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Chase recently revamped its IHG card portfolio, including the newly renamed
Here's our full card review to help you decide if the IHG One Rewards Card is right for you.
- Limited Time Launch Offer! Earn 125,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17X total points on stays at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3X points on dining, at grocery stores (new!) and gas stations. Earn 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Automatic Silver Elite status as long as you remain an IHG One Rewards cardmember. Plus, enjoy 5 Elite Night Credits annually (new!).
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Kimpton®, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza®, EVEN® Hotels, & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Earn up to 17X points spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, at grocery stores, and gas stations
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 5X points for being a IHG One Rewards Card member
- Earn up to 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this Card
- Earn up to 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG®
Rewards loyalty program
IHG One Rewards Card Pros
- $0 annual fee.
- Solid earning rates for spending at IHG properties.
- No foreign transaction fees.
IHG One Rewards Card Cons
- IHG points aren't as valuable as other programs.
- No free anniversary night.
- Fourth Night Free perk requires spend starting in 2027.
- Subject to Chase's 5/24 rule.
IHG One Rewards Card Welcome Offer
New applicants for the IHG One Rewards Card can earn 125,000 after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
AwardWallet users redeem their IHG points at an average of 0.69¢ each. That means this welcome offer is worth around $860. That's excellent for a no-annual-fee card.
Plus, you will receive 10,000 bonus points after you add an authorized user to your account during the first 3 months from account opening
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Card Offers Available This Month
IHG One Rewards Card Benefits
While you won't find a long list of benefits on the IHG One Rewards Card, there are a few solid perks worth mentioning.
Fourth night free
Cardholders receive the fourth night free on award stays. Luckily, IHG makes this perk incredibly easy to use. Simply redeem your points for a stay of four or more nights at any IHG property, and you will only be charged for the first three nights. The fourth night — no matter how expensive it would otherwise be — will be priced at zero points.
The value of this perk depends only on how many points you redeem this way. There's no limit to how many times you can use this benefit. Additionally, if you stay any additional four-night increments, you continue to receive every fourth night free. So a 12-night stay would get you three free nights.
Unfortunately, beginning in 2027, access to this perk will be changing. You will have to make purchases totaling $5,000 or more with your IHG One Rewards Credit Card to qualify for the fourth night free benefit for the remainder of the calendar year in which you qualify and the following calendar year.
Automatic Silver Elite status
Cardholders receive automatic IHG Silver Elite Status as a built-in benefit. As the lowest tier in IHG One Rewards, you'll receive 20% bonus points on paid stays, complimentary internet, exemption from points expiration, and 2 p.m. late checkout, based on availability.
Furthermore, you can earn Gold Elite status after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. The only concrete perks Gold Elite members receive above the Silver benefits are rollover nights for next year's status and a 40% bonus for points earnings on paid stays.
IHG doesn't provide many guaranteed benefits to its mid- and lower-tiered elites. You're likely better off putting that $15,000 of spending on a credit card with a more valuable earning structure or choosing a credit card that offers a higher IHG status tier. We'll discuss options for that below.
5 nights toward status
Cardholders get 5 Elite Night Credits when they open the card and again at the start of each calendar year. This gives cardholders a head start toward a Milestone Reward and their next status tier. This isn't a game-changing addition to the card, but a nice perk if you're aiming for a higher status.
Earn 10,000 bonus points through spending
Cardholders will earn an extra 10,000 bonus points when spending $15,000 in a calendar year. However, we don't think putting high spending on this card is your best move. You're better off putting that extra spend on a credit card that has a better return.
Save 30% on points purchases
In some situations, buying points can save you a bundle compared to paying cash for your stay. And the IHG One Rewards Card offers cardholders a 30% discount on IHG points purchases. However, the catch with this perk is that you can't combine the 30% discount on points purchases with other deals or discounts.
In other words, you likely can't combine this discount with recurring buy IHG points promotions that offer points for as little as 0.5¢ each. Still, the benefit could be helpful when buying points to top off your account for high-end redemptions like Kimpton Hotels.
Related: Top IHG Luxury Redemptions
No foreign transaction fees
Foreign transaction fees are extra charges tacked onto purchases made outside the U.S. when using certain
Complimentary DashPass membership and promotion
Cardholders get a one-year complimentary DashPass membership, which provides $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. This benefit must be activated by Dec 31, 2027.
You also get up to $10 off monthly on non-restaurant DoorDash purchases. This goes through December 31, 2027, as long as you remain enrolled in your Chase DashPass membership, and is only for enrollees who sign up for this Chase DashPass membership on or after Sep 1, 2026.
