IHG Credit Card Refresh
Chase’s lineup of IHG co-branded cards got a complete revamp today, including the launch of a new premium card. Expect new benefits (but with higher annual fees, in some cases) across existing cards. The biggest upgrades are aimed at regular IHG travelers, with tweaks to everything from Anniversary Free Nights and elite status to statement credits and bonus categories. Meanwhile, some existing benefits have been scaled back. Existing cardmembers will be notified in October about the effective dates of the new benefits, and their annual fees will be adjusted in 2027. Let's take a look at what is changing with the IHG credit card refresh and what it means for each card.
IHG Card Overhaul
The IHG credit card refresh represents a complete makeover of the Chase co-branded credit cards, with new names and updated perks.
New Elevated Welcome Offers
- NEW – IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card: Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- The New IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Earn 180,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- The New IHG One Rewards Credit Card: Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- The New IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card: Earn 190,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Sweeping Changes for the Premier and Business Cards
Annual fees have increased on the existing annual-fee cards alongside new credits, elite-night benefits and enhanced free night certificates. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card now runs $150 annually, while the renamed IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card‘s annual fee more than doubled to $200. Both offer Anniversary Free Nights (now with an enhanced 50,000-point cap), up to $100 in annual IHG Food & Beverage Rewards (earned as $25 credits per calendar quarter) and 15 elite night credits each year, plus two additional elite night credits for every $5,000 spent.
What the Premier card gains with elite night credits, it loses with its automatic status benefit, which drops from Platinum to Gold elite. However, the Premier card adds a $100 annual airline statement credit (on flights of $250 or more booked each calendar year with the airline through 12/31/27), as well as up to $50 United® TravelBank Cash. It also adds grocery stores as a 5X category, alongside 5x on flights booked directly with the airline, restaurants, gas stations and car rental agencies. It earns 3x on all other eligible purchases. The business card retains automatic Platinum status, while adding a $100 annual airline credit (on flights of $250 or more booked each calendar year with the airline through 12/31/27), and up to $100 in annual statement credits towards Expensify purchases.
A New Premium Option
The New IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card sits at the top of the IHG credit card refresh lineup, with a $350 annual fee. It offers up to $300 in annual IHG Food & Beverage Rewards, a $200 annual airline statement credit, up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash and a 60,000-point Anniversary Free Night that can be topped off with points. The card earns up to 28X total points at IHG properties (which includes 12x points with your card, up to 10x points from IHG on stays for being an IHG One Rewards Member and up to 6x points from IHG on stays with Platinum Elite Status). It earns 6X on dining and all other travel including rideshare, plus 3X on all other purchases.
It comes with automatic Platinum Elite status and 20 elite night credits annually. Cardmembers can earn another two elite night credits for every $5,000 spent, while additional spending can unlock elevated status, another free night and bonus points. The Select is clearly a more benefits-heavy alternative to the standard Premier, but its $350 fee means getting full value will depend heavily on using its annual credits and IHG perks.
Changes for the No-Annual-Fee Card
Following the IHG credit card refresh, the former IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is now simply the IHG One Rewards Credit Card and continues to have no annual fee. It earns 3X on dining, gas stations and now grocery stores. Cardholders can get automatic Silver Elite status and five elite night credits each year. But cardmembers must spend $5,000 on the card after 12/31/26 to unlock the fourth-night-free benefit, making what was formerly a standard benefit for this card less accessible. The other cards still retain the full perk.
IHG Credit Card Refresh: ToP Thoughts
While IHG doesn’t have quite the same popularity among award travelers as other hotel groups, it does have a wide footprint that could make its revamped card lineup worth a look for international travelers. The cards added more benefits and coupons, bringing greater differentiation between cards. However, it comes with mostly higher annual fees. The enhanced elite night credits should appeal to IHG status chasers. Meanwhile, the $0 annual fee card took a hit with a new spending requirement for the fourth-night-free benefit. The new Premier Select could be an intriguing premium option, but justifying its higher annual fee will depend on how frequently you stay with IHG and how easily you can use its coupons. What do you think of the IHG credit card refresh ? Share your thoughts in our Facebook group.
