Chase and IHG One Rewards just rebuilt the entire IHG credit card lineup, and the new cards are open to applicants starting today. There are some pretty seismic shifts. 🫨
There's a new top card (the IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard®) with a $350 annual fee and automatic Platinum Elite status.
The Premier card's fee rises to $150 and its automatic status moves to Gold; the Traveler and Premier Business cards get new names; and every card now comes with Elite Night Credits. If you already carry one of these cards, the new fees don't hit until 2027, and Chase is sending details on your specific changes this month.
Here's my breakdown of what it all means, and what we think are the real highlights.
What Changed With the IHG Credit Cards?
The short answer: one brand-new card, one card with a major makeover, and two cards with new names and new perks.
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is now the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard®, and the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is now the IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard®. The Premier card keeps its place in the middle of the lineup with new credits, a higher fee, and different status.
The thread running through all four cards is Elite Night Credits. These are nights IHG counts toward your elite status and its Milestone Rewards without you sleeping anywhere.
Milestone Rewards are the perks IHG hands out as your nights add up over the year, like bonus points, Food & Beverage Rewards, and Confirmable Suite Upgrades.
Every card now gives you a set number of these credits each calendar year, and three of the four let you earn more by spending.
One more thing. You'll see "up to" in front of most of the IHG earning numbers below. Those figures combine what the card earns with the points IHG gives you as a member and as an elite; the card isn't earning the whole number on its own.
IHG Premier Select Card: Benefits, Annual Fee, and Who It's For
The IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard® (Premier Select from here on) is the new top of the lineup, with a $350 annual fee.
Here's what the $350 annual fee buys you:
Credits: up to $300 a year in Food & Beverage Rewards at IHG properties, $200 back each year as a statement credit when you buy qualifying flights, and up to $50 in United® TravelBank Cash.
Anniversary Free Night: covers a room costing up to 60,000 points, and you can add your own points for a pricier hotel.
Status: automatic Platinum Elite, plus 20 Elite Night Credits every calendar year, which unlocks IHG's first Milestone Reward the day you open the account.
Extra night credits: 2 more Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 you spend on purchases.
Earning: up to 28X total points at IHG properties, 6X on dining and all other travel (rideshare included), and 3X on everything else.
Fourth night free: book four consecutive Reward Nights with points at an IHG hotel and the fourth one is on the house.
Chase and IHG peg the Premier Select's first-year value at more than $1,000. Our math on the credits alone lands closer to $550 ($300 in Food & Beverage Rewards + $200 airline credit + $50 United® TravelBank Cash), and that assumes you use every dollar.
Even if you value those credits at less than face value (which you should), it still feels like a pretty good deal for frequent IHG guests; then you get the free night, Milestone Rewards, and status on top.
If you're a less frequent IHG guest and things like credits and status don't matter, the lower-fee card (or no-fee card) could be solid options for you.
Mike spends a lot more time in the elite night world than I do, so I asked him what those night credits actually buy you.
Mike’s Take:
IHG's Milestone Rewards are one of the best parts of the program, because they start at just 20 nights.
That means even casual travelers stand a chance of getting some value from them. With the new Premier Select, you're getting that first 20-night milestone on day one.
Plus, one of the reward choices at 40 nights is an annual club lounge membership. At InterContinental and Crowne Plaza hotels with a club lounge, that often means breakfast and even evening cocktails or snacks, though what's on offer varies by hotel.
That 40-night milestone is a great alternative to Diamond status, which requires 70 nights per year, and this card puts you halfway to the 40 nights you need.
IHG Premier Card Changes: New Credits, a $150 Fee, and Gold Status
The IHG One Rewards Premier World Elite Mastercard® is the card a lot of you already carry, and it changed the most. It now has a $150 annual fee.
If you're an existing cardmember, Chase says annual fee adjustments happen in 2027, and your notice will spell out the timing.
Here's what changes for the $150 annual fee:
New credits: up to $100 a year in Food & Beverage Rewards at IHG properties and $100 back each year as a statement credit when you buy qualifying flights.
Still here: up to $50 in United® TravelBank Cash.
Anniversary Free Night: the cap rises from 40,000 to 50,000 points, and you can still top it off with your own points.
Night credits: 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, plus 2 more for every $5,000 in purchases.