Instacart+ Membership and benefits
Get a complimentary Instacart+ Membership for three months, including $0 delivery fees on eligible orders. After that, you're automatically enrolled in Instacart+ at 25% off the monthly rate.
Also receive a $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year, for purchases made directly through Instacart with your card. Both of these Instacart benefits end on December 31, 2027.
Purchase and travel protections
Cardholders will enjoy baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection, and trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance. In order for these benefits to take effect, you need to use your card to pay for your trip.
IHG One Rewards Card Earning Rates
Beyond the welcome bonus, you can earn points from purchases as follows:
- 5X points on spending at IHG properties.
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, grocery stores, and at gas stations. Note that through December 31, 2026, you will also earn 3X on utilities, internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming services. These will drop to 2X on January 1, 2027.
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
These numbers may not look like much, but it's worth noting that you can actually earn up to 17X at IHG properties, thanks to earning 10 base points per $1 spent as an IHG One Rewards member. You'll earn 2 bonus points per dollar from being a Silver Elite member (a benefit of this card), plus the 5X earnings from paying with the IHG One Rewards Card.
Related: How Many IHG Rewards Points Can I Earn on Hotel Stays?
Redeeming Points With the IHG One Rewards Card
The most obvious way to use your points is by spending them for stays at IHG properties. You will get the most value, by far, when you use them this way. IHG has over 6,000 properties around the world, ranging from budget-friendly brands like Holiday Inn Express to luxury brands like Kimpton and InterContinental. If you want to get the most bang for your buck (points), check out our article outlining the best IHG luxury redemption sweet spots.
Additionally, you'll stretch your value even further by using points for four-night stays, thanks to getting that fourth night free when using points.
There are other ways to spend your IHG points, although we wouldn't necessarily recommend them since you'd be leaving a lot of value on the table.
- You can use points with one of IHG's airline partners.
- Redeem points for experiences.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About IHG One Rewards
Application Restrictions
Like most personal credit cards that Chase offers, the IHG One Rewards Card is subject to an array of application restrictions that you need to consider before applying, including the rules that apply to the entire family of IHG
“This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any personal IHG One Rewards Credit Card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any personal IHG One Rewards Credit Card who received a new cardmember bonus for any personal IHG One Rewards Credit Card within the last 24 months.”
Thus, if you have this card or another IHG personal credit card at present, you aren't eligible for the IHG One Rewards Card. You also aren't eligible if you received a bonus on a personal IHG credit card in the past 24 months.
This card also counts towards — and is subject to — Chase's unpublished 5/24 policy. This means that you won't be approved for the IHG One Rewards Card if you've opened five or more new personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the IHG One Rewards Card
Not sure if the IHG One Rewards Card is for you? Here are three additional options to consider:
- If you want an IHG card with better benefits, consider the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees). This card gives you automatic Gold Elite status, a free night award each year, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck or NEXUS statement credit, and more, all for a reasonable $150 annual fee. Check out our IHG One Rewards Premier Card review for more details.
- If you want a hotel card that has a better redemption value for its points, check out The
World of Hyatt - If you want a card that has flexible points you can use with IHG and with airlines, look into the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees). You can transfer your
Chase Ultimate Rewards
$150Rates & Fees
- Earn up to 24X points total per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 5X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Card member
- Earn up to 4X points from IHG® with Gold Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn up to 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
$95Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
$95Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Related: Top Hotel Rewards Cards for Earning Points and Free Nights
Final Thoughts
While the IHG One Rewards Premier Card is generally the better IHG card and worth the modest annual fee for the extra benefits, the IHG One Rewards Card isn't a card to dismiss.
With an excellent 125,000 bonus points welcome offer, no annual fee, the fourth night free on award stays, and no foreign transaction fees, the IHG One Rewards Card is a good option for those looking to access a few perks without paying an annual fee. If you're an infrequent IHG traveler who wants an extra boost on your IHG spending, this may be the card for you.
- Limited Time Launch Offer! Earn 125,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17X total points on stays at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3X points on dining, at grocery stores (new!) and gas stations. Earn 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Automatic Silver Elite status as long as you remain an IHG One Rewards cardmember. Plus, enjoy 5 Elite Night Credits annually (new!).
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Kimpton®, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza®, EVEN® Hotels, & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Earn up to 17X points spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, at grocery stores, and gas stations
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 5X points for being a IHG One Rewards Card member
- Earn up to 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this Card
- Earn up to 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® Rewards Club Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: IHG One Rewards Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
