IHG and Chase have made a major overhaul to the entire co-branded credit card lineup. The previous IHG Traveler, Premier, and Premier Business cards have all been changed, and a new IHG One Rewards Premier Select card with a $350 annual fee has been added. The product lineup has gone from the old “no-annual-fee card + $99 mid-tier card” structure to four cards covering annual fees from $0 all the way up to $350.
This change is not just about higher annual fees. Anniversary free nights, Elite Night Credits, Food & Beverage Credit, and Airline Credit have all received meaningful additions, but there are also some obvious cuts: for example, the Premier annual fee is going from $99 to $150, while the automatic elite status is being downgraded from Platinum to Gold; the no-annual-fee card will also no longer offer the fourth night free unconditionally starting in 2027.
As of October 1, 2026, the IHG website has officially posted the new cards and launch offers. Some old Chase product pages still show the old versions for now, so they are likely still in the middle of the transition.
Contents [Hide]
- 1 Comparison of the New and Old IHG Credit Cards
- 2 IHG One Rewards Credit Card: No-Annual-Fee Card
- 3 IHG Premier: $99 Increasing to $150, but the Anniversary Free Night Is Upgraded
- 4 IHG Premier Select: A Brand-New $350 Premium Card
- 5 IHG One Rewards Business: annual fee jumps straight to $200
- 6 There is also a noteworthy change to application restrictions
- 7 My take
Comparison of the New and Old IHG Credit Cards
Let’s start with the most important changes.
| Product | Old version | New version | Main changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-annual-fee card | IHG One Rewards Traveler
$0 annual fee |
IHG One Rewards Credit Card
$0 annual fee 125,000 / $2,000 |
Adds 5 Elite Night Credits each year; adds 3X at grocery stores; starting in 2027, fourth night free requires $5,000 in annual spending |
| Premier | $99 annual fee
140,000 / $3,000 |
$150 annual fee
180,000 / $3,000 |
15 Elite Night Credits each year; adds up to $100 in IHG dining benefits and a $100 Airline Credit |
| Premier Select | None | $350 annual fee
200,000 / $5,000 |
Brand-new premium card; 20 Elite Night Credits each year; up to $300 in IHG dining benefits and a $200 Airline Credit |
| Business | Premier Business
$99 annual fee |
IHG One Rewards Business
$200 annual fee |
15 Elite Night Credits each year; adds $100 in IHG dining, $100 Airline, and up to $100 Expensify Credit |
All new cards currently also have an additional launch offer: for personal cards, add an Authorized User within the first 3 months after account opening to earn an extra 10,000 IHG Points; for the Business card, add an Employee Card to earn an extra 10,000 points.
Below we will go through the changes to each card in detail.
IHG One Rewards Credit Card: No-Annual-Fee Card
The old IHG Traveler has effectively been replaced by the new IHG One Rewards Credit Card, and the annual fee remains $0.
Welcome bonus
The new welcome bonus is:
- Spend $2,000 in the first 3 months after account opening and earn 125,000 IHG Points;
- Add one Authorized User in the first 3 months and earn another 10,000 Points;
- Up to 135,000 Points in total.
Compared with the old Traveler’s 80,000-point bonus, the welcome bonus is clearly higher.
Earning rates
The everyday earning structure is now:
- IHG purchases: 5X;
- Dining, grocery stores, and gas stations: 3X;
- Other purchases: 2X.
The old card’s 3X categories for utilities, internet / cable / phone, and select streaming will remain through the end of 2026; after that, those categories will drop back to 2X. The new long-term 3X category adds grocery stores.
Benefit changes
In addition, the card now gives 5 Elite Night Credits each year simply for holding the card. These nights can be used toward elite status and Milestone Rewards. If you spend $15,000 in a year, you can also receive:
- IHG Gold Elite;
- 10,000 Bonus Points.
However, this card also has one fairly obvious cut. With the old Traveler, as long as you held the card, you could get the fourth night free on award stays of 4 consecutive nights. Starting in 2027, the new no-annual-fee card will require $5,000 in spending each Calendar Year to unlock the fourth night free benefit; once unlocked, it can be used through the end of that year and the next full Calendar Year.
