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As we approach Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday, numerous travel brands are launching offers for discounts, bonus points, and… credit card applications? IHG and Chase are out with a special offer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. This elevated offer can yield more points than the ongoing offer on this card. But are the bonus points worth the extra spending requirement?
On the one hand, you'll earn more points. On the other, you'll have to spend $5,000 more to unlock an extra 35,000 points.
Since this secondary offer is only available through December 4, 2023, we figure it's worth comparing the two offers available on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card right now, so you can decide which one suits you better.
140,000-Point Offer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card
This is the ongoing offer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card: New applicants can earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Spending $3,000 to earn 140,000 points means you'll earn an average of 46.66 bonus points per dollar spent for the first $3,000 spent during the introductory period — in addition to the points you earn on the purchase.
- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier card member
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Earn 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, 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 being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member
- Earn 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 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)
175,000-Point Offer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card
As part of its Black Friday and Travel Tuesday deals, IHG One Rewards is offering 175,000 bonus points to applicants for the IHG One Rewards Premier Card. However, to earn the full bonus, you'll need to meet two tiers of spending:
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.
- Earn 75,000 additional bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first six months from account opening.
This offer is available on a special application page found here.
Like the ongoing card offer, you'll earn a bonus after spending $3,000 in three months. However, this offer provides 40,000 fewer points than the offer above (140,000 vs. 100,000 bonus points). But, with this offer, you have the ability to earn another 75,000 points by spending a total of $8,000 within the first six months after you open the card.
That means you can potentially earn a total of 175,000 bonus points through this offer. That's 35,000 additional bonus points for an additional $5,000 in spending over an extra three months.
Spending $8,000 to earn 175,000 points means you'll earn 21.875 bonus points per dollar spent on the first $8,000 spent during the introductory period. This bonus rate is lower, but the total number of potential bonus points is higher.
In summary, here's how these two card offers break down:
| Sign-up Bonus Offer | Standard Offer | Black Friday Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus points after $3,000 spending | 140,000 points | 100,000 points |
| Bonus points after a total of $8,000 spending in six months | n/a | 75,000 points |
IHG One Rewards Premier Card Highlights
To be clear, both of these card offers are for the exact same card. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers the following key perks:
- $99 annual fee.
- Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status — the second-highest tier of IHG's four tiers of elite status.
- Ability to earn top-tier Diamond status after spending $40,000 on purchases within a calendar year.
- Annual IHG free night certificate worth up to 40,000 points.
- Ability to pay points on top of this free night award to stay at hotels that cost more.
- 20% off IHG points purchases (doesn't apply to purchasing IHG points with a bonus or discount).
- Fourth night free on award stays as a cardholder benefit.
- Travel protections like baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
- Purchase protection for 120 days against damage or theft on items purchased with the card.
- $50 in United TravelBank credit each year after linking your card to United TravelBank.
- Up to $100 statement credit every four years to offset your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee.
- One year of complimentary DashPass membership with DoorDash to save on delivery fees (must enroll by December 31, 2024).
- No foreign transaction fees.
Related: IHG One Rewards Premier Card full review
Bottom Line
Which offer you prefer on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card will depend on a few things. Do you want a higher rate of return on spending or the ability to earn more bonus points? Can you afford the higher spending required on the Black Friday offer? Would you prefer to earn the standard 140,000-point bonus and then spend the extra $5,000 on a welcome bonus from another credit card?
Different people will have different priorities, and some travelers are hesitant to apply for credit cards with tiered welcome bonuses that require a second set of spending. Others love the ability to earn as many points as possible from a bonus, even with the extra effort involved.
Since there are two bonus offers available on the IHG One Rewards Premier Card card right now, ensure you know which is better for you.
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