Chase IHG Changes: New Business Card, Top Off Certificates With Points & More [Now Live]

Update 3/24/22: Now live.

Update 1/30/22: Some additional information regarding the United TravelBank benefit:

  • $50 credit will be broken into two $25 credits (one every six months. One on or about January 1 and another one or about July 1)
  • Deposits made between January 1 and June 30 will expire July 15
  • Deposits made between July 1 and December 31 will expire January 15

Normally United TravelBank credits don’t expire unless there is 18 months of inactivity so these aren’t true credits but promotional credits that are much more difficult to use. In additional points earned from cards will no longer qualify as Elite Qualifying Points.

Original post (1/25/22): Chase & IHG have announced that a number of changes will becoming to the Chase IHG card portfolio on March 24, 2022. The changes are as follows:

  • Ability to top off award certificates with points. For example if an award certificate is good for properties up to 40,000 points per night but the property you want to stay at costs 50,000 points you can use the certificate and 10,000 points. Looks like this might just be for the Premier Business & personal & Traveler cards and not the old select card but unconfirmed.
  • New IHG Premier Business card
    • Annual fee of $99
    • Anniversary free night, good on properties up to 40,000 points per night
    • Card earns at the following rates:
      • 10x on IHG purchases
      • 5x on gas stations, dining, social media and search engine advertising and office supply store purchases
      • 3x on all other purchases
    • Automatic IHG Platinum status, earn Diamond Elite with $40,000 in spend
    • $50 United TravelBank cash each calendar year. Must register card in your United account
    • TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Credit
    • Spending bonus of 10,000 points + $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 within a calendar year. Additional free night after $60,000 in spend
    • Redeem three nights, get one night free
    • All existing IHG business cards will be product changed to this card
  • IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card:
    • Annual fee increased from $89 to $99 (annual fee will increase in 2023 for existing cardholders)
    • $50 United TravelBank cash each calendar year. Must register card in your United account
    • Spending bonus of 10,000 points + $100 statement credit after spending $20,000 within a calendar year. Earn Diamond status with $40,000 in spend (card continues to receive free Platinum status)
    • Earning rates increased:
      • 5x on travel (previously 1x)
      • 5x on gas & dining (previously 2x)
      • 3x points on all other purchases (previously 1x)
    • All other benefits remain the same
    • Name changed to IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card (removal of Club in the name)
  • IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
    • Automatic silver status, earn gold status with $20,000 in spend in a calendar year
    • Spending bonus of 10,000 points after spending $10,000 within a calendar year
    • Earning rates increased:
      • 3x points on utilities, internet, cable, phone and select streaming services (previously 1x)
      • 3x points on gas and dining (previously 2x)
      • 2x points on all other purchases (previously 1x)
    • Name changed to IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card (removal of Club in the name)
  • IHG Select card ($49 annual fee, no longer available to new applicants) will remain the same but you can product change to either of the personal cards above. Not possible to apply for either of the above personal cards if you hold this card (currently this is possible)

Our Verdict

The main issue with the increased earning rates is that IHG points aren’t that valuable. Let’s take a look at what you’d earn if you spent $20,000 on a category with no spend bonus using the IHG Premier compared to a 2% card:

  • IHG Premier card:
    • 60,000 IHG points from 3x earning bonus
    • 10,000 IHG points from $20,000 spend bonus
    • $100 statement credit from $20,000 spend bonus
  • 2% cash back card: $400

Basically 70,000 IHG points for $300, that works out to be 0.428¢ per point. That’s also a best case scenario and not a great deal in my opinion (it’s even worse when comparing the gas & dining earning rates as lots of other cards earn category bonuses for those purchases).

The introduction of the $50 United TravelBank credit for an increase of $10 in the annual fee is a net benefit for most cardholders. Card is worth keeping for most people due to the annual fee night certificate, especially with the increased flexibility the top off points change makes.

It’s difficult to know if the business card will be worth applying for without knowing what sort of sign up bonus will be offered. It will be an interesting option for those wanting to stay under the 5/24 rule though.

 

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Jake Mao
Jake Mao (@guest_1581995)
March 21, 2023 18:11

Doc, if you have the IHG Select card, you can’t sign up for either of the personal or business IHG cards? Or is it just the personal premier and traveler

Thanks!