IHG Premier: $99 Increasing to $150, but the Anniversary Free Night Is Upgraded
Premier is the most complicated card in this round of changes.
Annual fee: $99 → $150
Welcome bonus
- Spend $3,000 in the first 3 months: 180,000 Points;
- Add an Authorized User: 10,000 Points;
- Up to 190,000 Points total.
The old version’s current public offer is only 140,000 Points, so the new card’s welcome bonus is indeed higher.
Benefit changes
However, the automatic status from holding the card changes from Platinum → Gold. At first glance, this is clearly a downgrade. That said, the new Premier will give 15 Elite Night Credits each year, so its positioning is no longer “we hand you Platinum status directly,” but rather “we give you part of the nights so you can work your way toward Milestone Rewards and higher elite status yourself.”
You can also earn 2 Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 in spending, with no cap; when your total annual spending reaches $15,000, you additionally receive:
- Platinum Elite;
- An extra 5 Elite Night Credits;
- 15,000 Bonus Points.
Spending $40,000 in a year can still earn Diamond Elite.
The anniversary free night changes from 40,000 → 50,000. It still supports topping up with your own IHG Points, so in practice you are not limited to hotels costing 50,000 points or less. If a hotel requires 65,000 points, you can redeem using a 50,000 Certificate + 15,000 Points.
This update also adds two major credits:
- Up to $100 in IHG Food & Beverage Rewards each year: $25 is issued each quarter and must be used in that quarter; unused amounts do not roll over to the next quarter;
- $100 Airline reimbursement: each year, if you purchase at least $250 in airfare directly from an airline, you can receive a $100 reimbursement. The current terms are written through December 31, 2027.
In addition, the previous benefits currently remain:
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank each year;
- Up to $120 for Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS every 4 years;
- Fourth night free;
- Instacart;
- DashPass;
These benefits are currently still retained.
The IHG points purchase discount has also increased from the previous 20% to 30%.
So this card is now fairly interesting: the annual fee increases by $51, and Platinum is cut down to Gold, but at the same time you get a 50,000-point anniversary free night, 15 elite nights, and two new sets of credits.
If you already stay at IHG every year, the $100 dining certificate and the 50,000-point free night should be relatively easy to use; if you basically do not stay at IHG in a given year, then the extra coupon value is not as significant.
IHG Premier Select: A Brand-New $350 Premium Card
Premier Select is the truly new product in this round of changes.
Annual fee: $350
Welcome bonus
- Spend $5,000 in the first 3 months: 200,000 Points;
- Add an Authorized User: 10,000 Points;
- Up to 210,000 Points in total.
Cardholders receive directly:
- IHG Platinum Elite;
- 20 Elite Night Credits each year;
- One 60,000-point Anniversary Free Night each year, which can be topped up with points;
- Fourth night free on award stays of 4 consecutive nights.
Earning rates:
- IHG: 12X;
- Travel: 6X;
- Dining: 6X;
- Other purchases: 3X.
The biggest feature of this card is really its two sets of IHG / Airline credits:
- Up to $300 in IHG Food & Beverage Rewards: $75 per quarter;
- $200 airline reimbursement: triggered by purchasing at least $250 in airfare directly from airlines each year; currently valid through December 31, 2027.
There are also:
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank each year;
- Up to $120 for Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS every 4 years;
- Up to $10 in Instacart credit each month;
- DashPass and DoorDash benefits;
- At least 30% off when buying IHG Points.
If you are willing to put spend on the card, you can stack even more:
- Every $5,000 in spend: 2 Elite Night Credits;
- $15,000 in annual spend: an additional 5 Elite Night Credits + 20,000 Points;
- $25,000 in spend: Diamond Elite;
- $40,000 in spend: an additional 60,000-point Free Night.
So this card is clearly not just a card you get for the anniversary free night and then toss into a drawer. It is designed for people who frequently stay at IHG and are willing to chase status and Milestone Rewards.
If you can naturally use the $300 IHG Food & Beverage Credit every year, plus a 60,000-point anniversary free night, the $350 annual fee is not unreasonable. But its biggest issue is also very obvious: the Food & Beverage Credit is $75 per quarter, not a one-time $300 credit, so you need to stay at IHG every quarter to use it up more easily.
