IHG offers three credit cards targeted at those who stay within IHG’s family of brands like InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Kimpton, and Crowne Plaza.
In this article, we’ve set out all of the substantive benefits of the IHG cards side-by side so that you can compare the cards, whether you’re considering getting an IHG card or considering changing products.
Benefits when staying at IHG properties
Most likely, you are interested in getting an IHG card fro the benefits you receive when staying at IHG properties. The IHG cards offer instant elite status, the ability to get the 4th night free on award stays, plus some other perks like free nights and upgraded elite status. Here’s what each card offers.
 |  |  |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card |
| Points earned when staying at IHG properties | ||
| 5x | 10x | 10x |
| Automatic Elite Status | ||
| Silver | Platinum | Platinum |
| Earn elite status with spending | ||
| Gold $20,000+ spending/year | Diamond $20,000+ spending/year | – |
| Redeem 3 nights, get 4th night free | ||
| Anniversary Free Night. Earn a free night certificate each account anniversary year. Free night certificate has a 40,000 point value cap. | ||
| – | ||
In addition to the above, all cards save 20% on reward point purchases.
Rewards: Earn IHG points for spending on your cards
The IHG cards award a generous amount of points for spending at IHG properties, but keep in mind that IHG points will get you substantially less than 1 cent per point of value when you go to redeem them, so don’t be fooled by the large numbers. Earning 5x points in bonus categories is likely to be worth less than the cash back you can get with another no annual fee cash back card.
| | |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card |
| Points earned when staying at IHG properties | ||
| 5x | 10x | 10x |
| Travel | ||
| – | 5x | 5x |
| Dining | ||
| 3x | 5x | 5x |
| Gas Stations | ||
| 3x | 5x | 5x |
| Utilities | ||
| 3x | – | – |
| Select business purchases | ||
| – | – | 5x |
| Select Streaming Services | ||
| 3x | – | – |
| All other purchases | ||
| 2x | 3x | 3x |
Big spending bonuses
While it’s generally not a great idea to put too much on hotel credit cards—they typically aren’t that rewarding for spending—it can make sense to put a limited amount on a card to earn a spending bonus. All three IHG cards offer some sort of bonus for spending a certain amount on the card.
| | |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card |
| Big spending bonus when you spend the given amount in a calendar year. | ||
| Spend $10,000 | Spend $20,000 | Spend $20,000 |
| Earn 10,000 bonus points | Earn $100 and 10,000 Bonus Points | Earn $100 and 10,000 Bonus Points |
Travel benefits: Perks when you travel
The two IHG cards with annual fees offer some additional benefits for traveling if you either travel with United or enroll in trusted traveler programs like Global Enrty or PreCheck.
| | |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card |
| Up to $50 United® Airlines TravelBank Cash each year | ||
| – | – | |
| Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit | ||
| – | ||
Travel Insurance benefits: Protection for your trip
Booking your travel with a card that offers travel insurance benefits can protect you in a variety of situations, like trip interruptions, baggage damage, or damage to rental cars. Here are the benefits that each of the IHG credit cards offers.
| | |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card |
| Baggage Delay Insurance and Lost Luggage Reimbursement | ||
| – | ||
| Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance | ||
Consumer Insurance Benefits: Protection for the stuff you buy
Consumer insurance benefits can protect the things you buy with your card, and all three cards offer Purchase Protection. Although it is not advertised by Chase, we were able to confirm that the IHG Premier card also has extended warranty protection. We suspect that the other cards have this as well, but we have so far been unable to confirm that.
| | |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card |
| Purchase Protection | ||
| Extended Warranty Protection | ||
Welcome offers: Earn points with IHG cards
Each of the IHG cards offers a sign-up bonus to new cardmembers. Here are the details on the best current offers. These are continuously updated when the offers change.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card welcome offer
Welcome offer: Earn up to 120,000 Bonus Points: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 bonus points by earning an additional 3x on purchases, except at IHG Hotels & Resorts, in the first 6 months from account opening on up to $10,000 spent.
The headline number on this bonus is often advertised including points after spending a certain amount, plus an extra few points per dollar on spending up to a larger amount. Consider your opportunity cost of using this card when evaluating the bonus.
Annual fee: $0
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card welcome offer
Welcome offer: Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
This bonus is earned as IHG bonus points.
Annual fee: $99
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card welcome offer
Welcome offer: Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
This bonus is earned as IHG Bonus Points.
Annual fee: $99
