The IHG Premier was the first credit card that I added to my travel rewards toolbox at the beginning of my points and miles journey. We often stayed at IHG hotel properties because they are well located and come at a wide range of price points. I already belonged to their loyalty program so adding the credit card gave me some new ways to stack and earn points toward future hotel stays.
At the time I opened the card, earning points other than for actual hotel stays was a slow process because the bonus categories were at meager rates. But in 2022, they updated the card and added increased points multipliers making it easier to build up a bank of points for travel redemptions.
5 Reasons I like this credit card
Annual Fee
With some credit cards now charging as much as $695 per year, the $99 annual fee for the IHG Premier card is well worth it. It’s easy to get enough value from the included benefits of this card to offset the fee.
Useful Benefits
The IHG Premier card is packed full of useful travel perks and benefits. By using some or all of these included items you get even more bang for your 95 bucks.
- Annual Free Night Certificate
- Book 3 Nights and Get the 4th Night Free
- Platinum Elite Status
- No Foreign Transactions Fees
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck $100 Reimbursement/every 4 years
- $50 United TravelBank Cash each year ($25 every 6 months)
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption Coverages
- 20% Off on Points Purchases
- Purchase Protection
By taking advantage of the IHG Book 3 Get the 4th Night free offer, I can further stretch my hard-earned points. For my upcoming trip to Paris this spring, I took advantage of this option and saved over 80,000 points by booking 4 consecutive nights at the Kimpton St. Honore. Not too shabby!
A few years ago, I used the IHG Premier card to pay for my Global Entry fee and my account was immediately credited for $100 of the cost. I used a different card to pay my husband’s application fee and it took much longer to reimburse us.
Annual Free Night Certificate
Each year on your cardmember anniversary you receive a Free Night Certificate for a hotel up to 40,000 points. In the past, it was sometimes difficult to find hotels at that price point. They have since added the ability to book more expensive stays and pay the difference with points. I generally save more than double the cost of my annual fee just by maximizing my Free Night Certificate redemption.
I also watch for IHG promotions that reduce the points needed for award stays to snag even higher-valued redemptions with my certificates. For example, we like to stay at the InterContinental Doral when we fly into Miami. It is a great property near the airport but runs around 47,000 points per night. If I book during one of these promotions, it reduces the points needed and comes in at the 40,000 point value of my Free Night Certificate. I am always watching for ways to get the most from my credit card benefits.
Enhanced Points Earning Categories
Before the changes in 2022, the IHG Premier card points earning structure was weak, so I mostly just used it to pay for IHG hotel stays. Now it is quite robust and I actually find myself using it frequently for purchases that I never would have used the card for before.
- 26X on IHG Hotel Stays -10x with card +10X with loyalty account + 6X with Platinum Status (same)
- 5X Travel (previously 1X)
- 5X Gas Stations (previously 2X)
- 5X Dining (previously 2X)
- 3X Everything Else (previously 1X)
Increasing Bonus Categories for Gas, Travel, and Dining to 5X gave this card much more earning potential for things we tend to spend the most on. The 3X Category for Everything Else is a fantastic deal. There aren’t a lot of cards that earn more for general purchases. This makes the IHG Premier a great card for everyday purchases like the hairdresser, auto repairs, or bill payments.
Platinum Elite Status
The Premier card includes IHG Platinum Elite Status. Platinum Elite has options for Early Check-In, Late Check-Out, and a Welcome Amenity at check-in. During one of our last IHG stays, they also gave us a voucher for our parking cost and a pair of Club Lounge passes where we enjoyed a lovely breakfast. Nice touches that made us feel valued.
Final Thoughts
When Chase updated the IHG card, it went from Ho-Hum to a Home Run for me. Now in addition to getting great value from the Free Night Certificate, there are better options for earning points that I can use to quickly boost my balance.
With the improved earning structure and an affordable $99 annual fee, I would definitely recommend this card as a solid value with good benefits and robust earning potential.
Pro Tip: Check for quarterly Chase My Bonus promotions for short-term offers that can help you earn even more points.
This is my personal review and opinion. I am not sponsored or compensated by IHG or any other company.
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