IHG One Rewards Business: annual fee jumps straight to $200
The old IHG Premier Business had an annual fee of only $99. This new version becomes: $200. That is a very large increase.
Welcome bonus
- Spend $5,000 in the first 3 months: 190,000 Points;
- Add one Employee Card: 10,000 Points;
- Up to 200,000 Points total.
Automatic Platinum Elite is still retained; it has not been downgraded to Gold like the personal Premier.
The anniversary free night goes from: 40,000 → 50,000. IHG Points top-up is also allowed.
Each year, the card will also directly provide 15 Elite Night Credits, and you earn another 2 Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 in spend.
The main new credits are:
- Up to $100 in IHG Food & Beverage Rewards each year, $25 per quarter;
- $100 airline reimbursement: spend at least $250 directly with airlines each year; the benefit currently runs through the end of 2027;
- Up to $100 in Expensify reimbursement each year.
The earning structure is:
- IHG: 10X;
- Dining, gas, and Social Media / Search Engine Advertising: 5X;
- Through the end of 2026, Travel and Office Supply remain 5X;
- Starting in 2027, Travel 5X narrows to airfare purchased directly from airlines and car rental companies; other Travel and Office Supply return to 3X;
- Other purchases: 3X.
Spending bonuses have also been redesigned:
- $25,000 in spend: 20,000 Points + an additional 5 Elite Night Credits;
- Starting in 2027, $50,000 in spend: Diamond Elite;
- $60,000 in spend: an additional 50,000-point Free Night.
By comparison, the old Premier Business offered a $100 statement credit + 10,000 Points after $20,000 in spend. Although the new version’s annual fee has almost doubled, the anniversary free night, elite nights, and various credits do add quite a bit.
There is also a noteworthy change to application restrictions
The new no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Credit Card and the Premier still currently follow the IHG personal card family rule:
- If you currently have any personal IHG One Rewards Credit Card, you cannot apply;
- If you received a new cardmember bonus on any personal IHG card in the past 24 months, you also cannot apply.
But the terms for the new Premier Select are different. The current Chase Offer Details state:
- If you currently have the Premier Select, you cannot apply;
- If you received the Premier Select’s own new cardmember bonus in the past 24 months, you cannot apply.
Reading the current terms literally, they do not say that holding other personal IHG cards affects Premier Select eligibility.
So if you already have the IHG Premier, in theory you may still be able to apply separately for the Premier Select and receive the welcome bonus. Of course, final eligibility and approval are still subject to what the application page actually shows and Chase’s decision.
The current offer details for the Business version also do not show the same IHG family rule as the personal cards.
My take
This time, IHG is not simply raising card prices; it is re-tiering the entire product lineup:
$0 IHG One Rewards → $150 Premier → $350 Premier Select
Plus one more: the Business card with a $200 annual fee
The two cards most worth paying attention to are these.
The first is the Premier. The annual fee only increases by $51, but the anniversary free night increases from 40,000 to 50,000, and it adds 15 Elite Night Credits, $100 in IHG dining, and a $100 Airline Credit. If you can naturally use these benefits anyway, the new version is not bad; the main problem is that automatic status is downgraded from Platinum to Gold.
The second is the brand-new Premier Select. It truly brings IHG credit cards into the premium hotel card tier: a $350 annual fee in exchange for a 60,000-point anniversary free night, Platinum status, 20 Elite Night Credits, plus $300 in IHG Food & Beverage and a $200 Airline Credit. For people who frequently stay at IHG, this card is much more interesting than a simple “drawer card.”
The no-annual-fee card actually has a relatively hidden devaluation: starting in 2027, the fourth-night-free benefit will require $5,000 in annual spend to unlock. A benefit that used to come just from holding the card will require spending on the card going forward.
The Business card has the most obvious price hike: $99 → $200. It adds quite a few new benefits, but whether it is worth keeping long term mainly depends on whether you can truly use the 50,000-point free night, $100 IHG Food & Beverage, Airline Credit, and Expensify benefits.
The new versions are now officially live on IHG’s website, though some older Chase product pages have not fully switched over yet. If you are preparing to apply, rely on the annual fee, welcome bonus, and terms shown on the final application page.
