Chase and IHG have a co-branded credit card portfolio. In a separate post, I’m covering how the entire existing card portfolio has been overhauled. In this post, I’d like to focus on the brand new premium card that has just been launched, which is the $350 annual fee The Brand New IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card. If you stay at IHG properties with any frequency, there’s good value to be had here.
Link: Learn more about the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card
IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card details
The new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card has a $350 annual fee, and offers the following key perks:
- Up to $300 in annual food & beverage rewards to redeem at IHG properties; this comes in the form of a $75 quarterly credit that will be deposited in your account, which can be redeemed during a hotel stay, and each needs to be used during a single stay
- A $200 annual airline statement credit on qualifying flight purchases, currently valid through December 31, 2027; just book a flight directly with an airline costing at least $250, and you’ll get a $200 statement credit
- Up to $50 United TravelBank Cash annually, in the form of a semi-annual credit of $25
- An anniversary free night award valid at a property costing up to 60,000 points, though you can redeem at more expensive properties by topping off the certificate with points
- Automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum elite status, and IHG One Rewards Diamond status when you spend $25,000 on the card in a calendar year
- 20 elite night credits toward status each calendar year, to help you unlock Milestone Rewards perks, plus two additional elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card
- A fourth night free on award redemptions, when you redeem for a consecutive four night stay
- 12x points on IHG spending, 6x points on dining and all other travel (including rideshare), and 3x points on all other purchases
To celebrate the launch, for applications through November 18, 2026, the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card has a welcome offer of 200,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months. Note that eligibility for this card, including the welcome bonus, is unrelated to having any other IHG credit card. So you’d be eligible for the welcome offer if you have one of the other IHG credit cards, whether personal or business.
My take on the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card
As you can see, IHG’s new premium credit card falls in the $300-400 price range, which seems to be a new price point that card issuers are increasingly adding, as a middle ground between the reasonable annual fee cards (fees of around $100) and the ultra premium cards (fees of $600 or more). This is in the same general range as the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card (learn more), Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (learn more), etc.
What’s my take on the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card? Well, I think like the value proposition of many other premium cards nowadays, the math works out quite nicely if you actually stay at IHG properties with any frequency. It’s just a function of how much effort you’re willing to put in. A few thoughts on the value proposition:
- The $200 airline credit is basically good as cash to me, with the major restriction being that this benefit is only currently available through the end of 2027; that’s not to say it won’t be extended, and one can always cancel the card in the future if it no longer works
- The up to $300 in food & beverage credits is great if you actually stay at IHG properties with any frequency, and spend a fair bit on dining
- Having a more valuable free night award is also a solid perk, and I’d say that’s easily $250-300 of value right there, in and of itself
- The status upside with this card is significant, especially since status perks with some of IHG’s other cards are being cut with the current refresh
As I see it, the airline credit and free night award alone more than justify the annual fee on the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card by a wide margin, and everything else is just the icing on the cake. So yeah, I think there’s lots of merit to picking up this card, if you’re eligible to be approved for Chase cards.
The first year value proposition is also particularly good. Not only do you get the huge welcome offer, but you can potentially take advantage of things like the airline credit twice before the second annual fee is even due.
Bottom line
The IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card has just been launched. The $350 annual fee card has strong perks, including up to $300 in annual food & beverage credits, up to $200 in annual airline credits, a free night award valid at a property costing up to 60K points, IHG Platinum status, and much more. Add in the great bonus, and there’s a good argument to be made for picking up this card.
What do you make of the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card?
Eh, I'm all for a new SUB. But, "status upside with this card is significant" ...I donno; we used to get Platinum with the prior Premier card, and it's annual fee was *checks notes* just $99. (And if we spend $75K/yr on CSR, that's receives Diamond... not that $75K is reasonable for most, but still.)
Why do you infest every travel blog?
I've got platinum status with IHG on my $49 Select card. lol
Definitely keep that grandfathered/legacy/zombie card as long as they'll let you!
They also just updated the One Premier Rewards card as well - now a $150 fee and basically the same perks as this card but half the amounts. I'm just glad I still have the $49 card as well.
Lucky, in this article you say "The status upside with this card is significant". But in the article right after this one, about the existing IHG cards, you say "not that I’ve actually ever received any meaningful perks for being a Platinum member." That sounds to me a bit too much like pushing people to the higher fee card.
This card is not the massive turd that Chase has usually laid the past 18 months whenever there is a refresh of one of its cards. Its just a small one. But at this point our expectations are so low that if they do not botch it up completely we think its heck of a job!
if you have IHJ card AT $99 can youupgrade to IHJ $350 card to get 200k bonus point?
Probably not as upgrading from one card product to another doesn't usually come with a sign-up bonus. But, why would you upgrade when you could just apply for it as a new card? Having the existing card doesn't preclude you from being able to be approved and get the sign up bonus on this new card product. The article even says so.
Given that IHG One is my fallback program, which I have been using increasingly, especially during my Year-end Asian Escapades™, going for this "premium" MC card was a no-brainer.
I pulled the trigger and was approved instantly. I may have to get rid of the 'just-refreshed' Rewards Premier MC, which is now much less compelling, especially with the higher AF.
Can you product change the $49 IHG select card to this card? Thanks
I have that card and would never upgrade for this. A 40k point certificate, Platinum Elite status (which they now don't even give on the Premier card), the points rebate on award stays, the cost to benefits ratio is about the best of any credit card I have. If I were you, I'd either think of a different IHG card to upgrade (like if you have Premier) or would apply for it outright and carry both cards.
I wonder how long they will let us have the grandfathered perks of the Select card. Hard to believe they are not going to finally change it/kill it.
I have the$95 card now. It's been useful. I use ihg mainly as single night stays at airports during transit or emergencies like bad flight cancelations from weather. Unlike Marriott and Hilton ihg haven't devalued quite so badly. I'll upgrade to this card. I just need the free night and$200 air each year to justify it. 200k ihg will probably get me 7 airport hotel nights. At least until they devalue which seems like the...
I have the$95 card now. It's been useful. I use ihg mainly as single night stays at airports during transit or emergencies like bad flight cancelations from weather. Unlike Marriott and Hilton ihg haven't devalued quite so badly. I'll upgrade to this card. I just need the free night and$200 air each year to justify it. 200k ihg will probably get me 7 airport hotel nights. At least until they devalue which seems like the business process these days. Mind as well squeeze what I can before this points game burst.
@Lucky I noticed the introduction of several new IHG-Chase cards. Are we able to product stack any of them for the elite nights? Like if you get this card with the mid tier and no annual fee, do we start the year with 40 elite nights? For those with the legacy select cards, are we eligible for any of the new cards?
Does it mean automatic reaching of the 20 nights milestone? That means 5,000 Bonus Points / 2x 20 USD Food & Beverage Rewards / 1x Confirmable Suite Upgrade.