Chase and IHG Hotels & Resorts refreshed their cobranded card lineup on Oct. 1, raising annual fees on two cards and introducing a premium tier. The changes also affect existing cardholders, making the new credits and status benefits part of the decision to keep, downgrade, or upgrade.
Higher fees come with lower status
The IHG One Rewards Premier card’s annual fee rises to $150 from $99. Cardholders gain up to $100 in annual IHG Food & Beverage Rewards and a $100 airline statement credit.
The anniversary free night cap increases from 40K to 50K points. Automatic status, however, drops from Platinum Elite to Gold Elite, leaving cardholders to weigh additional credits against a weaker status tier.
The business card’s fee reaches $200, up from $99. It adds a $100 Expensify statement credit alongside the same food, beverage, and airline benefits.
The no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Card remains at $0 and gains Elite Night Credits. Starting in 2027, cardholders will need to spend $5K in a calendar year to retain its fourth-night-free benefit.
The credits have spending conditions
The Premier card’s $100 food and beverage benefit is issued in $25 quarterly amounts. The quarterly structure makes the timing of IHG stays relevant when assessing how useful the benefit will be.
The $100 airline credit requires at least $250 in airline spending in a single purchase. Several smaller purchases do not meet that stated requirement, so the credit’s value depends partly on how cardholders book flights.
Premier’s fee increase is $51, compared with a combined $200 in advertised food, beverage, and airline benefits. Those figures favor cardholders who can use the credits on purchases they already intend to make.
Doctor of Credit puts the tradeoff this way:
"If you min/max everything then there is increased value."
Doctor of Credit
The publication also suggests Chase expects some credits to go unused. Cardholders should make their own calculation using the benefits they expect to redeem, rather than counting every advertised dollar as savings.
Premier Select adds a premium tier
The new IHG One Rewards Premier Select card charges $350 annually. It offers up to $300 in food and beverage rewards through $75 quarterly vouchers, a $200 airline statement credit, and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash.
The food and beverage vouchers apply to eligible charges on the room bill. Using them therefore involves both an IHG stay and spending at the property.
Premier Select grants automatic Platinum Elite status and 20 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, unlocking the first Milestone Reward immediately. Spending $40K in a calendar year earns Diamond Elite status.
Its anniversary free night has a 60K-point cap, with additional points allowed to cover a more expensive redemption. That is 10K points above the refreshed Premier card’s cap.
Earning rates are 12x on IHG purchases, 6x on dining and other travel, and 3x on other purchases. The welcome offer awards 200K points after $5K in purchases within the first three months.
Using The Points Guy’s valuation of 0.6 cents per point puts the bonus near $1,200. That estimate provides context for the welcome offer, while the $350 annual fee remains part of the longer-term calculation.
The decision depends on actual use
The refreshed lineup places more weight on quarterly benefits, annual spending thresholds, and qualifying purchases. Premier holders face a higher fee and lower automatic status, while Premier Select offers Platinum Elite at a substantially higher annual cost.
The $0 option remains in the lineup, although its fourth-night-free benefit gains a $5K spending requirement in 2027. That condition matters when comparing the cheaper card with the paid tiers.
IHG’s Paul Proctor, senior vice president of global loyalty and partnerships, said the enhanced cards reflect the company’s commitment to choice and flexibility. The portfolio covers more than 7K properties across 21 brands worldwide.
For cardholders, the useful comparison is the annual fee against credits they expect to use and status benefits they value. The larger advertised benefit package only improves the deal when it fits the way they already travel.
