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Plus, the card gives you additional points in many other categories, free night awards, automatic Platinum Elite status — the second-highest elite tier of the IHG One Rewards
The IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card has been recently refreshed, with a higher annual fee but more credits to offset that fee. Here's everything you need to know about the IHG Business Card to help you decide if it's a fit for your wallet.
- Limited Time Launch Offer! Earn 190,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn up to 26X total points on stays at IHG Hotels and Resorts.
- Earn 5X points on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, select advertising, at gas stations and restaurants. Earn 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Get an Anniversary Free Night each year. Plus, redeem 3 nights, get 4th night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
- NEW! Enjoy up to $100 in Food & Beverage Rewards annually at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
- NEW! A $100 Airline Statement Credit each year when you spend at least $250 on flights purchased directly with the airline.
- This card offers over $750 in value your first year!
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Business cardmember. Plus, enjoy 15 Elite Night Credits annually (new!).
- 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 26X total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, select advertising, gas stations, 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 charging your stay to your IHG Business Card
- Earn up to 6X bonus points for having IHG®Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn up to 10X base points for being an IHG® One Rewards Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
IHG Business Card Pros
- Automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status.
- 15 Elite Night Credits toward elite status qualification.
- Fourth night free on award redemptions.
- Annual benefits include a free night certificate and travel credits on your account anniversary year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
IHG Business Card Cons
- The card's 30% discount on IHG points purchases doesn't stack with point sale promotions.
- Limited travel and shopping protections compared to other small-business
credit cards - $200 annual fee.
IHG Premier Business Card Welcome Bonus
The IHG Business Card has a surprisingly valuable welcome bonus. As a new cardholder, you'll earn 190,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
On average, AwardWallet users redeem IHG One Rewards points for 0.69¢ apiece. That makes this sign-up bonus points offer worth around $1,310. That's pretty solid for a co-branded hotel card.
Plus, you can earn 10,000 bonus points after you add an employee card within the first three months from account opening.
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card Benefits
Welcome bonus aside, the IHG Business Card has fantastic under-the-hood benefits that can easily justify keeping it in your wallet every year, given the card's annual fee. Here's a look at all the benefits cardholders can enjoy:
Free anniversary night
On each cardholder anniversary, you'll receive an anniversary free night award with a current point redemption cap of 50,000 points. Even better, there are no spending requirements or hoops to jump through to get it. All you have to do is pay the annual fee when it comes due.
IHG also lets you top off your free night certificates with an uncapped number of points. That means you can use your certificate towards a more expensive award night and use your IHG point balance to cover the difference.
Additional free night award
If one annual free night isn't enough, you can spend your way to a second one. After spending $60,000 in a calendar year on your card, you'll earn another free night award worth up to 50,000 points.
Complimentary IHG Platinum status
IHG Business Card holders are entitled to Platinum Elite status just by carrying the credit card. With your status, you'll enjoy the following benefits as long as you keep renewing your card:
- 60% bonus points on eligible IHG stays.
- Welcome amenity at check-in.
- Complimentary space-available upgrades.
- Earn suite night upgrades, bonus points, and more through IHG Milestone Rewards.
- Guaranteed room availability.
- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability).
- No blackout dates for reward nights.
- No points expiration as an IHG elite status member
You can also spend your way to earn Diamond Elite status, which offers more premium perks after spending $50,000 on your card in a calendar year — beginning in 2027. After meeting the threshold, your new elite status will be valid through the end of the following year.
Head start toward status
New cardholders will receive 15 Elite Night Credits on account opening and then at the start of each calendar year, providing a head start towards a Milestone Reward and your next status tier.
You can also earn 2 Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 spent on purchases with your IHG Business Card. On top of that, cardholders earn 5 Elite Night Credits after spending $25,000 on purchases each calendar year.