Earning: up to 24X total points at IHG properties (down from up to 26X); 5X on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, dining, gas stations, and now grocery stores; and 3X on everything else.
Fourth night free: book four consecutive Reward Nights with points at an IHG hotel and the fourth one is on the house.
Here's the major change. Automatic status on the Premier moves from Platinum Elite to Gold Elite.
Automatic Platinum now lives on the Premier Select and the business card.
It's a little like Let's Make a Deal; the Premier is still a good prize, but the Platinum status that used to come with a $99 card is now behind door number two, and door number two costs $350.
There may be a consolation prize, though. Chase says Premier cardmembers can unlock elevated status by spending on the card, and existing cardmembers will get the details, including when the status change takes effect for them, in their October notice.
Is the Premier still worth it? If you use the Anniversary Free Night every year, I think it can be, and the higher cap makes that certificate a lot more flexible.
If you mostly kept the card for Platinum status, the answer depends on how often you actually used those Platinum perks, and that deserves a brief moment of self-reflection before your new fee arrives in 2027. Your notice will tell you exactly when the status change hits your account, so there's no need to decide today.
Mike’s Take:
I still don't know how I feel about this card, to be honest. I've held the Premier for years now and love the low fee and simple (but valuable) perks.
Here's how I'm thinking about it:
Are the new $100 in credits, 15 elite nights, and 10,000 extra points on the Free Night worth the extra $50 of annual fee?
The answer is probably yes. But it may not matter for me, because if Chase lets me switch to the Premier Select, I'm doing it.
What Happened to the IHG Traveler Card?
The IHG Traveler card is now the IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard®, and it still has no annual fee.
Here's what you get for $0 a year:
Earning: up to 17X total points at IHG properties, 3X on dining, gas stations, and now grocery stores, and 2X on everything else.
Status: automatic Silver Elite.
Night credits: new this year, 5 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
Fourth night free: now unlocks after you spend $5,000 on purchases with the card.
Pay attention to that last one. Chase hasn't said yet whether that $5,000 resets each year or when the change kicks in for current cardholders; your October notice should spell it out. On the old version, the fourth night free simply came with the card, and it's one of the main reasons people pick an IHG card at all. If you already put $5,000 a year on this card, you won't notice a difference. If it's a sock-drawer card you pull out once a year for a Holiday Inn stay, you will.
Mike’s Take:
Personally, the 4th night free perk is what makes all of these cards shine. Losing that is tough to swallow.
If that's something that matters to you, I'd honestly just go for one of the higher-tier cards. Otherwise, I don't find this new no-annual-fee card to offer very much for anyone.
For a no-fee card, it's still a reasonable way to earn IHG points on groceries and gas. Just go in knowing the fourth night is now something you earn rather than something you get.
IHG Premier Business Card Changes and New Name
The IHG Premier Business card is now the IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard®, with a $200 annual fee.
Here's what the $200 annual fee buys you:
Credits: up to $100 a year in Food & Beverage Rewards at IHG properties, $100 back each year as a statement credit when you buy qualifying flights, and up to $100 a year in statement credits toward Expensify purchases.
Anniversary Free Night: covers a room costing up to 50,000 points, with the option to add your own points.
Status: automatic Platinum Elite.
Night credits: 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, plus 2 more for every $5,000 in purchases.
Earning: up to 26X total points at IHG properties; 5X on flights booked directly, car rental agencies, dining, gas stations, and select advertising; and 3X on everything else.
Fourth night free: book four consecutive Reward Nights with points at an IHG hotel and the fourth one is on the house.
What's going away: the annual United® TravelBank Cash. It's not a huge number, but if you used it every year, count it as part of the fee increase.
It's worth noting that the business card keeps automatic Platinum while the personal Premier moves to Gold, despite them being similar in tier.
If you run an established business that already spends on advertising, travel, and meals, that combination is a strong one.
The Expensify credit only counts if your business already uses Expensify, so I'd leave it out of your math if it doesn't.
What Existing IHG Cardholders Should Do Now
Nothing today. Chase says existing cardmembers will get a notice in October 2026 with details about their new benefits and the date each change takes effect, and annual fee adjustments happen in 2027. When that notice shows up, read it; the effective dates are the whole ballgame for your decision.
While you wait, three questions are worth considering:
How many nights did I actually stay at IHG hotels in the past year?
