What the Chase IHG Credit Card gives you

The Chase IHG Credit Card is a rewards card tied to IHG Hotels (InterContinental Hotels Group), which owns brands like Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and InterContinental. You earn points on every purchase, and those points convert to free nights at IHG properties. The card also comes with a free night certificate each year you hold it — usually worth one night at a Category 1 through 4 hotel, depending on which version of the card you have.

The card charges an annual fee. That fee varies by which IHG card you choose — the standard version costs less than the premium versions, which offer higher free night categories and additional perks. You pay this fee whether you use the card or not, so the math on whether the card makes sense depends on whether you actually stay at IHG hotels and whether the free night certificate covers a hotel you would book anyway.

Beyond the free night, the card earns points at a fixed rate on all purchases: typically 10 points per dollar at IHG hotels, and 2 points per dollar on everything else. Those points accumulate in your IHG Rewards account and can be redeemed for free nights, room upgrades, or other IHG perks. There is no cap on points earned.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn a free night certificate each year you hold the card, usually worth one night at a lower-category IHG hotel, which can offset the annual fee if you use it.
  • The card earns 10 points per dollar at IHG hotels and 2 points per dollar everywhere else, and points never expire as long as your account stays active.
  • The annual fee ranges from roughly $50 to $150 depending on which IHG card version you choose, and you pay it even if you do not use the card.
  • Free night certificates have category limits — the standard card typically covers Category 1–4 hotels, while premium cards cover higher categories — so check what hotels near you fall into those categories before you sign up.
  • Points redemption rates vary widely by hotel and season, so a free night might cost 10,000 points at a budget property or 50,000+ points at a luxury location.

How the free night certificate actually works

Each year on your card anniversary, Chase deposits a free night certificate into your IHG Rewards account. That certificate lets you book one free night at an IHG hotel within your card's category range, but it does not cover taxes, resort fees, or incidentals — you pay those out of pocket. The certificate is good for one year from the date you receive it, so if you do not use it within that window, it expires.

The category limit is the catch. The standard Chase IHG card covers Category 1 through 4 hotels. IHG's category system runs from 1 (budget properties like Holiday Inn Express) through 8 (luxury flagships like the InterContinental Tokyo). If the IHG hotels near you are all Category 5 or higher, your free night certificate will not cover them, and you will have paid the annual fee for a certificate you cannot use. Before you open the card, search IHG's website for hotels in the places you actually travel and note their categories.

Premium versions of the card — like the Chase IHG Premier Credit Card — cover higher categories (typically up to Category 6 or 7) but charge a higher annual fee. The trade-off is real: you pay more upfront, but the free night covers better hotels. The math only works if those higher-category hotels are places you would book anyway.

Annual fee versus the free night certificate

The standard Chase IHG card charges an annual fee of around $50 to $100, depending on the current offer. That fee hits your account once per year, usually on your card anniversary. The free night certificate you receive is meant to offset that cost, but only if you actually use it.

A free night at a Category 1 or 2 hotel (typically a Holiday Inn Express or basic Holiday Inn) might normally cost $80 to $150 per night. If your annual fee is $99 and you use the free night at a $120 hotel, you have broken even. But if you never use the certificate, or if the only IHG hotels you would book are outside your certificate's category range, you are paying the fee for nothing.

Some cardholders keep the card specifically for the free night and the points on IHG stays, then downgrade or close it after a year if they do not travel to IHG hotels regularly. Chase allows you to downgrade to a no-annual-fee IHG card (if one exists at the time) rather than closing the account, which preserves your points balance and your account history.

How points redemption works

Points earned on the card go into your IHG Rewards account and can be redeemed for free nights at any IHG property worldwide. The number of points required varies dramatically by hotel, location, and season. A budget Holiday Inn Express in a small town might cost 10,000 points per night, while a luxury InterContinental in a major city could cost 50,000 points or more for the same night.

IHG publishes a points chart that shows the category of each hotel and the typical nightly point cost for that category, but actual rates fluctuate. You can search for specific hotels on the IHG website and see the exact point cost before you book. Points do not expire as long as you have account activity at least once every 24 months — earning points, redeeming points, or even just logging in counts as activity.

