Every account anniversary, this card gives you a free night certificate, redeemable for stays up to 40,000 points. That benefit alone can more than make up for the annual fee of $99.
But if you’re still not convinced, here are some other reasons this card is worth a look.
1. The welcome offer could be worth more than a week of free stays
You have an opportunity to earn a giant pile of points in one punch thanks to the card’s new limited-time welcome offer: Earn 165,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
2. Your anniversary free night lets you book a room worth more than the annual fee
On each anniversary as a cardholder, you’ll receive a certificate good for a night at any eligible IHG hotel or resort up to 40,000 points. If the room you want costs more, you can top off the award with additional points, giving you more flexibility to max out this benefit.
You’re on the hook for incidental charges such as parking fees and mandatory resort fees if applicable. Still, that’s a sweet deal.
The Kimpton Aluna Hotel in Tulum, Mexico, located on the southern tip of the Mayan Riviera, often costs about 40,000 points per night. (Photo courtesy of Kimpton)
3. Rewards bookings include a fourth night for free
If one night free isn’t enough for you, here’s a chance to earn more: When you book a stay on points for four or more consecutive nights, your fourth night is free.
If you take advantage of this benefit, you’ll be charged the point redemption rate for the first three nights and 0 points for the fourth night. As long as you’re booking on points, there’s no cap to this perk either. You can use it as many times as you want.
4. The card offers automatic Platinum elite status
The card comes with automatic Platinum status in the IHG One Rewards Club program. Though Platinum status isn’t the highest tier (that’s Diamond) and doesn’t come with extras like free breakfast, it still has plenty of decent perks, like:
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60% bonus points on paid stays.
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Complimentary room upgrades (subject to availability).
5. You can rack up points fairly quickly
If you don’t have enough IHG points to actually book on points, here’s a way to rapidly earn them.
Use this card, and you’ll earn 26 total points per $1 spent on most IHG hotel stays. Here’s how that breaks down:
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10 points for paying with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.
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10 points from your free IHG Rewards Club membership at most properties. You’ll be automatically enrolled when you’re approved for the card if you previously weren’t a member.
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6 points from Platinum Elite status, an automatic benefit of card ownership.
A two-night stay at a $200-per-night hotel could get you more than 10,000 points. And yes, room redemptions start at 10,000 points. By paying with this card, you don’t have to work too hard to start earning free nights.
6. Cardholders can get a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus credit
If you hate waiting for airport security, this card has a slick benefit that’ll help speed you through those winding lines: As a cardholder, you’ll receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for Global Entry, Nexus or TSA PreCheck application fees charged to your card.
7. It has no foreign transaction fees
Travel credit cards worth adding to your wallet usually don’t charge foreign transaction fees, and this one’s no exception. If you make purchases internationally, you want to avoid these fees, which can add 1% to 3% to your total. Keep that money for your own travel fund.
8. It includes travel protections
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card comes with a slew of travel protection and trip insurance-related benefits when you pay for the trip with your card.
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Trip cancellation and interruption.
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Lost luggage reimbursement.