Did I use my Anniversary Free Night, and did I ever wish it covered a pricier hotel?
Would I really spend Food & Beverage Rewards at an IHG hotel, and do I buy flights that would qualify for the airline credit?
If your answers lean yes, the new credits and the higher certificate cap may cover the higher fee with room to spare. If they lean "not really," your 2027 renewal may not be worth it.
One thing the announcement doesn't answer is whether current cardholders can move to the Premier Select without a new application. We'll update this guide when Chase shares more.
Which New IHG Card Fits How You Travel?
Here's how I'd sort it, based on what each card asks of you and what it gives back. For our full ranking, see our guide to the best IHG credit cards.
Premier Select: You stay with IHG several times a year, you'd use hotel dining credits without going out of your way, you pay cash for flights, and you want Platinum status.
Premier: You use the Anniversary Free Night every year and Gold status is enough for how you travel.
No-fee World Elite Mastercard: You're an occasional IHG guest who wants to earn points on groceries and gas, and you already put $5,000 a year on the card if the fourth night free matters to you.
Business World Mastercard: You run an established business with real advertising and travel expenses, and you want Platinum status on a business card.
IHG Credit Card Changes FAQ
What are the new IHG credit cards?
Chase's IHG lineup now includes four cards: the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard® ($350 annual fee), the IHG One Rewards Premier World Elite Mastercard® ($150), the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard® (formerly the Traveler card), and the IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard® ($200, formerly the Premier Business card). For frequent IHG guests, the Premier Select is the most interesting new option.
What is the annual fee on the IHG Premier Select card?
The IHG One Rewards Premier Select World Elite Mastercard® has a $350 annual fee.
It includes up to $300 in annual Food & Beverage Rewards at IHG properties, a $200 statement credit each year on qualifying flight purchases, up to $50 in United® TravelBank Cash, automatic Platinum Elite status, and 20 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. We think it's a strong value if you'll actually use the dining and airline credits; if you won't, the fee gets harder to justify.
Does the IHG Premier card still come with Platinum status?
Not for new cardmembers. The updated IHG One Rewards Premier World Elite Mastercard® comes with automatic Gold Elite status, and Chase says Premier cardmembers can unlock elevated status by spending on the card. Existing cardmembers will receive details in October 2026 on when their changes take effect. Automatic Platinum Elite status is now on the Premier Select card and the IHG One Rewards Business World Mastercard®.
Is the IHG Premier card still worth it?
For travelers who use the Anniversary Free Night every year, we think the Premier can still justify its $150 annual fee, especially with the certificate cap rising to 50,000 points and new Food & Beverage and airline credits.
If you mainly valued its Platinum status, review how often you used those perks before the fee change in 2027.
What happened to the IHG Traveler card?
The IHG Traveler card was renamed the IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard®. It still has no annual fee and now includes automatic Silver Elite status and 5 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
The fourth Reward Night free benefit now unlocks after spending $5,000 on purchases with the card. In our view, that makes it a much weaker pick for occasional guests who don't spend much on the card.
Do IHG credit cards still offer the fourth night free?
Yes. The Premier Select, Premier, and Business World cards include a fourth Reward Night free when you redeem points for four consecutive nights at an IHG hotel.
On the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards World Elite Mastercard®, the benefit unlocks after you spend $5,000 on purchases with the card.
When do the IHG card changes take effect for current cardholders?
Chase says existing IHG cardmembers will be notified in October 2026 with details on their new benefits and the effective date for each update. Annual fee changes for existing cardmembers take effect in 2027.
What are IHG Elite Night Credits?
Elite Night Credits are nights IHG counts toward your elite status and Milestone Rewards without a hotel stay. The Premier Select includes 20 per calendar year, the Premier and Business World cards include 15, and the no-annual-fee card includes 5.
Three of the cards also add 2 more for every $5,000 you spend on purchases.
Final Thoughts
The new IHG lineup gives loyalists more ways to reach status and Milestone Rewards without more nights on the road, and it asks more of your wallet in return.
If you stay with IHG often and pay cash for flights, the Premier Select is the most interesting card of the bunch.
If you're a Premier cardholder who loved Platinum for $99, you've got a runway: your fee doesn't change until 2027, and your October notice will spell out when everything else does. Watch for it, run through those three questions, and decide at renewal.
