If you have upcoming travel to any of IHG’s brands — including Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental or Kimpton — an IHG cobranded card can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
The three IHG cards currently have limited-time offers, with the second and third cards offering their highest bonuses ever.
Let’s examine the welcome offers and determine which IHG One Rewards card is best for you.
Comparison of IHG One credit card welcome offers
| Card | Welcome offer | Bonus value* | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) | Earn 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $825 | $99 |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees) | Earn two free nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points), plus 40,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $700 | $0 |
| IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) | Earn up to 200,000 bonus points: 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and an additional 60,000 bonus points after spending $9,000 in the first six months from account opening. | Up to $1,000 | $99 |
*The bonus value is based on TPG’s September 2025 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 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
The best offer we have seen on this card has been up to 300,000 points (in the form of five free nights valued at 60,000 points each; offer no longer available). This makes the current offer not as lucrative, but a slight improvement over its standard offer of 140,000 bonus points.
In addition, the minimum spending requirement is relatively low and should be easy to reach.
Annual fee: $99
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Earning rates:
- 10 points per dollar spent on IHG stays
- 5 points per dollar on all other travel
- 5 points per dollar on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and gas stations
- 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Why we like it: This card comes with a free night worth up to 40,000 points on each account anniversary and the option to top off your reward to redeem it for a more valuable night.
Other important perks include complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status (with a pathway to 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. Reward nights start at just 10,000 points apiece, ranging from practical options in the U.S. to lodgings abroad in Berlin, Brazil and beyond.
To learn more, check out our full review of the IHG One Rewards Premier card.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier
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 two free nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points), plus 40,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
This is the best offer we have seen on the card and the first time it’s offered free nights as part of the welcome bonus. The free nights, combined with the 40,000 bonus points, give you a total value of up to 140,000 points, worth $700 based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations.
Annual fee: $0
Earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar on IHG stays
- 3 points per dollar on utilities, 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 the ability to get a fourth night free on bookings where you pay with points. Plus, the current welcome bonus is excellent for a card with no annual fee.
To learn more, check out our full review of the IHG One Rewards Traveler card.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Traveler
IHG One Rewards Premier Business
If you own your own business, you may want to consider the Premier Business.
Welcome bonus: Earn up to 200,000 bonus points: 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and an additional 60,000 bonus points after spending $9,000 in the first six months from account opening.
This is a repeat of the best offer we last saw on this card in April. Based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations, it’s worth up to $1,000. If you missed this great welcome offer previously, now is the time to apply.
Annual fee: $99
Earning rates:
- 10 points per dollar on IHG stays
- 5 points per dollar on dining, gas, office supply stores, search engine advertising, social media and travel
- 3 points per dollar 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; able to 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, check out our full review of the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier Business
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 initial haul of points.
Elite status
Every IHG One Rewards card offers complimentary elite status.
For example, Premier and Premier Business cardholders receive Platinum Elite status.
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 get a fourth consecutive night reward. 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 only book short hotel stays, but it can be incredibly worthwhile for travelers who stay long enough to utilize this perk. And this benefit has no cap on how many points you can save.
With our September 2025 valuation of IHG points at 0.5 cents each, a four-night reward stay at a 20,000-point property saves you $100 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 — including gas, which can be an expensive recurring purchase for many households.
But it gets better than that. Since the Premier and the Premier Business grant you 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 total per dollar spent on these cards on IHG hotel stays, equating to a 13% return (based on TPG’s September 2025 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, like all other Chase 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: You received a new cardmember 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 the complimentary elite status and free-night certificate you earn each year. Take advantage of the current limited-time offers to jump-start your loyalty with IHG hotels and be sure to use all the card’s benefits for maximum value.
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Premier Business
