Chase Refreshes Existing IHG Cards With Higher Fees and New Benefits
Alongside the launch of the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card, Chase and IHG are also making changes across the three existing cards in the portfolio.
The updates include higher annual fees on the Premier and Business cards, larger anniversary free night certificates, new Food & Beverage Rewards, airline credits and automatic Elite Night Credits. The no-annual-fee Traveler card is also being renamed and will require spending to unlock its fourth-night-free benefit starting in 2027. Existing cardholders will be notified in October, and Chase says the annual fee changes will take effect in 2027.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card will see its annual fee increase from $99 to $150.
The card is also getting several benefit changes:
- New cardmember bonus of 180,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months
- Automatic status drops from Platinum Elite to Gold Elite
- Anniversary Free Night increases from 40,000 points to 50,000 points, with the ability to add points for more expensive awards
- New $25 quarterly Food & Beverage Reward, worth up to $100 per year
- New $100 annual airline statement credit after spending $250 in flights purchased directly with an airline.
- Automatic 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
- Earn 2 additional Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 spent
- Up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash remains available
- Fourth Reward Night Free remains in place.
The earning structure is also being updated to include 5X on flights booked directly, car rentals, dining, gas stations and grocery stores, plus 3X on other purchases.
IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is being renamed the IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card, and its annual fee will increase from $99 to $200.
Changes include:
- New cardmember bonus of 190,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months
- Anniversary Free Night increases from 40,000 points to 50,000 points
- New $25 quarterly Food & Beverage Reward, worth up to $100 annually
- New $100 annual airline statement credit
- New up to $100 annual Expensify statement credit
- Automatic 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
- Earn 2 additional Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 spent
- Automatic Platinum Elite status remains
- Fourth Reward Night Free remains Chase Media
One notable omission is the current United TravelBank benefit. Chase’s announcement lists the TravelBank benefit on the Premier card but does not list it among the updated Business card benefits, which suggests it may be going away. Chase’s press release does not explicitly say that it has been removed, though.
IHG One Rewards Credit Card
The no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is being renamed simply the IHG One Rewards Credit Card.
The annual fee remains $0, but there are a few meaningful changes:
- New cardmember bonus of 125,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months
- Automatic 5 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
- 3X points on dining, gas stations and now grocery stores
- Automatic Silver Elite status remains
- Starting in 2027, the Fourth Reward Night Free benefit will require $5,000 in annual card spending Chase Media
That last change is probably the biggest negative for existing Traveler cardholders, since the fourth-night-free perk currently comes automatically with the card.
Guru’s Wrap-Up
There are some useful additions here, especially the larger 50K anniversary certificates, Food & Beverage Rewards and automatic Elite Night Credits.
But Chase is also raising the annual fees substantially. The Premier jumps from $99 to $150, while the Business card doubles from $99 to $200. Premier cardholders also lose automatic Platinum status, and the no-fee card will require $5,000 in annual spending to unlock fourth-night-free beginning in 2027.
Existing cardholders should receive more details directly from Chase in October, including when each benefit change takes effect.
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