Travelers with plans to stay at an IHG brand and IHG One Rewards loyalists, listen up: You could save hundreds of dollars each year by adding an IHG cobranded card to your wallet.
Applying for an IHG card could bring you an influx of points to help you plan your next trip. Right now, IHG’s two personal cards are offering their highest-ever points bonuses, and the highest is worth up to $1,018 in travel, per TPG’s June 2026 valuations.
But they’re ending soon — you’ll need to apply before June 25 at 9 a.m. ET.
Whether you’re booking a Crowne Plaza, Kimpton or Holiday Inn for your upcoming vacation, let’s dive into these IHG cards, their current bonuses and see which one is best for you.
Comparison of IHG One credit card welcome offers
| Card | Welcome offer | Bonus value* | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Earn up to 185,000 bonus points:
Offer ends June 25 at 9 a.m. ET. |
Up to $1,018 |
$99 |
|
|
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) |
Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
$770 |
$99 |
|
Earn up to 125,000 bonus points:
Offer ends June 25 at 9 a.m. ET. |
Up to $688 |
$0 |
*The bonus value is based on TPG’s valuations and is not provided or reviewed by the issuer.
IHG One Rewards Premier
If you stay at IHG properties at least a few times a year, the Premier may be the right choice for you.
Welcome bonus: Earn up to 185,000 bonus points:
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Plus, earn 35,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
Offer ends June 25 at 9 a.m. ET.
Per TPG’s valuations, this bonus is worth up to $1,018.
The best offer we have seen in the card’s history provided up to 300,000 points (in the form of five free nights valued at 60,000 points each; offer no longer available).
However, the current offer is the highest we’ve seen in terms of the number of points you can earn. And, it’s worth 45,000 more points than its standard offer, so now is a good time to apply.
Annual fee: $99
Earning rates:
- 10 points per dollar spent on IHG stays
- 5 points per dollar spent on all other travel, dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and gas stations
- 3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Why we like it: This card comes with a free night award (worth up to 40,000 points each account anniversary) and the option to top it off with points to redeem for a more valuable night.
Other important perks include complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status (with a pathway to top-tier Diamond), up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash per year and reimbursement for your application fee to Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus every four years — all for a $99 annual fee.
Factoring in the card’s fourth-night-free perk (when you use points to pay for three nights and get the fourth as a bonus) is an important consideration when thinking about the potential value you can get out of it.
IHG award nights start at just 5,000 points apiece, ranging from practical options in the U.S. to lodgings abroad in Berlin, Brazil and beyond.
To learn more, read our full review of the IHG One Rewards Premier.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier
IHG One Rewards Premier Business
If you own a business, you’ll want to consider the Premier Business.
Welcome bonus: Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
TPG’s valuations place this bonus at $770 in value, which matches the typical offer we have seen in the card’s history.
We recommend waiting for this card to offer a higher bonus if you’re considering it now.
Annual fee: $99
Earning rates:
- 10 points per dollar spent on IHG stays
- 5 points per dollar spent on all other travel, dining, gas stations, office supply stores and search engine and social media advertising
- 3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Why we like it: The Premier Business mimics many of the same great perks of the personal Premier card.
For instance, the annual free night award (worth up to 40,000 points) can be topped off with unlimited points, and you’ll also enjoy elite perks thanks to the automatic Platinum Elite status that comes with the card.
Cardholders can earn another free night award (worth up to 40,000 points, which can be topped off) after spending $60,000 each calendar year.
Other benefits include reimbursement for your application fee to Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus once every four years, a fourth night free on award stays and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each year.
To learn more, read our full review of the IHG One Rewards Premier Business.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier Business
IHG One Rewards Traveler
If you only stay with IHG once or twice each year, the Traveler may make more sense for you than IHG’s mid-tier option.
Welcome bonus:
Earn up to 125,000 bonus points:
- Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Plus, earn 35,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
Offer ends June 25 at 9 a.m. ET.
This bonus is worth up to $688, per TPG’s valuations.
The best offer we’ve seen in the card’s history was for two free nights and 40,000 bonus points (for a total of up to 140,000 bonus points; offer no longer available).
The current bonus provides the highest number of points we’ve seen in its history, though the spending requirement is higher than usual. However, now is still a good time to apply if you’ve been considering the card.
Annual fee: $0
Earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar spent on IHG stays
- 3 points per dollar spent on utilities, internet, cable and phone services, dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services), select streaming services and gas stations
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Why we like it: This card offers complimentary Silver Elite status and a fourth night free on bookings paid with points. Plus, the current welcome bonus is excellent for a card with no annual fee.
To learn more, read our full review of the IHG One Rewards Traveler.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Traveler
Reasons to get an IHG One Rewards card beyond the bonus
Earning a chunk of bonus points for adding a new card to your wallet is very enticing, but these three cards offer a lot of potential value beyond that.
Elite status
Every IHG One Rewards card offers complimentary elite status. The IHG Premier and Premier Business provide Platinum Elite status.
Plus, if you spend more than a few nights a year at IHG properties, you should be able to recoup the $99 annual fee on the consumer or business version of the Premier card.
Platinum Elite benefits include early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability) and 60% bonus points on IHG stays.
Fourth-night-free benefit
All IHG One Rewards cardholders automatically receive a fourth-night-free benefit on eligible award stays. In short, the fourth night is complimentary when you redeem points for stays of four or more.
This benefit’s value depends on your travel style. This may not be very useful for travelers who typically book short hotel stays, but it can be incredibly worthwhile for travelers who stay long enough to use it. Plus, this benefit doesn’t cap the number of points you can save.
When you factor in our valuation of IHG points at 0.55 cents each, a four-night award stay at a 20,000-point property would save you $110 worth of IHG points.
Related: How to maximize award redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Category bonuses
The IHG One Rewards cards help you rack up points fast, thanks to their bonus categories. These categories include gas, which can be an expensive recurring purchase for many households.
But it gets better than that. Since the Premier and Premier Business cards grant complimentary Platinum Elite status, you’ll also earn a 60% points bonus on IHG hotel stays.
IHG One Rewards base members earn 10 points per dollar spent at most properties, so the 60% elite bonus provides 16 points per dollar at IHG properties.
Add that to the 10 points per dollar you earn with either card, and you’ll get 26 points per dollar spent on IHG hotel stays, equating to about a 14% return (based on TPG’s valuations).
Buying points discount
Finally, if you need to top off your IHG points balance, you can get a 20% discount when you buy points with your card. Combined with the ability to top off free night certificates, this perk could be handy if you’re looking to save up your awards for aspirational stays.
Related: Should you buy IHG points or transfer rewards from Chase?
Application rules
You can have multiple IHG credit cards, but know that the IHG One Rewards cards are subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. This means if you’ve opened five or more personal credit card accounts across all banks in the last 24 months, Chase is unlikely to approve you.
Note that you also aren’t eligible if any of these exclusions apply to you:
- For personal cards: If you currently have a personal IHG One Rewards credit card (which includes the legacy IHG One Rewards Select Credit Card; no longer available to new applicants) or if you received a new cardholder bonus on any personal IHG credit card in the past 24 months.
- For the IHG Business card: If you received a new cardholder bonus on this card in the last 24 months.
The information for the IHG One Rewards Select Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions
Bottom line
Even casual travelers can benefit from an IHG credit card thanks to complimentary elite status and, depending on the card, a free night certificate each year.
Plus, now is a good time to consider applying for either the Premier or Traveler, since they’re offering elevated bonuses with the highest number of points we’ve seen from them. These offers end June 25 at 9 a.m. ET, so it’s your last chance to apply.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier Business
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
