Chase and IHG Are Overhauling Their Card Lineup

Chase and IHG just reshuffled their whole co-brand lineup, and it’s the biggest shake-up this partnership has seen in years. The headline is a brand-new top-tier card that finally gives IHG loyalists something to compete with the premium hotel cards from Marriott and Hilton. But the overhaul goes well past one new product launch: all three existing IHG cards are getting new benefits, new names in some cases, and in two cases, a meaningfully higher annual fee.

Some of these changes genuinely benefit cardholders. Others mostly benefit Chase and IHG. Here’s what’s actually changing, card by card.

The Brand New IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card

The biggest addition to the lineup is The Brand New IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card, and it immediately becomes the most expensive card IHG offers at a $350 annual fee.

For that fee, cardmembers get up to $300 a year in IHG Food & Beverage Rewards, a $200 annual statement credit for airline purchases (after $250 spent directly with an airline), and up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash. There’s also an anniversary free night worth up to 60,000 points, and cardholders can add their own points on top of the certificate to unlock pricier redemptions.

The card earns up to 28 total points per dollar at IHG properties and comes with automatic Platinum Elite status plus the fourth night free on award stays booked for four nights or more. It also delivers 20 Elite Night Credits a year, enough on its own to unlock IHG’s first Milestone Reward, with another two credits for every $5,000 spent on the card.

The Existing Premier Card Is Changing, Too

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, now called The New IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, is also seeing some changes. The annual fee is rising from $99 to $150, a roughly 50% increase. That fee hike takes effect in 2027 for existing cardholders.

To justify it, the card is adding benefits it never had before: up to $100 a year in Food & Beverage Rewards and a $100 annual airline statement credit (also after $250 in direct airline spend, waived through 2027). Its anniversary free night cap is rising from 40,000 to 50,000 points, and it now earns up to 24 total points per dollar at IHG hotels.

Cardmembers also get 15 Elite Night Credits a year, plus two more for every $5,000 spent, a benefit this card didn’t previously offer.

Here’s the part that cuts the other way: automatic elite status is dropping from Platinum Elite to Gold Elite. Cardholders can still reach Platinum, but only after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, and Diamond after $40,000. Existing Premier cardholders keep their current Platinum status through 2027 before the change takes effect. For anyone who doesn’t put heavy spend on this card, that’s a real downgrade dressed up as a benefits refresh.

No-Annual-Fee and Business Card Updates

The no-annual-fee card, previously called the IHG One Rewards Traveler Card, is being renamed The New IHG One Rewards Credit Card. The $0 annual fee stays, and the card is adding 5 Elite Night Credits a year along with a new 3 points per dollar category on groceries. It earns up to 17 total points per dollar at IHG properties.

The fourth-night-free benefit on award stays now requires $5,000 in card spending during the calendar year, a new restriction that takes effect in 2027. The spend threshold to reach Gold Elite status on this card is also dropping, from $20,000 to $15,000.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card is being renamed The New IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, and its annual fee is more than doubling, from $99 to $200, effective 2027. New benefits include up to $100 a year in Food & Beverage Rewards, a $100 airline statement credit, and up to $100 in annual Expensify credits, plus 15 Elite Night Credits a year. Its anniversary free night cap rises to 50,000 points and it earns up to 26 total points per dollar at IHG hotels. The card keeps automatic Platinum Elite status.

The IHG Card Lineup at a Glance

Timeline for Existing Cardmembers

Not all of this lands at once. New earning rates and category bonuses are already in effect for current cardholders. Chase says it will notify existing IHG cardmembers in October with the specific new and enhanced benefits that apply to their card and the effective date for each one.

The two fee increases, on the Premier and Business cards, won’t hit until 2027. Existing Premier cardholders also keep their current Platinum Elite status through 2027, so the Gold Elite downgrade doesn’t apply to you right away if you already hold the card.

If you’re deciding whether to keep, downgrade, or upgrade a card, there’s no rush. You’ll get the specifics in writing before anything changes on your account.

Our Take

The Premier Select card is likely a keeper if you’re a regular IHG guest. Between the free night, the food and beverage credits, and the airline statement credit, you can come out ahead of that $350 annual fee without trying too hard.

The changes to the Premier card aren’t great. That $100 airline credit only kicks in after $250 of direct airline spend. But between the free night and the $100 food and beverage credit, there’s still a case for this one as a keeper card, and that’s the lens we think these changes should be judged through.

The no-annual-fee card’s new $5,000 spend requirement for the fourth-night-free benefit is a plain and simple negative change. It’s clear Chase wants you to pay to play here.

The Business card’s annual fee doubles, but the new credits and the free night can still justify it as a keeper.

To sum it up: if you typically eat at the hotel during your IHG stays, these cards can still be keepers. If you like to venture off property when you travel, not so much.