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Hotels are one of the biggest expenses when it comes to vacationing -- but with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card in your pocket, it won't take you long to get to a free hotel stay. This is a hotel credit card favorite for good reason: It comes with a generous sign-up bonus, a great rewards rate, and perks like hotel status and annual free nights. Discover all the travel benefits of this card in our IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card review.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Rewards Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
3X - 26X points
Annual Fee N/A
$99
Welcome Offer Earn 5 Free Nights after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 5 Free Nights
This card has a very lucrative bonus you can earn after opening an account, and allows you to rack up tons of point on hotel stays.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
$200 cash rewards Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. | 2% cash rewards Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. |
Intro: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers Regular: 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
25,000 points 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases | 1.5 points per dollar Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. |
Intro: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) |
Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
This credit card is a good fit for: Travelers who want to earn free nights and get special perks at IHG® hotels.
Spending at least $4,000 in the first 3 months will earn you 5 free nights bonus points and a free night. This is a very competitive sign-up bonus for the annual fee.
Every year on your card anniversary you'll be gifted a free night that can be used at any IHG® hotel that's worth 40,000 points per night or fewer.
Cardholders are automatically upgraded to IHG® Rewards Club Platinum Elite status, which comes with a few useful perks. You'll get 20% off point purchases, the anniversary free night, and a fourth reward night free. The latter benefit gives you a free reward night every time you book an award stay of four nights or more.
For those who travel abroad frequently, it's important to have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card does not charge one.
The $99 annual fee is lower than many travel credit cards, but it's not waived the first year. The annual free night is offered as an incentive to keep the card and pay the fee, but because the annual free night can be redeemed only at hotels valued at 40,000 points or below, there is a limit to how much value you can get from it.
If you're looking to redeem your points for something other than a stay at an IHG® hotel, you won't have much luck. While this credit card does offer plenty of options for transferring your points to various airlines, most of them transfer at a rate of 10,000 points for 2,000 miles, meaning even the 5 free nights-point sign-up bonus isn't enough for a round-trip flight on most airlines.
While the sign-up bonus and rewards rate on this card are massive, the points you earn are worth less than most other hotel points. We calculate that IHG® points are worth $0.005 each on average.
Read more: Best Travel Cards With No Annual Fee
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
Applicants with excellent credit (a FICO® Score of at least 670) have a great chance of approval for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is a very high-value card for people who stay in IHG® hotels regularly, and even for those who just want to travel more often and enjoy IHG® properties. Even though there's an annual fee, we calculate the sign-up bonus on this card to be worth at least $625 in hotel spending.
In addition, if you travel regularly, you'll still find the card worthwhile beyond the sign-up bonus. The Global Entry statement credit saves you $100 every four years. And the annual free night perk alone makes the annual fee worth it if you already have plans to stay in a qualifying IHG® hotel the following year.
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
The minimum starting credit limit for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is $2,000. Credit limits vary depending on the applicant's creditworthiness, and some cardholders have reported much higher limits of $15,000 or more.
No, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card isn't free. It has a $99 annual fee.
No, points earned with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card don't expire as long as your card remains active. Cardholders are automatically upgraded to IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card status, and points don't expire when you have elite status. Without elite status, points would expire after 12 months of no account activity.
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