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Offers for the IHG®
If you still carry the legacy IHG® Rewards Select Credit Card, you might have gotten a change-in-terms notice in your inbox. The bad news? The annual fee is going up from $49 to $99. The good news? Your annual free night certificate might become more useful.
Here's what we do and don't know so far, and whether this card is still worth a spot in your wallet.
Changes Coming to the IHG Select Card
The IHG Select Card has been closed to new applicants since 2018, but many cardholders (like me) held on to it for the free night certificate. Chase and IHG recently announced a newly refreshed lineup of IHG cards, complete with a brand new premium card, the
However, Chase said nothing about the IHG Select Card in its announcement, leaving many cardholders in uncertainty.
Increase in annual fee
Keep an eye on your Chase account and your mailbox. Cardholders began receiving notices in October 2026, so if yours hasn't arrived yet (like mine), it is probably on the way.
The notice amends the Cardmember Agreement, effective December 2, 2026, raising the annual fee from $49 to $99. However, the new annual fee will not take effect until your renewal date in 2027.
This was a long time coming. The $49 fee had not increased since Chase pulled the card from the market in 2018. Legacy products eventually get repriced, so eight years is a long time.
If you don't want to keep the card and pay the new annual fee in 2027, you have a few options. The easiest option will be to request a product change. Chase can move your account to an eligible Chase card, which allows you to keep the credit line and account history.
Alternatively, you can close the account. Chase will refund the annual fee as long as you close within 30 days of the charge. Keep in mind that the IHG Select Card isn't available anymore. Once you close or convert the account, you can't go back.
Free night certificate might become more valuable
Changes in benefits are still unconfirmed. The biggest perk, the annual free night certificate, has been capped at a redemption value of 40,000 points for years. Meanwhile, the other cards in the refreshed lineup saw higher redemption caps and the ability to top off certificates with extra points.
Rumors are swirling that these perks will be extended to IHG Select Card holders. Doctor of Credit indicates Chase has increased the certificate value by 10,000 points — up to 50,000 points per certificate — but we don't know for sure.
Other benefits, like automatic Platinum status and the 10% rebate on certificates, should remain.
Is the IHG Select Card Worth $99?
For regular IHG guests, the card is likely still worth $99 each year. The anniversary free night alone can cover the fee, but I hope you can soon top it off with more IHG points. I've found it harder and harder to use the free night in recent years. Still, I can find interesting redemptions, like my upcoming stay at the Kimpton Shorebreak in Ft. Lauderdale.
Platinum Elite status allows for room upgrades when available, late checkout, and bonus points on paid stays. The 10% rebate on redemptions can be super impactful for an IHG loyalist. At $49, an unused certificate was easier to stomach. At $99, an unused certificate is a bit harder to justify.
Bottom Line
Chase is doubling the annual fee on the legacy IHG Select Card from $49 to $99, beginning in 2027. If you use the free night every year, $99 is still a fair price for the card's benefits. For some, we'll have to wait and see what benefits change to decide whether the increase is worth keeping the card.
