Chase Freedom Flex vs IHG One Rewards Premier: Which Is Better In 2025?

IHG One Rewards Premier Breakdown

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Why We Like It

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This section breaks down the key reasons we think the IHG One Rewards Premier is a valuable card.

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• The card offers a fast track to rewards with an earning rate of up to 26 points per dollar spent at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• Automatic Platinum Elite status provides immediate access to valuable hotel perks like complimentary room upgrades when available.
• The annual Anniversary Free Night, for a stay worth up to 40,000 points, can easily cover the card's annual fee. (publisher-formulated estimate)

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Pros

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• Automatic Platinum Elite status provides immediate hotel perks like complimentary room upgrades and late check-out.
• Cardholders receive an Anniversary Free Night certificate each year and get a fourth night free on reward stays of four nights or more.
• The card includes key travel protections like trip cancellation insurance and has no foreign transaction fees.

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Cons

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• The card’s rewards are most valuable when redeemed at IHG properties, making it less ideal for travelers who aren’t loyal to the brand.
• Points have limited transfer flexibility compared to other premium travel cards.
• It lacks some of the high-end travel insurance protections found on competing cards.

IHG One Rewards Premier vs Chase Freedom Flex®

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, Chase Freedom Flex or IHG One Rewards Premier, depends entirely on your spending habits and travel preferences.

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• Chase Freedom Flex®: This card is best for maximizing value on everyday purchases, offering high rewards in rotating quarterly categories as well as on dining, travel booked through Chase, and at drugstores.
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: This card is designed for travelers who frequently stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts, as its best rewards are earned on IHG stays, with strong bonus categories for other travel, gas, and restaurant purchases.

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Redemption

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Chase Freedom Flex®: Rewards are highly flexible, offering redemptions for cash back, gift cards, and travel booked through the Chase portal. Your points can also be pooled with other premium Chase cards to unlock valuable travel partner transfers.

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IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: The points you earn are best used for award nights at the thousands of IHG properties around the globe. This straightforward approach is ideal for travelers who frequent IHG brands.

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Travel Perks

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• Chase Freedom Flex®: While not a premium travel card, it provides access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal for booking flights, hotels, and car rentals. It also includes some travel protections like trip cancellation/interruption insurance. However, it does charge a foreign transaction fee and does not offer airport lounge access.
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: This card is packed with travel perks, especially for IHG loyalists. Key benefits include an annual anniversary free night, a fourth night free on award stays, and automatic IHG Platinum Elite status. It also offers a statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees and has no foreign transaction fees, making it ideal for international travel.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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If you're still unsure which card is right for you, a tool like Kudos can help you compare top-rated cards based on your own spending.

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• Test Drive Cards: The ‘Test Drive’ feature simulates your potential earnings on a new card using your real spending data before you apply.
• Approval Odds Analysis: Receive a detailed analysis of your approval odds based on your credit report to apply with more confidence.
• Kudos Boost: Earn extra rewards on top of your regular credit card rewards when you shop at participating stores.
• Welcome Offer Guarantee: If you find a better public welcome offer within three months of being approved for a card through Kudos, they will match it.
• Automatic Card Selection: At checkout, Kudos can automatically select the best card in your wallet to ensure you’re maximizing rewards on every purchase.

Who Should Choose the Chase Freedom Flex®?

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The Chase Freedom Flex® is a great fit for strategic spenders who enjoy maximizing rewards by keeping up with rotating bonus categories. This card is particularly valuable for those who frequently dine out or shop at drugstores and want to pair it with other Chase cards to create a powerful rewards-earning combination. Ultimately, it's designed for consumers who want a no-annual-fee card that offers flexible cash back or points on everyday purchases, as detailed in this comprehensive review.

Who Should Choose the IHG One Rewards Premier?

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The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is tailor-made for travelers who frequently stay at IHG properties like Holiday Inn, InterContinental, or Kimpton. These cardholders value the automatic Platinum Elite status and its perks, such as potential room upgrades and late check-out, and can maximize value on longer trips with the fourth-night-free benefit. For those who can leverage the annual anniversary free night, the card's annual fee can be easily offset, making it a compelling choice for loyal IHG customers who want to explore all the card's features.

Alternatives to Consider

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If the choice between the flexible cash back of the Chase Freedom Flex® and the hotel-centric perks of the IHG One Rewards Premier doesn't align with your spending habits, don't worry. Several other excellent cards on the market might be a better match for your financial goals.

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Tips for Application Success

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Before You Apply

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• Check your credit score: Most rewards cards, including those from Chase, typically require good to excellent credit for approval.
• Know the application rules: Be aware of issuer-specific policies, like the Chase 5/24 rule, before you apply.
• Plan for the perks: Make sure you will use the card’s core benefits, whether it's activating quarterly categories or using hotel-specific rewards.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application before a large planned purchase to help meet the welcome offer's spending requirement.
• Consider issuer-specific rules, like the Chase 5/24 rule, which can affect your approval odds.
• Evaluate how a new card fits within your existing card portfolio or a specific rewards ecosystem.

Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the annual fees for the Chase Freedom Flex and IHG One Rewards Premier cards?

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The Chase Freedom Flex℠ typically has no annual fee, making it a cost-effective choice for earning rewards. In contrast, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card usually comes with an annual fee, which is offset by its travel-specific benefits like an annual free night award.

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Can I transfer points between these two cards?

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No, you cannot directly transfer points between the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the IHG One Rewards Premier card. The Freedom Flex earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, while the IHG card earns IHG One Rewards points, which are separate loyalty programs.

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Which card is better for everyday spending?

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The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is generally better for everyday spending due to its rotating quarterly bonus categories on common purchases like groceries and gas. The IHG One Rewards Premier card's earning structure is primarily optimized for spending at IHG hotels and resorts.

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