Chase IHG Rewards Club MasterCard Review
Updated April 13, 2018.
The Facts
This review is for two cards: IHG Rewards Club Traveler World MasterCard and IHG Rewards Club Premier World Elite MasterCard. For the discontinued IHG Rewards Club Select MasterCard, see our old review.
IHG Rewards Club Traveler World MasterCard
IHG Rewards Club Premier World Elite MasterCard
The Math
Since IHG Rewards Club points are normally valued at less than 1 cent per point (our current valuation 0.4 cent a piece), both cards are not good for general spending, not even good for the 2x categories. The annual 10K bonus on the WEMC is almost useless too (unless spent on 10x category), because spending $20K with the card means lost of rewards / cash value compared to other competitive products.
IHG Traveler MC: nothing really stands out on this 29 annual fee card unless you want the signup bonus. We strongly suggest looking into the Premier MC instead.
IHG Premier WEMC: with a $89 annual fee, you receive an annual free night capped at 40K points level, which can still be of great value, especially compared to Chase Marriott Visa or Chase Hyatt Visa's mid-category annual free nights. In addition, the 4th rewards night free and the complimentary Platinum Elite status are icing on the cake. Of course, compared to the discontinued IHG Select MC which used to offer an uncapped annual free night, the new IHG Premier MC is no way as phenomenal.
The Conclusion
Even though it is not good for general spending, IHG Premier WEMC is worth the $89 annual fee if you make use of its annual free night. We strongly discourage applying for the IHG Traveler MC, except for the signup bonus purpose.
The Facts
This review is for two cards: IHG Rewards Club Traveler World MasterCard and IHG Rewards Club Premier World Elite MasterCard. For the discontinued IHG Rewards Club Select MasterCard, see our old review.
IHG Rewards Club Traveler World MasterCard
- Annual Fee: $29
- Signup Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $2,000 within 3 months of new account opening and additional 5,000 points for adding an authorized user and making the first purchase within the same 3-month period. This bonus is not available if you currently have this card or have received a signup bonus for this card in the past 24 months. Historical best bonus of this card: 60,000 points since introduction in 2018.
- Application Landing Page
- Rewards: 5x InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) hotels, 2x gas, groceries and dining, 1x everywhere else
- Best Use of IHG Rewards Club points: IHG Rewards Club is the loyalty program of IHG whose hotel portfolio includes InterContinental, HuaLuxe, Hotel indigo, Kimpton, EVEN, avid, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Resort, Holiday Inn Vacation Club, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites. The best use of IHG points is for hotel stays or upgrades at IHG hotels. The points can also be transferred into miles of 40 airlines; however, the transfer ratio is mostly 10K points = 2K miles (5:1) - not very impressive.
- IHG Benefits: (1) The fourth rewards night free when you redeem points for stays of 4+ nights. (2) Save 20% when you purchase IHG points with the card. (3) Earn IHG Rewards Club mid tier status Gold Elite when you spend at least $10,000 a year with the card - normally achieved after 25 nights.
- Other Benefit: Waived foreign transaction fees.
IHG Rewards Club Premier World Elite MasterCard
- Annual Fee: $89
- Signup Bonus: 80,000 points after spending $2,000 within 3 months of new account opening and an additional 5,000 points after adding the first authorized user and making the first purchase within the same 3-month period. This bonus is not available if you currently have this card or have received a signup bonus for this card in the past 24 months. Historical best bonus of this card: 85,000 points since introduction in 2018.
- Application Landing Page
- Rewards: 10x IHG hotels, 2x gas, groceries and dining, 1x everywhere else. In addition, you earn an annual bonus of 10,000 points when your annual spending exceeds $20,000 and you make at least one additional purchase after you exceed the spending threshold.
- IHG Benefits: (1) One anniversary free night at participating IHG hotels worldwide (limited to hotels with a point redemption level of 40,000 points or less) upon each anniversary. This 40K redemption limit essentially excludes the top ~200 properties requiring 50K-70K points per night (~4% of IHG's total properties). Note that there is capacity control when redeeming points with IHG and the same applies to the certificate. The free night certificate must be redeemed for a stay completed within 12 months of issuance. (2) The fourth rewards night free when you redeem points for stays of 4+ nights. (3) IHG Rewards Club top tier status Platinum Elite as long as you have the card - normally achieved after 50 nights. Note that the benefits come with the Platinum status are not as great as top tier status with other programs like SPG, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, etc. The reason is that IHG's real deal is InterContinental Royal Ambassador, which can't be obtained by having a credit card. (4) Save 20% when you purchase IHG points with the card.
- Standard World Elite MasterCard (WEMC) Benefits: World Elite Luxury Hotels & Resorts (free breakfasts, upgrades, early check-in, late check-out, and hotel specific amenities), World Elite Air Program (upgrades, savings, or companion tickets, mostly on full fare tickets), World Elite Cruise Program (up to $500 savings), World Elite Tours and Vacations (up to $250 or 5% savings), World Elite Car Rental (savings and elite status with Avis, National, and Sixt), World Elite Chauffeured Car Service (savings and benefits), World Elite Private Jet Program (savings and benefits), MasterCard Airport Concierge (15% savings), and so on.
- Other Benefits: (1) Waived foreign transaction fees. (2) Reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application every four years.
The Math
Since IHG Rewards Club points are normally valued at less than 1 cent per point (our current valuation 0.4 cent a piece), both cards are not good for general spending, not even good for the 2x categories. The annual 10K bonus on the WEMC is almost useless too (unless spent on 10x category), because spending $20K with the card means lost of rewards / cash value compared to other competitive products.
IHG Traveler MC: nothing really stands out on this 29 annual fee card unless you want the signup bonus. We strongly suggest looking into the Premier MC instead.
IHG Premier WEMC: with a $89 annual fee, you receive an annual free night capped at 40K points level, which can still be of great value, especially compared to Chase Marriott Visa or Chase Hyatt Visa's mid-category annual free nights. In addition, the 4th rewards night free and the complimentary Platinum Elite status are icing on the cake. Of course, compared to the discontinued IHG Select MC which used to offer an uncapped annual free night, the new IHG Premier MC is no way as phenomenal.
The Conclusion
Even though it is not good for general spending, IHG Premier WEMC is worth the $89 annual fee if you make use of its annual free night. We strongly discourage applying for the IHG Traveler MC, except for the signup bonus purpose.
