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The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card provides great value for the occasional IHG guest. This card has no annual fee and comes with decent perks like the fourth night free on award stays, 20% savings on IHG points purchases, and levies no foreign transaction fees. The card also comes with complimentary entry-level IHG elite status.
Here's our full card review to help you decide if the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card is right for you.
- Earn 80,000 Bonus Points
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get the 4th Night Free
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 17X points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, utilities, select streaming services, and at 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 Traveler Credit Cardmember
- Earn 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of 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)
IHG One Rewards Traveler Card Pros
- $0 annual fee.
- Solid earning rates for spending at IHG properties.
- Unlock fourth night free on IHG stays.
- No foreign transaction fees.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Card Cons
- IHG points aren't as valuable as other programs.
- No free anniversary night.
- Subject to Chase's 5/24 rule.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Card Welcome Offer
New applicants for the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. To get an idea of what this bonus is worth, AwardWallet users redeem their IHG points at an average of 0.68¢ each.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Card Offers Available This Month
IHG One Rewards Traveler Card Benefits
While you won't find a plethora of benefits on the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card, there are a few worth mentioning.
Fourth night free
Cardholders receive the fourth night free on award stays. This effectively offers a 25% discount on award stays of four nights. 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 three nights.
How much value this provides 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 stay of 12 nights would mean three of the nights would be free.
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 $20,000 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 $20,000 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.
Earn 10,000 bonus points through spending
Cardholders will earn an extra 10,000 bonus points when spending $10,000 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 on points purchases
There are situations when buying points can save you a bundle compared to paying cash for your stay. It's important to note that, according to the terms and conditions, the 20% discount on points purchases can't be combined with other deals or discounts.
In other words, you likely won't be able to combine this discount with recurring promotions to buy IHG points with a discount or bonus, which regularly 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 of the U.S. when using certain credit cards. They're common on most no-annual-fee credit cards, so the fact that this card has no foreign fees is pretty great.
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 be in effect, you need to use your card to pay for your trip.
IHG One Rewards Traveler 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, utilities, select streaming services, and at gas stations.
- 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 Traveler Card.
Related: How Many IHG Rewards Points Can I Earn on Hotel Stays?
Redeeming Points With the IHG One Rewards Traveler 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 a few 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.
- Use points for digital purchases.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About IHG One Rewards
Application Restrictions
Like most personal credit cards that Chase offers, the IHG One Rewards Traveler 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 Rewards cards. According to the application terms,
“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 Traveler 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 Traveler Card if you've opened five or more new 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 Traveler Card
Not sure if the IHG One Rewards Traveler 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 Platinum Elite status, a free night award each year, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck or NEXUS statement credit, and more, all for a reasonable $99 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 Credit Card (Rates & Fees). Hyatt is known for its low award rates, excellent value, and great customer service. This card earns valuable hotel points, offers automatic low-tier elite status, and comes with a free night award. It also comes with the ability to spend your way toward higher elite status and an extra free night award. See our full World of Hyatt Card review for more information.
- 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 to IHG at a 1:1 ratio, but you can potentially get much more value from your points by taking advantage of some of Chase's airline transfer partners. The card also offers an annual $50 hotel credit, top-notch travel insurance, and great earning rates in multiple categories. Our full Sapphire Preferred review covers why we think this is the best starter credit card for most people learning about points and miles.
- 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® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
- 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
- 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 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 we think the IHG One Rewards Premier Card is an overall better card and worth the modest annual fee for the extra benefits it provides, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card isn't a card to dismiss.
With 80,000 bonus points on offer, no annual fee, the fourth night free on award stays, and no foreign transaction fees, the IHG One Rewards Traveler 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.
- Earn 80,000 Bonus Points
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get the 4th Night Free
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 17X points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, utilities, select streaming services, and at 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 Traveler Credit Cardmember
- Earn 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of 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)
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: IHG One Rewards Traveler 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)
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