VL
VL (@guest_1582669)
March 22, 2023 15:19

Correct, since March 2022, it is only 1 personal IHG card.. going forward. If you have more you can keep them. Also you can add a biz one.

Jake Mao
Jake Mao (@guest_1588850)
March 30, 2023 23:59
  VL

Thank you! I’m gonna still keep my old IHG Select card. But go for the business one when there’s a good bonus.

VL
VL (@guest_1589139)
March 31, 2023 14:17

You are welcome. I am planning to add the biz one eventually too. One tip – I am applying for them around the same month of the year, so the anniversary night certs all come around the same time, and you have a full year to use them all. This make them more usable, so you can make a trip out of them. I have now 4 between me and P2, and after 2 biz cards will have 6 hopefully.

RWHR
RWHR (@guest_1525520)
January 3, 2023 23:12

Still haven’t seen the $25 united travel bank. Wonder how long it will take to post for the Jan-June credit?

SaigonSteve
SaigonSteve (@guest_1354049)
March 27, 2022 00:32

Interesting datapoint. I linked my IHG to United a couple days ago using https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/deals/member-offers/united. Just checked my TravelBank account, and I see two separate $25 credits, both of which expire on 9/25/2023. Not sure if this is a mistake, but I’ll take it.

BilboBaggage
BilboBaggage (@guest_1354218)
March 27, 2022 15:47

I just signed up myself and P2. I only got 1 $25 credit. P2 got 2. Seems random

Elise
Elise (@guest_1354006)
March 26, 2022 19:56

Tested on a mock booking – top up feature seems to work as expected for Premier free nights. It’s funny that Marriott announced the top up feature last year but still haven’t even got it implemented on their systems. Meanwhile IHG announced it 2 months ago and it already works.

Linking United account isn’t working for me – the button on the website isn’t clickable. Tried multiple browsers. Hopefully they fix it soon

VL
VL (@guest_1354052)
March 27, 2022 01:03

Marriott feature should be available in April.. obviously only after they increase all inspirational properties by 20-30K above current peak pricing (which will happen on 03/29).
IHG top off feature is much better as it allows unlimited number of points to be added to a cert, when Marriot allows only 15K.
The recent changes make Marriott virtually unusable for inspirational bookings, when IHG actually makes the program and certs more user friendly.

Linking of United account worked fine.. when for a friend of mine it does not work. Not sure why. May be I had Premier card for longer.. and it takes time for them to activate this feature.. anyway, works for some and does not for others.

Tony
Tony (@guest_1353973)
March 26, 2022 17:49

Look like it’s expire in 6 months at the day you enroll/add card to united.com. I wonder if it’s possible to remove card then re-add around end of December to maximize fund life time?

John
John (@guest_1353964)
March 26, 2022 17:10

I have the legacy $49 personal card, and the new $89 personal premier card. Can I still apply for the business card?

VL
VL (@guest_1353966)
March 26, 2022 17:15

Yes, you should be fine.

Sa
Sa (@guest_1353902)
March 26, 2022 14:21

Looks like you can top off a premier night certificate with cash also.

Brad
Brad (@guest_1353751)
March 26, 2022 01:24

I see I can no longer refer for this card, either on the web or in the Chase app. Temporary? Or one of the permanent changes?

Pahanin
Pahanin (@guest_1353613)
March 25, 2022 19:06

Called the reconsideration line for the biz ihg card because the denial letter said I have too many open accounts with them. They approved and transferred credit from one of my other biz cards. They said so long as i transfer a minimum of $500 dollars credit line from another biz card its all they needed to approve a biz card.

Eric
Eric (@guest_1353569)
March 25, 2022 17:32

So if you hold the $49 fee credit card and the $89 (soon to be $99 fee) fee credit card…. it wouldn’t be wise to close out say the $89 fee one and then in 2 years reapply as you would then lose the $49 credit card at that time? Is that what i’m getting out of this?

WorldTr
WorldTr (@guest_1353748)
March 26, 2022 01:11

Seems like your application will be rejected due to holding the Old Select. If you’re trying to churn the bonuses, probably better to churn the business card.