Which IHG credit card is best for you?

To help you rack up IHG points and get to your next reward night faster, Chase offers two co-branded IHG credit cards – the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card. Whether you are looking for a no-annual-fee card to help you earn more points or are willing to pay for extra hotel perks, there is an option for you. Plus, both cards offer generous sign-up bonuses that are enough points for a reward night in a high-end IHG property.

IHG credit cards: At a glance

	IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card	IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Rewards rate	15 points per dollar on IHG hotel stays (5 points per dollar from the card and 10 points per dollar as an IHG Rewards Club member) 2 points per dollar on gas station, grocery store and restaurant purchases 1 point per dollar on other purchases	25 points per dollar on IHG hotel stays (10 points per dollar from the card and 15 points per dollar as an IHG Rewards Club member) 2 points per dollar on gas station, grocery store and restaurant purchases 1 point per dollar on other purchases
Sign-up bonus	60,000 points if you spend $2,000 in first 3 months	140,000 points if you spend $3,000 in first 3 months
Annual fee	$0	$89
Estimated yearly rewards value ($15,900 spend)	$250	$548
Pros	No foreign transaction fees 4th night free on reward night stays of four or more nights at IHG hotels Gold Elite status if you spend $10,000 in a calendar year	No foreign transaction fees Reward night when you redeem points for any stay of four or more nights at IHG hotels Automatic Platinum Elite status Up to $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Reward night on your card anniversary
Cons	No automatic elite status Limited hotel perks Must earn or redeem points every 12 months to avoid points expiring	Pricey annual fee Must earn or redeem points every 12 months to avoid points expiring
Who should get this card?	Occasional travelers who want to earn points toward IHG stays Cardholders who want a lower annual fee	Frequent travelers IHG loyalists who will enjoy elite status benefits

Feature comparison

The two IHG Rewards Club cards are very similar, but they have a few key differences.

• Sign-up bonuses – For the moment, the sign-up bonus on the Club Premier card makes it the better option. You can earn 140,000 bonus points just by spending at least $3,000 in the first three months on the Premier card, worth $700 in hotel nights. The bonus on the Rewards Club Traveler card is less generous, though still competitive with similar rewards cards.
• Annual fee – The biggest feature separating these two cards is the annual fee. The Premier charges an $89 annual fee, while the Rewards Club Traveler card has no annual fee.
• Elite status – With the Premier card, users are granted automatic Platinum Elite status. The Traveler card, on the other hand, doesn’t come with automatic status. While you can earn Gold status by spending $10,000 on the card in a calendar year, this is a big drawback for frequent travelers.
• Anniversary reward night – Only the IHG Premier card comes with an anniversary reward night. If you can use this perk every year, it should more than make up for the larger annual fee.

Best for users who don’t want to pay an annual fee: IHG Traveler card

If you don’t travel frequently and elite benefits like room upgrades aren’t as important to you, you might want to avoid shelling out an annual fee. The IHG Traveler card still comes with a good rewards rate on IHG hotel stays and can help infrequent travelers stockpile rewards to use every once in a while. You’ll earn points on gas, grocery and restaurant purchases in addition to IHG hotel stays.

Best for users hoping to rack up rewards quickly: IHG Premier card

The IHG Premier card has a much better rewards rate than the IHG Traveler card when it comes to IHG hotel stays, on top of extra benefits like an anniversary reward night and up to $100 as a statement credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck. Frequent travelers have plenty to gain from the cards additional perks, that can more than make up for its annual fee.

IHG Premier cardholders also earn Platinum Elite status just for signing up. In addition to valuable benefits like complimentary room upgrades, Platinum status members earn a 50 percent point bonus on IHG hotel stays. If racking up points is your goal, the IHG Premier card is the easiest way to get there.

Bottom line

If you frequent IHG hotels, either of these cards is a good option. If you travel occasionally and can’t justify a high annual fee for a few extra perks, stick with the IHG Traveler card. If you’d rather enjoy benefits like an anniversary reward night, TSA PreCheck and automatic elite status, the IHG Premier card might be worth an annual fee.

See related: IHG® Rewards Club guide: The best ways to earn and use IHG points, How much are IHG points worth?, 8 ways to earn IHG points, Best ways to redeem IHG points, The benefits of IHG Rewards Club elite status