Frequent flyers who don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for a travel credit card annual fee, you can enjoy decent points for staying at IHG hotels and resorts. It’s not a premium traveler credit card, but if you’re an IHG loyalist, you can earn rewards every time you stay on IHG properties, as well as when you pay for dining, gas, and monthly utilities.

Find more info about our top-rated hotel credit cards here

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn 100,000 points after spending $2,000 in first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Hotel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • 17x when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
  • 3x on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants
  • 2x on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • $0 annual fee
  • Redeem 3 nights, get the 4th night free
  • Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad

Learn more

Additional benefits

With your IHG One Rewards Traveler credit card, you’ll also get benefits for being an IHG One Rewards member, including:

• No blackout dates

• Late check-out

• Free WiFi

Other card benefits for IHG One Rewards members include automatic Silver Elite status (with a path to Gold Elite status when you make at least $20,000 in purchases each calendar year), 20% savings on rewards points purchases, early access to IHG Reward Night sales, and 10,000 bonus points when you spend $10,000 in a calendar year. Finally, you’ll get a boost when you redeem your points for Reward Nights with a fourth consecutive night free when you redeem three nights.

The card itself offers some extra perks, like purchase protection, trip cancellation insurance, reimbursement for lost luggage, and no foreign transaction fees.

Because this card is issued by Chase, you also get access to My Chase Plan, where you can pay off purchases over time if they’re $100 or more. You’ll pay a small monthly fee — but no interest — to enroll in the plan and can make payments anywhere from 3 to 24 months, depending on the purchase amount.

Related: How to use your credit card for international travel

How to earn rewards

You’ll earn rewards every time you stay at IHG hotels and resorts and book your stays with your IHG One Rewards Traveler credit card. Most of your reward potential comes when you purchase your stay with the card, since you’ll get up to 17x total points on stays.

You can also earn rewards when you purchase rewards with your IHG One Rewards Traveler credit card and save 20% on point purchases when you do.

When you use your card for non-IHG purchases, you’ll continue to earn at least 2x points, and more if the purchase falls within bonus categories. Make sure you’re taking advantage of bonus categories by charging eligible monthly bills, gas purchases, and dining to your card (especially if you don’t have another rewards card with these categories).

Like other credit cards, certain types of transactions will not earn points, including money orders, cash advances, lottery tickets, fraudulent charges, card fees, and more. You can find all the details about eligible purchases within your card agreement.

How to redeem rewards

If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ll probably want to redeem your IHG rewards points for hotel stays at eligible IHG properties, including Regent, Kimpton, InterContinental, Holiday Inn, and more than a dozen other hotel and resort brands. You can book a stay with just points or a combination of points and cash. IHG has dynamic rewards, so the points needed for your stay can vary depending on your trip and when you book.

You can also redeem your point for other rewards when you log into your account on the IHG website. You can go shopping through a third-party partner site and use your points to buy products, like AirPods, tumblers, and more. You can also redeem points for digital subscriptions, like books, magazines, movies, and others. You may want to donate your points to one of IHG’s nonprofit partners or transfer to a partner airline program.

Who is the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card best for?

The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit card is a great option for folks who are loyal to the IHG brand and its properties. If you prefer to stay at an IHG-owned hotel or resort, you can earn rewards for those bookings and stays. You can also earn rewards towards those stays every time you swipe your card.

If you want to build up rewards to lessen the cost of hotel stays — or stay completely free — this card might be great for you. But if you don’t want to be locked into one hotel brand or you aren’t sure if you will use the card to take advantage of the rewards for hotel stays, you may want to explore other types of travel cards.

Read more: The best travel credit cards

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card pros

• Easy to earn rewards. Since this is a Mastercard credit card, you can use this IHG card wherever Mastercard is accepted. While there are different tiers of earnings (and a minimum 2x points on non-bonus purchases), you can earn rewards with every card use.

• Generous sign-up bonus. You can earn 100,000 when you sign up for the IHG One Rewards Traveler. You can easily use those points on your next hotel stay. While there’s a $2,000 spending requirement in the first three months of opening your account, you can spend that money on anything, whether it’s restaurants, gas, or other travel accommodations.

Related: The best credit card sign-up bonuses

• No annual fee. There’s no annual fee for this card — a big benefit, since annual fees can be common among many travel credit cards. There’s also no foreign transaction fee, so you can use this card around the world without facing any extra charges when abroad.

Read about more of our top picks for credit cards with no foreign transaction fees

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card cons

• Limited ways to redeem rewards. Likely the most common way to redeem rewards is by using your points for future stays at IHG properties. Unlike more flexible rewards cards, popular redemptions options like cash back or a statement credit may not be available.