These bonus nights for spending on the card are nice, but remember that $50,000 of spend gets you IHG Diamond Elite status anyway, so these bonuses may not be as necessary. The biggest benefit to these Elite Night Credits will be hitting various Milestone Rewards, which start at 20 nights.
Earn 20,000 bonus points
You will earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $25,000 on purchases each calendar year. Between these points and the elite night credits earned above, hitting this $25,000 spend may be worth considering.
Fourth night free on award stays
Cardholders who book at least four consecutive nights using IHG points get the fourth reward night free at the same hotel. Even better, this perk is valid for every 4-night increment. So, on long stays, you can get the eighth night free, the twelfth night free, and so on.
In addition, you can use the IHG fourth night free benefit an unlimited number of times. This is a super valuable benefit, especially at higher-end properties.
Save 30% on points purchases
If you're short on points for your next award stay, you can get a 30% discount when you purchase points with your IHG Business card.
Unfortunately, you can't stack this discount with other IHG points sales. So, this perk is only semi-valuable when you need to top off your points balance for an award redemption when IHG isn't actively running a sale on IHG points purchases.
$120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS statement credit
An easy way to offset the application cost for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS is to swipe your IHG Business Card. You'll receive up to $120 in reimbursements of the application fee for enrollment or renewals, every four years.
$100 airline statement credit
Get a $100 statement credit when you spend at least $250 on flights purchased directly with the airline each calendar year through December 31, 2027.
$100 in annual food and beverage rewards at IHG Hotels
You will receive one $25 voucher each calendar quarter, up to a total of $100 per calendar year. These vouchers can be redeemed for credit against eligible food and beverage on your room bill at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts. Be sure to check the terms for properties that may not be eligible.
Each $25 voucher will be automatically posted each quarter in your Member’s Rewards wallet.
Up to $100 annual Expensify statement credit
Enjoy up to $100 in statement credits towards Expensify purchases each calendar year.
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 annual 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 December 31, 2027.
Travel and purchase protections
Lastly, cardholders can also leverage a list of travel, purchase, and shopping protections:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
- No foreign transaction fees
IHG Business Card Earning Rates
Factoring in card spending rates and elite bonuses, cardholders of the IHG Business Card will earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel, which breaks down to:
- 10X points for being an IHG One Rewards member at most hotels (5X at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites)
- 6X bonus points with IHG Platinum Elite Status — a benefit of having this card
- 10X points through spending on the IHG One Rewards Business Card
Cardholders also earn:
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases of airline tickets directly with the airline, car rental agencies, gas stations, dining, and social media and search engine advertising. Note that you will earn 5X points on all travel purchases as well as office supply stores through December 31, 2026. After that date, flights booked directly and car rentals will continue to earn 5X while other travel purchases and office supply will earn 3X points.
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earnings for spending at IHG hotels can be a bit deceiving if you're comparing head-to-head with other cards. All IHG One Rewards members earn 10X on stays. But, particularly if you don't otherwise earn IHG status, the IHG Business Card does actually add 16X more earnings — 10X from spending on the card and another 6X from the Platinum Elite status that comes with the card.
Redeeming Points with the IHG Business Card
IHG stays
The most straightforward way to redeem your IHG points is for free stays at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards. IHG uses a dynamic pricing model; rooms can cost as little as 5,000 points per night and up to 175,000 points per night (or more at select luxury brands that are dynamically priced).
Still, it's possible to obtain excellent value from IHG award stays with a little effort. For some redemption inspiration, check out our guide to the best IHG redemptions for luxury stays.
Airline partners
It is possible to convert your IHG points to more than 40 airlines if you're short on miles for a free flight. Given the poor 5:1 transfer ratio, this isn't a high-value use of your points. You'll usually get better value from your points by booking free (or nearly free) hotel nights.
Here's a snapshot of some of the airlines you can transfer IHG points to:
Other ways to redeem IHG One Rewards
Other options we don't recommend for redeeming IHG points are through gift cards, merchandise, or digital media. Generally, you'll get poor value from your points when redeeming points this way.
