Live: Fantastic IHG Rewards Credit Card Changes

Changes to the two existing cards, as well as the launch of a new business card, were announced in late January. The changes are good news, so let's take a look at all of the details.

There are changes coming to the IHG rewards program as of April 2022, so keep in mind that. It looks like the changes should be positive, even though details are still limited.

The Chase and IHG rewards credit card portfolio has just been refreshed. It's not good news when there are changes to credit cards, but in this case it's almost entirely good news. There have been changes to the two existing personal credit cards, as well as the introduction of a new business credit card. Let's go over the details.

IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card changes

There is a welcome bonus of more than a hundred thousand IHG rewards points on the rewards premier credit card. The annual fee on the card has been increased by $10, and will apply to existing card members as of 2023.

The other changes to the card are positive. The rewards structure on the card has improved considerably. The IHG premier card is now earning.

• 5x points on travel (vs. 1x points previously)
• 5x points on purchases at gas stations and dining (vs. 2x points previously)
• 3x points on all other purchases (vs. 1x points previously)

The card has several new perks.

• Anniversary free night certificates have more flexibility; while they’re capped at 40,000 points per night, you’re now able to redeem them at more expensive hotels by paying the difference in points (in other words, you could book a 50,000 point hotel for a free night certificate plus 10,000 points)
• You receive $50 in United TravelBank Cash each calendar year, after registering your IHG Rewards Premier Card with your United MileagePlus account; this comes in the form of a $25 credit twice per year, though the credits do expire
• You receive 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year
• You continue to receive complimentary IHG Rewards Platinum status, and are able to earn IHG Rewards Diamond status after spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year

The changes are fantastic, except for the $10 annual fee increase. You can get up to $50 in United Airlines credit each year. We will have to wait to find out the benefits of I hg rewards diamond status, but some might consider it worth spending to earn that, especially with the improved points earning structure and threshold bonus on the card.

A fourth night free on award redemptions, a Global Entry, and a TSA PreCheck credit are just some of the existing benefits.

IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card changes

The rewards traveler credit card is offering a welcome bonus of 120k points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. The card has no annual fee, and there are a few positive changes.

The rewards structure on the IHG Traveler Card has improved considerably.

• 3x points on utilities, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services purchases (vs. 1x points previously)
• 3x points on purchases at gas stations and dining (vs. 2x points previously)
• 2x points on all other purchases (vs. 1x points previously)

The card has a lot of new perks.

• Automatic IHG Rewards Silver status (no status was offered without spending previously)
• You’re able to earn IHG Rewards Gold status after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year
• You can earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 on the card in a calendar year

The points earning structure has improved considerably, as the no annual fee card finally offers some elite status without spending.

New IHG Premier Business Card

The first business credit card from IHG has just been launched. The card will give a welcome bonus of over a million points after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

The perks are largely the same, but the card has a lot of overlap with the premier card.

As far as the rewards are concerned, the IHG Premier Business Card earns:

• 10x points on IHG spending
• 5x points on travel and hotels
• 5x points on gas stations
• 5x points on dining
• 5x points on social media and search engine advertising, and office supply stores
• 3x points on all other purchases

The card has perks.

• An anniversary free night certificate just for being a cardmember, plus a second free night certificate if you spend $60,000 on the card in a calendar year
• Up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each calendar year
• IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status for as long as you’re a cardmember
• A fourth night free on award redemptions
• A Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit once every four years
• IHG Rewards Diamond status if you spend $40,000 per calendar year on the card
• 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on the card in a calendar year

I'm sure many will want to apply for this card, it's an extremely compelling business credit card.

Bottom line

Changes have just been made to the IHG rewards credit card portfolio, and I think this is good news.

• The IHG Premier Card now has a significantly improved points earning structure, plus new perks that include a $50 annual United credit, more flexible anniversary free night awards, and more.
• The IHG Traveler Card now gets IHG Rewards Silver status without a spending requirement
• The IHG Premier Business Card has just launched, and offers many of the same perks as the IHG Premier Card, so this is an extremely compelling new option

This is a great time to apply because we are seeing fantastic new welcome offers on all of these cards.

What do you think about the changes?