dailynewsnblog
Chase and IHG One Rewards just expanded their cobranded card offerings with a new premium IHG credit card.
This card, the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card, is a premium card designed for frequent IHG guests.
It’s now open to new applicants, so here’s what you should know.
Welcome offer
New IHG One Rewards Premier Select members can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This limited-time offer is available through Nov. 18.
TPG’s October 2026 valuations put IHG points at 0.6 cents each, meaning 200,000 points are worth $1,200.
Plus, new cardmembers can earn another 10,000 bonus points after adding an authorized user to their account within the first three months from account opening.
The offer terms state that the card isn’t available to current or previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.
Since the Premier Select is brand-new, holding another IHG One Rewards card shouldn’t make you ineligible for this offer. Of course, keep in mind Chase’s 5/24 rule and other application restrictions.
Annual fee
The annual fee on the new IHG Premier Select Credit Card is $350.
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In terms of how this annual fee compares to other popular hotel credit cards, it’s most similar to that of the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card, which charges $395.
But, the IHG Premier Select’s $350 annual fee is also lower than that of several other premium hotel credit cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ($650 annual fee; see rates and fees) and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ($550 annual fee; see rates and fees).
And for many frequent IHG guests, the ongoing perks on the new IHG Premier Select can provide more value than the card’s annual fee.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
IHG perks
The primary reason to get the IHG Premier Select card is the perks it offers for IHG stays. Here’s a look at these perks:
Cardmembers will receive 20 elite night credits within six to eight weeks of opening their card and 20 elite night credits by Feb. 1 each calendar year thereafter. These 20 elite nights are enough to unlock the first IHG Milestone Reward, which lets you choose 5,000 bonus points, two $20 food-and-beverage rewards or one confirmable suite upgrade.
The annual food and beverage rewards and the anniversary free night certificate can offer enough value on their own to justify the IHG Premier Select’s $350 annual fee. But you’ll only get the full $300 in annual value if you can fully use the $75 in food and beverage rewards available each quarter. Each $75 voucher expires at the end of the quarter in which it’s issued and can only be used during one stay (any unused value is forfeited).
Earning rates
The IHG Premier Select Credit Card’s earning rates are solid, though its IHG-specific benefits are likely to be a bigger reason to get it. Here’s a look at its earning rates:
- Up to 28 total points per dollar spent on stays at IHG properties
- 6 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and all other travel
- 3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
The up to 28 points per dollar spent on IHG stays sounds amazing — until you notice that the card only actually provides 12 points per dollar spent on IHG stays. The up to 28 total points also include up to 16 points per dollar spent on IHG stays that you get as an IHG Platinum Elite member (a status you automatically get as an IHG Premier Select cardholder), regardless of the card you use to pay.
IHG Premier Select cardmembers can also unlock the following benefits by spending with their card:
- 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on purchases
- 5 elite night credits and 20,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases within a calendar year
- Diamond Elite status for the remainder of the calendar year in which you qualify and the following calendar year after spending $25,000 on purchases within a calendar year
- An additional free night award for a night with a point redemption value of 60,000 points or less after spending $40,000 on purchases within a calendar year
Statement credits and other benefits
The IHG Premier Select card also offers the following non-IHG travel perks:
- $200 airline statement credit per calendar year when you make a purchase of at least $250 with your card for flight tickets booked directly with the airline (this credit is only available through Dec. 31, 2027)
- Up to $120 statement credit every four years for a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee paid with your card
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank cash each calendar year, offered as $25 around Jan. 5 that expires July 15 and $25 around July 5 that expires Jan. 15 (one-time activation required)
- 3 months of complimentary Instacart+ membership (when you activate your membership for the first time with your card by Dec. 31, 2027), plus $10 in Instacart credits monthly while you have an active Instacart+ membership
- 12 months of complimentary DashPass (when you activate your membership for the first time with your card by Dec. 31, 2027), plus $10 off each month at checkout on one qualifying non-restaurant order on DoorDash (as long as you remain enrolled in a DashPass membership)
You’ll also enjoy no foreign transaction fees and standard World Elite Mastercard benefits.
How does the Premier Select compare to other IHG cards?
Alongside the IHG Premier Select launch, the existing IHG cards are also being refreshed. Chase says existing IHG cardmembers will receive details in October about when their new benefits take effect, while annual fee changes will take effect in 2027. But, here’s how the new card compares to the refreshed portfolio:
| Card | Annual fee | Automatic elite status | Standout benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card | $350 | Platinum Elite |
|
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | $150 | Gold Elite |
|
IHG One Rewards Credit Card | $0 | Silver Elite |
|
IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card | $200 | Platinum Elite |
|
If you stay at IHG properties enough to maximize most of the annual food and beverage rewards and redeem the anniversary free night for a night costing 60,000 points or more, the IHG Premier Select will likely provide the best value. This is especially true if the extra elite night credits each year will help you earn Diamond Elite status through nights or secure additional IHG Milestone Rewards perks.
Related: Best time to apply for IHG Chase cards based on offer history
My take
The IHG Premier Select is clearly designed for travelers who often stay at IHG properties. Its $350 annual fee is substantial, but frequent IHG guests should have multiple opportunities to offset it through the up to $300 in annual food and beverage rewards and the 60,000-point anniversary free night.
It’s also great to see a relatively flexible airline credit. Other cards split this up quarterly or limit the types of purchases that are eligible. In fact, since it’s a calendar year benefit, you should be able to get one $200 credit now and another in early 2027 (assuming you spend at least $250 directly with an airline on each purchase).
I’m particularly interested in the 20 elite night credits cardmembers get each year. Those elite night credits are enough to unlock IHG’s first Milestone Reward each year and can provide a meaningful head start toward Diamond Elite status and additional Milestone Rewards.
That makes the card an easy choice for my husband, who strives to earn IHG Diamond Elite status each year. The 20 elite night credits will help him toward that goal, and since we stay at IHG properties regularly, we’ll be able to use the food and beverage rewards before they expire each quarter.
The card is much less compelling for me, though. I usually travel with my husband, so I rarely credit IHG stays to my own account (unless I’m redeeming an anniversary free night). I’d have a much harder time fully using quarterly food and beverage rewards, as the cardmember must be checked into an eligible IHG stay to use these rewards, and the elite night credits wouldn’t be nearly as valuable to me.
That contrast gets to the heart of the new IHG Premier Select card. It isn’t simply a more expensive IHG card with a longer list of benefits. It’s a premium card aimed at travelers who frequently stay with IHG and can make meaningful use of its hotel-specific perks. For those travelers, the 200,000-point launch offer makes the card especially compelling.
Bottom line
The new IHG Premier Select offers a strong mix of IHG-specific perks, elite-night credits and travel benefits for frequent IHG guests.
And with a limited-time 200,000-point welcome offer, it could be especially compelling for travelers who can make full use of the card’s ongoing benefits.