You can use your IHG points for exclusive experiences for One Rewards members, like sports tickets, tours, personalized experiences, and more. You can get decent value for your points depending on what you redeem for.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
As a Chase-issued product, the IHG Business Card is subject to the bank's infamous 5/24 rule. Even though most business credit cards don't add to your 5/24 count, you still need to fall under this metric to get approved for this or other Chase credit cards.
Therefore, if you've opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months and they show up on your credit report, you'll likely be denied for this card.
Other credit card application restrictions also make it unlikely that you'll be approved for more than one business card with Chase in less than 90 days. You also likely can't receive the bonus on this card if you currently have the card or received a bonus on it in the last 24 months. However, be sure to check the specific terms when applying to confirm this 24-month rule is stated.
Cardholders Who Applied Prior to September 30, 2026
All of the benefits and perks of the IHG Business Card above apply to new cardholders, so how will the changes and perks affect those who currently have the card? According to Chase, the updated annual fee will take effect on their 2027 annual fee assessment date.
Many of the new and enhanced benefits go into effect on October 1, 2026, while some benefits may have specific timing or eligibility requirements, and cardmembers will be notified directly with details.
Cards That Compete With the IHG Business Card
If this isn't the right card for your small business wallet, here are some other options to consider:
- If you want rewards you can use with more than IHG, look into the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees). It earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer 1:1 to IHG but also can use with airlines, hotels, or the Chase travel portal. Here is a full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
- If you want a hotel credit card but aren't loyal to IHG, consider the
World of Hyatt - If you're over 5/24 and want a hotel card, look at the
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
$95Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
$199Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X total points per $1 spent at Hyatt – 4X points per $1 on qualifying purchases 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 on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
In addition, you'll earn 2X points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter. Eligible categories include:
- Dining
- Shipping
- Airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline
- Local transit & commuting
- Social media & search engine Advertising
- Car rental agencies
- Gas stations
- Internet, cable & phone services
$125Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Bottom Line
For current or prospective IHG loyalists, the IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card offers a suite of perks that can easily justify the annual fee. With automatic Platinum Elite status, a fourth reward night free, several travel credits, and a great welcome offer, this card is an easy keeper for anyone who spends even a few nights at IHG properties each year.
- Limited Time Launch Offer! Earn 190,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn up to 26X total points on stays at IHG Hotels and Resorts.
- Earn 5X points on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, select advertising, at gas stations and restaurants. Earn 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Get an Anniversary Free Night each year. Plus, redeem 3 nights, get 4th night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
- NEW! Enjoy up to $100 in Food & Beverage Rewards annually at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
- NEW! A $100 Airline Statement Credit each year when you spend at least $250 on flights purchased directly with the airline.
- This card offers over $750 in value your first year!
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Business cardmember. Plus, enjoy 15 Elite Night Credits annually (new!).
- 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 26X total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, select advertising, gas stations, 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 charging your stay to your IHG Business Card
- Earn up to 6X bonus points for having IHG®Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn up to 10X base points for being an IHG® One Rewards Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
Page Contents
- IHG Business Card Pros
- IHG Business Card Cons
- IHG Premier Business Card Welcome Bonus
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card Benefits
- Free anniversary night
- Additional free night award
- Complimentary IHG Platinum status
- Head start toward status
- Earn 20,000 bonus points
- Fourth night free on award stays
- Save 30% on points purchases
- $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS statement credit
- $100 airline statement credit
- $100 in annual food and beverage rewards at IHG Hotels
- Up to $100 annual Expensify statement credit
- Complimentary DashPass membership and promotion
- Instacart+ Membership and benefits
- Travel and purchase protections
- IHG Business Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points with the IHG Business Card
- Application Restrictions and Strategy
- Cardholders Who Applied Prior to September 30, 2026
- Cards That Compete With the IHG Business Card
- Bottom Line
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