• High spending for higher status. While you’re automatically enrolled in the Silver Elite Status, you’ll need to spend $20,000 each year to reach Gold Elite, which gets you more and better perks. Silver Elite will get you a 20% discount on point purchases, while Gold gets you 40%. You’ll also get rollover nights for next year — rather than unused nights expiring — which you can’t get on the Silver plan.

Where can you use IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card?

You can use this card anywhere Mastercard is accepted around the world. You can use it when booking travel accommodations, filling up your gas tank, dining out at a restaurant, or even regular shopping both home and away.

How to make an IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card payment

This card is issued through Chase, so you’ll pay your statement balance through Chase. Once you create an account and sign in, you can link your bank account to your credit card and set up payment.

You can also set up auto pay so you never miss a payment and avoid facing late payment fees. In your account, you can see when your next payment is due and for how much. You can also see if any of your recent transactions are eligible for My Chase Plan, so you can break up payments over a few months without facing APR charges.

Other payment options include by phone or mail. Here are the details:

• Phone: 1-800-436-7958

• Mail:

  • Cardmember Services
    P.O. Box 6294
    Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card customer service info

You can call the number on the back of your card to reach customer service for your IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card. You can also sign into your Chase account and send a secure email as well.

For Chase customer service, call 1-800-698-0120. For IHG One rewards questions, call 1-800-421-5162. Phone customer service for Chase is available 24/7, 7 days a week.

Alternative cards to consider

If the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card isn’t right for you or if you want to see what else is out there, consider a few other cards that might work for you.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

• Annual fee
  $550
• Welcome offer
  Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  21.99% - 28.99% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent

• Rewards rate
  • 10x points on hotels and rental cars purchased through Chase Travel℠*
  • 5x points on flights purchased through Chase Travel*
  • 3x points on dining and other travel purchases
  • 1x points on all other purchases
  • *After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually

• Benefits
  • Points are worth 50% more when you redeem through Chase Travel
  • Earn up to $300 in annual statement credits for travel purchases
  • Receive up to a $120 statement credit every four years to cover the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS

Learn more

This card comes with a hefty annual fee — $550 — but it also has plenty of value and flexibility. The welcome bonus is 60,000 points in the first three months of account opening after you spend $4,000. But because Chase Sapphire Reserve points get a 50% boost when you use them to book travel through Chase Travel, 60,000 points equates to $900 toward future travel purchases.

You’ll also get a $300 annual travel credit, complimentary airport lounge access, credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and more. This card has some partner benefits too, including two years of Lyft Pink All Access (activate by Dec. 31, 2024), a DoorDash DashPass subscription for a minimum of one year (activate by Dec. 31, 2027), a $5 monthly DoorDash credit, $20 per month for non-restaurant DoorDash orders (via two $10 promos), and more.

Read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve review

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $99
• Welcome offer
  Earn 140,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • 26x points at IHG hotels and resorts
  • 5x points on travel, dining, and at gas stations
  • 3x points on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • Earn a free night on each account anniversary, plus get a fourth night free when you redeem your points for a consecutive four-night stay at IHG properties
  • Receive Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
  • Access perks including free upgrades, welcome amenities, and guaranteed room availability when you book at least 72 hours in advance

Learn more

If you want to stay within the IHG One family, you can opt for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. You’ll get 140,000 bonus points in the first three months of account opening when you spend $3,000 in purchases (up from 100,000 bonus points with the Traveler card).

You’ll earn more points on your purchases too, starting with up to 26x at IHG hotels and resorts. Plus get 5x points on travel, at restaurants, and at gas stations and 3x on all other purchases. This card also gives you a free anniversary night (worth up to 40,000 points) and automatic Platinum Elite status. But there’s a $99 annual fee.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Rates & fees, terms apply

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months (offer ends Jan. 8, 2025)
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Hotel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  20.49% - 29.49% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • 7x points on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio
  • 5x points on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
  • 3x points on all other eligible purchases

• Benefits
  • $0 annual fee
  • Spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year
  • Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad

Learn more

This American Express card is best for Hilton loyalists. You’ll earn 7x points when you stay at Hilton hotels and resorts; 5x at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets; and 3x on all other purchases. As an added benefit, get automatic Hilton Honors Silver status. Like the IHG One Rewards Traveler, this no annual fee hotel card (see rates & fees) also has a great welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points when you spend at least $2,000 within the first six months.

Read our full Hilton Honors American Express Card review

This article was edited by Kendall Little

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