IHG Credit Card Family Rule & Legacy $49 IHG Card Questions Answered

Yesterday, I shared that I had suddenly become interested in IHG. We weren't sure where they would go with the refresh of the rewards program. Yesterday part of the plan came out and they completely changed their credit card portfolio. I was surprised to see that they were improvements. It has me taking another look at the IHG program and anticipating changes. There were a lot of questions after the news yesterday, many of which focused on the legacy $49 IHG card. There is a rule about credit cards.

Update 3/19/22:

The chance to carry both cards ends on the 24th of March. If you want to take advantage of the 10% back and 4th night free perks and get a 2nd welcome offer, now is the time. It won't be possible next week. You have to be under Chase 5/24 to be eligible and it will count towards your count if approved as well.

What Happens To The Legacy $49 IHG Card?

The first question was what happens to the $49 IHG credit card. Will it be changed to either of the new cards? Does it get any of the new perks?

Everyone will get to keep their legacy cards. There is nothing changing. You can still get a free night certificate every year.

It will not be a part of the new perks. You can't add points on top of the free night certificate with the new rewards credit card. We don't know if you carry both cards if the premier card unlocks the other free night certificate. This brings me to our next topic, which is why you might want to grab a IHG rewards club premier card now.

IHG Credit Card Family Rule Is Coming

I broke the news a long time ago that you could carry both IHG cards and that their perks would stack. You can carry both cards, but it will change in the future. This is what our contact had to say.

Once the new card benefits launch, Select card members will not be able to apply for a Traveler or Premier card while still holding a Select card.

If you currently have the $49 card, and you want to carry both with the upcoming refresh, you will want to jump on the IHG rewards club premier card before March 24, 2022. You won't be able to carry both once the annual fee increases and refresh happen.

Is The 4th Night Free Going Away?

We had a question about the 4th night free with the IHG rewards club card going away. The people were worried that it wasn't listed in the perks of the refresh. The 4th night free perk is here to stay, we were able to confirm that the perks listed were just the new perks being added.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully we answered some of the questions you all had after yesterday’s news. I am also happy to once again break some news on the upcoming IHG family rule changes. This at least gives you a few months to decide if you need to get your hands on the IHG Rewards Club Premier card or not. If you already have the legacy $49 IHG card, are under Chase 5/24 and want to carry both cards then grab the Premier card now. Because in March it will be too late!

Chase Freedom unlimited has an extra cash back bonus.

Right now, Chase Freedom Unlimited has an increased offer. You can earn an additional 1.5% back in all categories if you spend up to $20K in the first year. There is no yearly fee.

There are additional card benefits.

• With the extra 1.5% cash back through the welcome offer you can earn (on up to $20K spend):
  • 6.55% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
  • 3% cash back on all other purchases
• 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases

You can learn more about this card.

The author's opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.