The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is one of the most rewarding credit cards on the market today. It has an enticing sign-up bonus and an attractive earn rate on everyday purchases. Basically, it’s a no-brainer if you’re staying at IHG hotel properties. Though this card has its pros, it also comes with its cons. 

That’s why we created this guide to save you the hassle of digging into the card details and figuring out the best part about it — so that you could start using it right away. Rather than rambling on, here’s our guide with all the important details covered.

Benefits of Using This Card

IHG has a credit card that gives you rewards when you travel (InterContinental Hotels Group). This card is made for people who stay at IHG hotels often and want to get rewards for what they spend.

Using their credit card has a number of benefits, such as:

1. Cardholders can get up to 26 points for every dollar spent at IHG hotels, 5 points for every dollar spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants, and 3 point for every dollar spent on everything else.
2. Cardholders can get 140,000 IHG Rewards points as a welcome bonus if they spend $3,000 in the first three months.
3. The card gives you automatic Platinum Elite status, which gives you perks like being able to check out later, and getting free room upgrades.
4. Cardholders can use their IHG Rewards points for free nights at IHG hotels, flights, car rentals, gift cards, merchandise, and digital rewards.

How To Earn Rewards?

Now that we see how fancy the IHG premier credit card benefits, let’s see how we can earn rewards in order to avail awesome perks.

• 26 points for every dollar spent at IHG hotels: Cardholders can earn 26 IHG Rewards points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases at IHG hotels.
• 5 points for every dollar spent on certain categories: Cardholders can get two IHG Rewards points for every dollar they spend on gas, groceries, and food.
• 3 point for Every $1 Spent on Everything Else: Cardholders will get 1x IHG Rewards point for every $1 spent on everything else.

Bonus Types and Potential Earnings

• Sign-up Bonus: After spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, cardholders can get 140,000 IHG Rewards points as a sign-up bonus.
• Elite Status: Cardholders automatically get Platinum Elite status, which gives them extra perks like being able to check out later, and getting an upgrade on their room.
• Free Night Certificate: Each year after the account’s anniversary, cardholders get a free night certificate that can be used at more than 5,000 hotels around the world.

By getting the most out of the IHG Credit Card, you can get a lot of rewards for their spending and quickly collect IHG Rewards points for free hotel stays, flights, and other rewards.

How To Redeem Points?

After earning the points, it’s time to redeem it. And here are two ways in how you do it:

1. Redeem Online

Cardholders can use their IHG Rewards points on the IHG Rewards website to get free nights at IHG hotels, flights, car rentals, gift cards, merchandise, and digital rewards.

2. Book Directly with IHG Hotels

Cardholders can also use their IHG Rewards points to get free nights at IHG hotels by calling IHG or making a reservation directly through the website.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Points?

Discovering the power of rewards cards definitely requires a bit of a learning curve but the rewards can be well worth it. If you want to know how to get the most out of your rewards points, rather than just swap them for miles or cash back and get the same cheap flight while everyone else is taking advantage of it too, here’s how to do it:

1. Book Award Nights: Booking award nights is one of the best ways to get the most out of your IHG Rewards points, since the cost of a free night can vary a lot depending on the hotel, time of year, and location.
2. Transferring Points to Airlines: Cardholders can exchange 10,000 IHG Rewards points for 2,000 airline miles on certain airlines.
3. Take advantage of bonus point promotions: IHG often has bonus point promotions for people who stay at its hotels, which can make your IHG Rewards points worth a lot more.

Annual Fee and Other Fees

Of course, like other cards, the IHG Premier Credit Card has an annual fee. While this cost can be hard to swallow, there are also perks that ease the blow. Plus, with the right time and circumstances, you can waive it.

The fee for the credit card is $99 per year. The fee isn’t charged for the first year, but it will be every year after that.

Other Charges

There are no foreign transaction fees with the credit card, but there is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is higher. A cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is higher, is also charged.

Interest rates and APR

The APR for purchases and balance transfers can range from 20.24% to 27.24%, depending on how good your credit is. If the cardholder makes a late payment or breaks the card’s rules, the penalty APR can go as high as 27.24%. 

Final Thoughts

The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card is a great choice for travelers who stay at IHG hotels often and want to get rewards and perks from them. It is a good deal because it has a good sign-up bonus, lets you earn rewards points on everyday purchases, and lets you use rewards points to get free hotel stays.

Before applying for a credit card, though, it’s important to think about how you spend money and where you travel so that the rewards and benefits fit your needs and preferences. You should also compare this particular card to other hotel credit cards to see which one gives you the best deal.