Collect up to 140,000 points with these IHG credit card sign-up bonuses

If you're planning a trip to any IHG properties — including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, InterContinental, and Hotel Indigo — an IHG co-branded card can save you a substantial amount each year.

And that doesn't even include the enticing welcome bonuses.

Let's take a closer look at these welcome offers to find out which IHG One Rewards card suits you best.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

Welcome bonus: New cardholders can earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months of opening the account

Based on TPG's October 2024 valuations, this bonus is valued at up to $700. This is the standard sign-up offer commonly associated with this card.

Annual fee: $99

Earning rate: 10 points per dollar spent on IHG stays, 5 points per dollar on all other travel, dining (including takeout and eligible delivery), and gas stations, plus 3 points per dollar on all other qualified purchases.

Why we recommend it: This card offers a complimentary night worth up to 40,000 points each year on your account anniversary, along with the ability to enhance your reward for a more premium night. Additional benefits include automatic IHG Platinum Elite status (with a pathway to Diamond), up to $50 in United TravelBank cash annually, coverage for your application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus every four years, and more — all for a $99 annual fee.

When you factor in the card's fourth-night-free benefit (pay for three nights with points and get the fourth free), you could enjoy up to 20 award nights at IHG properties with this single sign-up bonus. Reward nights begin at just 10,000 points each, offering options from convenient locations in the U.S. to international stays in cities like Berlin, Brazil, and beyond.

For additional information, check out our complete review of the IHG Premier card.

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

Welcome bonus: New cardholders can receive 100,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 within the first three months of opening the account

As per TPG's October 2024 valuations, this bonus is valued at $500. While this offer is slightly below the highest-ever welcome offer we've seen for the card, it still meets our guidelines for when to apply.

Annual fee: $0

Earning rate: 5 points per dollar on IHG stays, 3 points per dollar on utilities, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services, 3 points per dollar on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery) and gas stations, plus 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Why we recommend it: The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card, which has no annual fee, grants automatic Silver Elite status and offers a fourth night free when booking with points. Additionally, the current sign-up bonus is attractive for a card with no annual cost.

For further information, check out our complete review of the IHG Traveler card.

IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. According to TPG's October 2024 valuations, these 140,000 IHG points are worth $700.

Annual fee: $99

Earning rate: 10 points per dollar spent on IHG stays, 5 points per dollar on travel, dining, gas, social media and search engine advertising, as well as at office supply stores, plus 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Why we recommend it: The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card shares many of the same fantastic benefits as the consumer version — the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.

For example, the annual free night certificate (valued at up to 40,000 points) can be supplemented with an unlimited number of points, and you’ll also enjoy elite benefits thanks to automatic IHG Platinum elite status. Cardholders will earn an additional free night certificate worth up to 40,000 points (which can also be topped off with extra points) after spending $60,000 each calendar year.

Additional perks include reimbursement for your application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus once every four years, a fourth night free on award stays, and up to $50 in United TravelBank credit each calendar year.

For further information, check out our complete review of the IHG Business card.

Benefits of choosing an IHG One Rewards card beyond the bonus

While the allure of earning a substantial bonus for adding a new card to your collection is strong, these three cards provide significant value beyond that initial points bonus.

Elite status

Each IHG One Rewards card grants some form of automatic elite status.

For instance, cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Premier and IHG One Rewards Premier Business automatically receive IHG Platinum Elite status. If you spend several nights annually at IHG properties, you should easily recoup the $99 annual fee for either the consumer or business version of the Premier card.

Fourth-night-reward benefit

All IHG One Rewards cardholders automatically receive a complimentary fourth night when redeeming points for stays of four or more nights.

The value of this benefit varies based on your travel habits. It's not particularly advantageous for those who only make short hotel stays, but it can be highly beneficial for travelers who stay long enough to take full advantage of it. Plus, there’s no limit on the number of points you can save with this perk.

According to TPG's October 2024 valuations, IHG points are valued at 0.5 cents each. Therefore, a single fourth-night reward at a property costing 20,000 points saves you $100 in IHG points.

Category bonuses

The IHG One Rewards cards allow you to accumulate points quickly, thanks to their bonus categories — including gas, which is a significant recurring expense for many households.

But there’s more. With the IHG One Rewards Premier and IHG One Rewards Premier Business cards, you'll automatically receive Platinum Elite status, earning a 60% bonus on points for IHG hotel stays. Since IHG One Rewards members earn 10 points per dollar at most properties, this elite bonus brings your total to 16 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels. Combine that with the 10 points per dollar from the card, and you’ll earn a total of 26 points for every dollar spent at IHG properties.

20% discount on purchasing points

Lastly, if you need to boost your IHG points balance, you can enjoy a 20% discount when purchasing points with your card. Coupled with the option to enhance free night certificates, this benefit can be useful for accumulating rewards for those dream stays.

Application rules

You can hold multiple IHG credit cards, but keep in mind that IHG One Rewards cards, like all Chase cards, are subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. This means if you’ve opened five or more personal credit card accounts with any bank in the past 24 months, Chase is unlikely to approve your application.

Be aware that you are also ineligible if any of the following exclusions apply to you:

• For personal cards: If you currently possess a personal IHG One Rewards credit card (including the discontinued IHG One Rewards Select Credit Card, which is no longer available for new applicants) or if you have received a bonus on any personal IHG credit card in the last 24 months.
• For the IHG Business card: If you received a new cardmember bonus on this card within the last 24 months.

Final thoughts

Even occasional travelers can reap the rewards of an IHG credit card, thanks to the automatic elite status and the complimentary free-night certificate you receive annually. Considering these attractive welcome offers, now might be an ideal time to apply.