IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card review: Full details

The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees) is IHG’s no-annual-fee card possibility. With this card, you might earn as much as 17 factors per greenback spent at IHG accommodations and resorts. Plus, cardholders may earn elevated reward charges at gasoline stations, on a few of their month-to-month payments and at eating places. Nonetheless, whereas the IHG Traveler Card provides some helpful IHG-related perks, it will not be your best option. Card Ranking*: ⭐⭐½

*Card Rating is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

IHG provides two private cobranded Chase playing cards to assist clients rack up factors and maximize their stays.

One in every of these is the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card. It is geared toward vacationers who wish to earn IHG factors on their purchases with out incurring an annual fee. Nonetheless, in the event you often keep at IHG properties, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) is probably going a greater possibility.

We suggest candidates have a credit score of 670 or greater to extend their probabilities of approval. Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the IHG One Traveler Card so you may resolve if it is best for you.

Associated: Earn extra points at your favorite restaurants with IHG One Rewards Dining

For a restricted time, new candidates for the IHG Traveler Card can earn 120,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases on the cardboard within the first three months after opening an account. This supply ends July 23.

In accordance with TPG’s Could 2025 valuations, IHG One Rewards factors are price 0.5 cents every, making this bonus price $600.

This matches the very best supply we have seen on this card, which was final provided two years in the past.

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We suggest making use of anytime the welcome supply is above 80,000 factors, so in the event you’ve been fascinated by making use of for the cardboard, now is a good time to take action.

You could be eligible for the IHG One Traveler Card (and its welcome bonus) in the event you fulfill the entire following necessities:

• You do not at the moment have a private IHG One Rewards card (although the IHG Premier Enterprise card is OK)
• You have not earned a sign-up bonus on a private IHG card within the final 24 months
• You are beneath Chase’s 5/24 rule

Associated: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

As with the best no-annual-fee cards, the IHG One Traveler Card would not supply many luxurious perks. This is a fast overview of the cardboard’s foremost advantages and perks.

Fourth reward night time profit

Every time you redeem factors for a keep of 4 or extra nights, every fourth night will cost zero points. As soon as you are a cardholder, this low cost might be routinely utilized while you redeem IHG factors for eligible stays.

Save 20% on level purchases

You may get a 20% low cost everytime you buy IHG points along with your card. However you may’t mix this low cost with different promotions, comparable to when IHG factors are on sale. And IHG typically provides a a lot better 100% bonus while you buy factors.

So, though I typically purchase IHG factors when the 100% bonus drops the acquisition value to 0.5 cents per level, I do not discover the 20% low cost interesting.

Computerized Silver standing (with a path to Gold)

IHG One Traveler cardholders get pleasure from automated Silver Elite standing within the IHG One Rewards program. This tier features a 20% bonus on resort stays and factors that do not expire.

As well as, you should buy your technique to Gold Elite standing by way of the tip of the following calendar 12 months while you spend $20,000 in your card every calendar 12 months. This tier features a 40% bonus on resort stays and rollover elite nights for standing the next 12 months.

No international transaction charges

Many mid-tier bank cards do not cost foreign transaction fees; nonetheless, there are only a few playing cards on that record that do not cost an annual price. In the event you journey overseas often, it is price having no less than one bank card that does not cost international transaction charges.

Associated: How to maximize longer hotel stays by using a free night benefit

• 5 factors per greenback spent at IHG accommodations and resorts, plus 10 factors for being an IHG One member and a couple of factors with the Silver elite standing (17 factors complete, which is 8.5% return, primarily based on TPG’s Could 2025 valuations)
• 3 factors per greenback spent at gas stations, utilities (web, cable, cellphone and choose streaming providers) and dining, together with eligible takeout (1.5% return)
• 2 factors per greenback spent on every little thing else (1% return)

These returns aren’t nice, even in comparison with different no-annual-fee playing cards.

Nonetheless, there are a number of sub-$100 annual fee cards that supply strong perks on prime of nice incomes charges, which equate to higher returns on spending, in varied classes.

For instance, the $95 annual price Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) earns 2 factors per greenback spent on travel purchases, whereas the $95 annual price Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per greenback spent on nearly all purchases.

The IHG One Traveler Card additionally is not a good selection for on a regular basis purchases. In spite of everything, it solely gives a 1.5% return at gasoline stations and eating places, plus a 1% return on different purchases. A number of cash-back bank cards — just like the no-annual-fee Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) — offer a 2% return on all purchases (1% while you purchase and 1% while you pay).

Associated: The best credit cards for each bonus category

There are various choices for redeeming IHG One Rewards points. Not surprisingly, you may get the most effective worth out of your factors while you redeem for IHG resort stays.

TPG’s Could 2025 valuations peg IHG factors at simply 0.5 cents every, which is paltry when you think about that alternate options just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked card earn factors price over 2 cents apiece.

Nonetheless, it is doable to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program and get worth out of your factors. Listed below are a number of methods you are able to do so.

IHG has dynamic award pricing — that means that the price of reserving a reservation fluctuates with demand and seasonality — however there are some good offers to be discovered. Nonetheless, one draw back to dynamic pricing is that it’s best to extra fastidiously contemplate when to make use of your points versus cash for a keep.

At TPG, we attempt to use our factors after we know we will get higher than face worth for any given redemption. With a card just like the IHG Traveler, it makes essentially the most sense to guide stays of 4 nights or longer to make the most of the fourth reward night time profit.

You can even guide stays utilizing a mix of Factors + Money. For a given room, you may usually see a chart with reductions from the total nightly award charge in increments of 5,000 factors.

On a Factors + Money reserving, you are primarily shopping for the additional factors wanted to finish the redemption. So, in the event you cancel your room, your refund might be given solely in factors. I not often guide Factors + Money charges because it’s often a greater worth to make use of simply factors. Nonetheless, it is price checking whether or not the maths works out on every reserving.

TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt likes to make use of his IHG One Rewards factors for four-night award stays. Since he has the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees), he will get the fourth night time free on award redemptions.

He often targets Vacation Inn and Vacation Inn Categorical properties to stretch his factors, however sometimes splashes out on a Kimpton or InterContinental property.

Associated: How to earn IHG points via stays, credit cards and more

The switch course of may be cumbersome, particularly in the event you’re calling the IHG One Rewards Service Center that will help you kind out a switch. IHG is usually gradual to course of transfers, with some reporting that it took as much as six weeks for his or her factors to switch.

You can even transfer your points to other IHG One members beginning at $5 per 1,000 factors and free for Diamond and IHG Enterprise Rewards Program members as much as 500,000 factors per calendar 12 months.

Associated: 7 ways to earn more IHG One Rewards points for your next redemption

Which playing cards compete with the IHG One Rewards Traveler?

In the event you do not thoughts paying an annual price, contemplate these alternate options to the IHG One Traveler card.

For extra choices, try our full lists of the most effective hotel credit cards and the most effective playing cards for IHG stays.

The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is not a nasty possibility for the occasional IHG visitor, as you may get a number of IHG-related perks for no annual price. Nonetheless, in the event you’re in search of additional perks throughout your IHG stays, you may be upset with this card’s restricted advantages.

Apply right here: IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card