

  • Approval difficulty: Average. Once you get started with Chase, approvals can come one after another. The minimum credit limit is 2000.
  • Application status: Click here to check; automated status phone number: 888-338-2586
  • Things to note:
    • Please read Chase bank characteristics before applying. This card is currently not subject to the Chase 5/24 rule.
    • Applicants who have not received the welcome bonus on this card in the past 24 months are eligible for the welcome bonus. See “Introduction to Churn” for details.
    • If you are not instantly approved, you can call 888-245-0625 to expedite the review. See “Reconsideration Tips” for details.
    • Because this card is an IHG co-branded hotel credit card, if you already have an IHG number, you can enter it when applying. If not, one will be assigned automatically.

Application Link