You can also use points for room upgrades, airline miles transfers, or gift cards, though free nights are usually the best value. Some cardholders combine points with a free night certificate to book a longer stay: use the certificate for one night and points for the others.

Earning rates on different types of spending

The card earns 10 points per dollar when you stay at IHG hotels and charge the bill to the card. This is the highest earning rate and the main reason to use the card if you are an IHG guest. You also earn 10 points per dollar on IHG.com purchases, including gift cards.

On all other purchases — groceries, gas, restaurants, utilities — the card earns 2 points per dollar. This is a standard rate for hotel cards and is lower than what you might earn with a general cash-back card (which often offers 1.5% to 2% cash back). If you do not stay at IHG hotels regularly, the 2-point rate on everyday spending does not make up for the annual fee.

The card also offers a sign-up bonus: typically 50,000 to 80,000 points after you spend a certain amount in the first few months. That bonus alone can cover several free nights at mid-range IHG hotels, which is why many people open the card for the bonus even if they do not plan to use it long-term.

When this card makes sense and when it does not

The Chase IHG card is worth keeping if you stay at IHG hotels at least once or twice per year and the free night certificate covers a hotel you would actually book. If you travel to IHG properties regularly, the points earn quickly, and the combination of the free night plus points redemptions can add up to real savings. The sign-up bonus also makes opening the card worthwhile even if you only plan to hold it for a year.

The card does not make sense if you rarely stay at hotels, if IHG is not your preferred brand, or if the hotels near you are all outside your certificate's category range. It also does not make sense if you can earn better rewards with a general cash-back card and book hotels through a cash-back portal. Do the math: if you would spend $5,000 per year on the card and earn 2 points per dollar on most of it, that is 10,000 points — enough for maybe one free night at a budget property. Subtract the annual fee, and you might come out behind.

Comparing the IHG card to other hotel cards

Chase also offers the Marriott Bonvoy card and the Hyatt card, each tied to a different hotel chain. The Marriott card earns points toward Marriott properties, the Hyatt card toward Hyatt hotels. All three follow the same basic structure: annual fee, free night certificate, higher earning at the brand's hotels, lower earning elsewhere.

The choice between them depends on which hotel chain you actually use. If you stay at Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, the IHG card is the right choice. If you prefer Marriott or Hyatt properties, one of those cards makes more sense. Some travelers hold multiple hotel cards if they split their stays across brands, though that means paying multiple annual fees.

American Express also offers hotel cards, including the Platinum Card, which earns points toward Hilton, Marriott, and other chains. The Amex Platinum has a much higher annual fee but offers more perks beyond hotel rewards. Compare the specific hotels you book, the annual fees, and the free night categories before deciding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the free night certificate at any IHG hotel?

No. The certificate is limited to hotels in your card's category range. The standard card covers Category 1–4 hotels, so you cannot use it at Category 5 or higher properties. Check the IHG website to see which hotels near you fall into your card's category range before you open the account.

What happens to my points if I close the card?

Your points stay in your IHG Rewards account and do not disappear just because you close the card. You can still redeem them for free nights. However, points will expire if your account has no activity for 24 months, so log in occasionally or make a small redemption to keep the account active.

Do I have to pay taxes and fees on the free night?

Yes. The free night certificate covers the room rate only. You still pay taxes, resort fees, parking, and any other incidentals out of pocket. At some resorts, these fees can be substantial, so factor them in when you plan to use your certificate.

Is the sign-up bonus worth opening the card?

Often yes. A 50,000 to 80,000 point sign-up bonus can cover two or three free nights at mid-range IHG hotels, which is more value than the annual fee. If you meet the spending requirement easily, the bonus alone can justify opening the card, even if you close it after a year.

Can I downgrade to a card with no annual fee?

Chase sometimes offers a no-annual-fee IHG card option. If one is available, you can usually downgrade your current card to that version instead of closing the account. This keeps your points and account history intact. Call the number on the back of your card to ask about downgrade options.