Kudos has partnered with CardRatings and Red Ventures for our coverage of credit card products. Kudos, CardRatings, and Red Ventures may receive a commission from card issuers. Kudos may receive commission from card issuers. Some of the card offers that appear on Kudos are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Kudos tries to include as many card companies and offers as we are aware of, including offers from issuers that don't pay us, but we may not cover all card companies or all available card offers. You don't have to use our links, but we're grateful when you do!
IHG Credit Card Changes 2026: What Existing Cardholders Get and Lose
September 27, 2026
.webp)
The IHG credit card changes Chase announced on Oct. 1, 2026 reach every card in the lineup, not just the new $350 Premier Select. If you already hold an IHG card, most new perks are live now, while the higher annual fees wait until your 2027 renewal.
Here is what changes on each card and when you should act.
Comparing the new $350 IHG card? We broke down every credit and the launch welcome offer on the Premier Select. See the IHG Premier Select breakdown.
IHG Credit Card Changes on the Premier Card
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card gets the biggest overhaul. Its annual fee rises from $99 to $150, and the automatic elite status drops from Platinum to Gold. Current cardholders keep Platinum through Dec. 31, 2027.
In exchange, you get new value that is live for existing cardholders now:
- Food and beverage credit: $25 per quarter at IHG hotels, up to $100 a year. Unused credit expires at the end of each quarter.
- Airline credit: a $100 statement credit once per year when you spend $250 or more in a single transaction directly with an airline, through Dec. 31, 2027.
- Bigger free night: the anniversary certificate covers nights up to 50,000 points, up from 40,000, and you can still top it up with points.
- Elite night credits: 15 per year, starting Jan. 1, 2027 for existing cardholders.
Earning shifts too. The card now earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines, car rentals, dining, gas stations, and grocery stores, and 3 points on everything else. Total IHG earning drops to up to 24 points per dollar including status bonuses.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "502", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Frequent IHG Guests", "headerHint": "Anniversary Free Night"} ]]
Kudos tracks the statement credits on every card in your wallet, so the new $25 quarterly IHG food credit does not quietly expire before you use it.
Fee hikes are spreading. IHG is one of several co-branded cards changing this year. See every credit card benefit ending in 2026.
When Does the IHG Annual Fee Increase Hit?
Not this year. Chase says existing cardholders pay the old fee on any renewal dated Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026. The new fee applies at your first renewal in 2027.
There is a catch for late-2026 renewals. If your Premier or Business card renews before year-end, that anniversary certificate is still capped at 40,000 points. The 50,000-point certificate arrives with your 2027 renewal. Chase is sending notices in October with each account's effective dates, so watch your inbox.
Not sure whether to keep it? Use our framework for deciding which cards earn their fee. Read the keep, downgrade, or cancel guide.
Changes to the No-Annual-Fee IHG Card
The former Traveler card is now called the IHG One Rewards Credit Card. It still has no annual fee, and it adds five elite night credits each year plus 3 points per dollar at grocery stores alongside dining and gas.
Two losses matter more. The 3x rate on utilities, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming services ends after Dec. 31, 2026, when those purchases drop to 2x. And starting Jan. 1, 2027, the fourth-night-free benefit on award stays requires $5,000 in spending each calendar year. That perk was the main reason many people kept this card.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "1087", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Occasional IHG Guests", "headerHint": "No Annual Fee"} ]]
IHG Business and Legacy Select Card Changes
The IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card fee more than doubles, from $99 to $200, though it keeps automatic Platinum status and gains the same food, airline, and 50,000-point certificate perks as the Premier.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "3062", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Business Owners", "headerHint": "Platinum Elite Status"} ]]
The legacy IHG Rewards Club Select card, closed to new applicants since 2018, was left out of the Oct. 1 refresh. Cardholders have since reported change-in-terms notices raising its fee from $49 to $99, charged at 2027 renewals. Chase has not published benefit changes for that card, so treat anything beyond the fee as unconfirmed until your notice arrives.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "3385", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Existing Cardholders", "headerHint": "Legacy Card"} ]]
The Bottom Line
If you stay at IHG properties a few times a year and will use the quarterly food credit and airline credit, the Premier still covers its $150 fee. If you mainly kept the no-fee card for fourth night free and do not spend $5,000 a year on it, plan a retention call or a product change before your 2027 renewal.
If you're an IHG regular weighing an upgrade, the new IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card adds Platinum Elite status and bigger credits for a $350 annual fee.
[[ COMPARE_CARD * {"ids": ["24841", "502", "1087"], "bestCategoryIds":["17", "18", "19"], "bestForTexts":["IHG Loyalists", "Frequent IHG Guests", "Occasional IHG Guests"]} ]]
Unlock your extra benefits when you become a Kudos member
Turn your online shopping into even more rewards
Join over 400,000 members simplifying their finances
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
.webp)
