IHG One Rewards: Hotel Rewards with No Annual Fee

Card Update – October 2026: Chase and IHG^® Hotels & Resorts announced significant changes to the IHG One Rewards credit card portfolio on October 1, 2026. We’ve updated this review to reflect the changes. For a closer look at the new benefits and what they mean for cardholders, read our IHG credit card portfolio update.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Sign-up bonus
• No annual fee
• Up to 17X points on IHG hotel stays
• 3X points on dining, groceries, and gas
• 2X points on all other purchases
• 30% discount on points purchases
• Free fourth reward night after spending $5,000 in a calendar year
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual spending bonus
• Automatic Silver Elite status
• 5 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
• Travel protections
• Purchase protection

Cons:

• Limited redemptions outside of IHG hotels & resorts
• Points have a low value
• No intro 0% APR
• No annual free-night certificate
• Fourth-night-free benefit has a spending requirement
• Limited elite-status perks

Welcome Offer

Launch Offer:

• Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.
• Earn an additional 10,000 bonus points after adding an authorized user within the first three months.

Welcome Bonus Eligibility: This offer is available to applicants who do not currently have a personal IHG One Rewards Credit Card and have not received a new cardmember bonus within the past 24 months. These restrictions do not apply to IHG One Rewards Business Credit Cards.

Rewards

• Up to 17X Points at IHG^® Hotels and Resorts: Earn 5X points with the card, up to 10X points as an IHG One Rewards member, and up to 2X points with automatic Silver Elite status.
• 3X Points Categories:
  • Dining
  • Gas Stations
  • Grocery Stores
• 2X Points on all other purchases.
• 30% Discount on Points Purchases: Save 30% when purchasing points with your IHG One Rewards credit card.

Redemption Options

• Redeem rewards for free nights at IHG^® Hotels and Resorts, travel, and more.
• Redeem 3 Nights, Get 4th Night Free: Spend $5,000 annually to unlock a free fourth reward night on consecutive four-night award stays, starting in 2027. Benefit remains active for the qualifying year and the following calendar year.

Big4credit Tip: Redeem points for IHG hotel stays to get the best value. IHG One Rewards points typically provide the highest value when redeemed for free nights, often exceeding 0.7 cents per point, especially during promotions or when using the card’s Fourth Reward Night Free benefit. Other redemption options generally provide a lower value per point. Before redeeming, compare the cash price with the points required to ensure you’re getting good value from your rewards.

Fees and APR

• Annual Fee: $0.
• Regular APR: 19.49% - 27.99% Variable APR.
• Balance Transfer Fees: $5 or 5% of each transfer amount, whichever is greater.
• Foreign Transaction Fee: None.

Annual Credits & Statement Credits

• Annual Spending Bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 in purchases each calendar year.

Hotel Elite Status

• IHG One Rewards Silver Elite Status: Enjoy automatic Silver Elite status with benefits like late checkout (where available) and 20% more points on stays at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts. Status renews every account anniversary year.
• Automatic Elite Night Credits: Receive 5 Elite Night Credits when you open your account and at the start of each calendar year thereafter, helping you progress toward Milestone Rewards and higher IHG One Rewards elite status tiers.
• Gold Elite Status: Earn Gold Elite status when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year, valid through December 31 of the following year.

Travel Protections

• Auto Rental Coverage: Get reimbursement for theft and collision damage when you decline the rental company’s coverage and pay in full with your card. Coverage is secondary and provides reimbursement up to $60,000.
• Baggage Delay Insurance: Get reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to 3 days for essential purchases if your baggage is delayed more than 6 hours.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Get up to $3,000 per covered traveler to repair or replace checked or carry-on baggage that is lost, damaged, or stolen during a covered trip.
• Travel Accident Insurance: Receive up to $500,000 in coverage for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier when you pay with your card.
• Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: Get reimbursed up to $5,000] per person and $10,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable fares if your trip is canceled or interrupted due to covered reasons like illness or severe weather.

Travel & Emergency Assistance

• Roadside Assistance: Dispatch service available; service fees apply.
• Travel & Emergency Assistance: Access to emergency referral and coordination services while traveling (service referrals only; costs not covered).

Purchase Protections

• Purchase Protection: Covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Extended Warranty: Extends warranty coverage by one additional year on original eligible warranties of three years or less, up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account.

Lifestyle Perks

• DashPass Membership (DoorDash & Caviar): Get complimentary DashPass membership (a $120 value for 12 months), which gives you $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. Activate by December 31, 2027 to enjoy at least one year of benefits.
• $10 Off DoorDash Non-Restaurant Orders: Get up to $10 off per month on non-restaurant DoorDash orders through December 31, 2027.
• Up to $120 in Annual Instacart Credits: Receive a $10 Instacart credit each month for eligible purchases made directly through Instacart with your IHG credit card. Benefits end 12/31/2027.
• 3-Month Instacart+ Membership: Get 3 complimentary months of Instacart+ with unlimited $0 delivery fee orders on eligible purchases. Benefits end 12/31/2027.

Buy Now, Pay Later Options

Chase Pay Over Time^®: Split eligible purchases into fixed monthly payments with no interest, just a fixed monthly fee shown upfront.

Ratings

• Net Value & Cost Efficiency: 8.7/10
• Rewards & Earnings Power: 6.8/10
• Welcome Bonus Value: 9.5/10
• First-Year Earning Boost: 0/10
• APR & Interest Structure: 2.8/10
• Simplicity & Transparency: 8.5/10
• Perks, Benefits & Protections: 6.4/10
• Issuer Credibility & Stability: 8.2/10
• Installment & BNPL Features: 7/10
• Eligibility & Approval Accessibility: 7/10

Big4Credit ratings are based on our independent analysis of each card’s features, value, fees, rewards, and benefits. Card issuers do not influence our ratings.

Terms and Conditions

Click Apply Now to see the terms and conditions.

Related Cards

Business owners: If you’re looking to earn IHG rewards on business expenses, consider the IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card, which offers similar hotel perks plus business-friendly features.

» MORE: Chase Updates Entire IHG Credit Card Portfolio

The information about the credit cards has been collected independently by big4credit.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Related Articles

• American Airlines and Hyatt End Enhanced Partnership as Delta and Hyatt Announce New Strategic Relationship
• Best General-Purpose Travel Credit Cards of 2026: Our Top Picks for Every Traveler
• Best Credit Cards for 2026 - Our Top Picks