Earn 140,000 Points Plus a Free Night

This post contains links to products from our advertisers, and we may be compensated when you click on these links. Our recommendations and advice are ours alone, and have not been reviewed by any issuers listed. Terms apply to offers listed on this page. Read our editorial standards.

• There’s a new elevated offer on the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card, and it’s one of the best we’ve ever seen.
• New cardholders can earn 140,000 bonus points and 1 free night after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• You can use the free night from the welcome bonus at IHG hotels that cost up to 40,000 points, making this welcome offer worth up to 180,000 points.
• Read Insider’s guide to the best travel rewards credit cards.

Hotel credit cards that offer a free night on your card anniversary can be incredibly lucrative, because it’s often possible to get a value that greatly exceeds the card’s annual fee. The IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is one of the best options because it comes with an anniversary award night worth up to 40,000 points, with a modest annual fee of just $99.

We’ve seen elevated welcome bonus offers come and go on this card frequently, most recently with an offer to earn 140,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements. But now Chase has sweetened the deal: New cardholders can earn 140,000 bonus points and 1 free night after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — and the free night is valid at hotels that cost up to 40,000 points. 

The points from the bonus are worth around $980, based on Insider’s valuations, and the addition of a 40,000-point free night boosts the value by up to $280, on average (assuming you redeem the certificate at a hotel that costs 40K points).

Keep in mind, too, that IHG now allows you to top up a free night certificate with points from your IHG account, so even if the hotel you want costs more than 40,000 points, you’ll still have a way to use your certificate. For example, you could use the free night certificate plus 10,000 points to book a hotel that costs 50,000 points.

Here’s more about the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card to help you decide if you should apply for this new offer.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Earn 140,000 points plus 1 free night with the Chase IHG Premier card

Whether you stay at family-friends brands like Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, or prefer splurging on upscale InterContinental and Kimpton properties, the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card can be a worthwhile addition to your wallet — even if you only stay with IHG a handful of times a year.

You can redeem IHG points (and free night certificates) at over a dozen brands, including:

• InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
• Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants
• Regent
• Six Senses
• Vignette Collection
• Voco
• Hotel Indigo
• Crowne Plaza
• Hualuxe
• EVEN Hotels
• Holiday Inn
• Holiday Inn Express
• Holiday Inn Resorts
• Holiday Inn Club Vacations
• Avid
• Atwell Suites
• Staybridge Suites 
• Candlewood Suites 

Along with its generous welcome bonus offer, the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card lets you earn points from your everyday spending. You’ll earn 10 points per dollar at IHG Hotels and Resorts (in addition to what you’d normally earn from the stay), 5x points on travel, dining, and at gas stations, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases.

The card also comes with substantial benefits that can help you save money or make your travels more comfortable. These include:

• Automatic IHG Platinum elite status (room upgrades, 50% points bonus on stays, priority check-in, late checkout)
• Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year with the card
• The fourth award night free on award stays of three or more consecutive nights
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
• 20% discount when you purchase points with your card
• 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 on purchases and making one additional purchase each calendar year
• Up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash each calendar year
• Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Baggage delay insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance services
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty

Know before you apply

If you apply for the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card but still need more IHG points, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the IHG loyalty program. IHG Rewards is one of 14 Chase transfer partners, which also include United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

So if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can move points from those cards to your IHG account at a 1:1 ratio and boost your balance from the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card bonus.

Keep in mind the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card (and other IHG cards, like the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card and IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card) is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. This means that if you’ve opened five or more credit cards — from any bank — in the last 24 months, you won’t be approved for the card.