The IHG Hotels & Resorts co-brand option
IHG One Rewards Premier
Up to 26x IHG points at IHG hotels plus an annual free night
IHG points are worth roughly 0.5¢ each — 26x ≈ 13% back on IHG stays only.
Co-brand cards usually earn the most at IHG Hotels & Resorts itself but less everywhere else — compare against the general-purpose picks below for your overall spending.
Tips for IHG Hotels & Resorts
Match the card to how you shop
Online and in-store purchases can code differently — use the toggle above when both apply.
Watch for quarterly bonuses
Rotating 5% categories on cards like Chase Freedom Flex may include this merchant part of the year.
Stack with store promotions
Combine credit card rewards with IHG Hotels & Resorts's loyalty programs and sales.
How to maximize credit card rewards at IHG Hotels & Resorts
Choosing the right credit card for IHG Hotels & Resorts purchases can add up to hundreds of dollars per year in cash back or points — but only if your card's bonus categories actually include the way IHG Hotels & Resorts transactions are coded.
Spending at IHG Hotels & Resorts (Hotels) is categorized by payment networks and issuers, not by store name alone. The best card depends on which spend category your purchase maps to on your specific cards.
IHG Hotels & Resorts shoppers often ask whether store cards, co-branded cards, or general rewards cards deliver the best value. Store cards may offer high in-store percentages but limit flexibility; general cards with strong category bonuses or a high base earn rate often win on net annual value when you factor in annual fees and usable rewards.
Our rankings above use IHG Hotels & Resorts's typical shopping channels — in-store, online, and delivery where applicable — and run each active card in our database through the same rewards engine we use on the optimizer. Results reflect ongoing annual value: category earn rates, caps, and perks, minus annual fees.
Stacking rewards: portals, offers, and gift cards
Beyond your base card earn rate, you may be able to stack shopping portal bonuses, issuer offers (Amex Offers, Chase Offers, etc.), or gift card deals when shopping at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Portals pay extra points or cash back when you click through before checkout — often 2–10% on top of your card rewards.
Always compare portal rates against your card's native category bonus. A 5% grocery card used in-store may beat a 2% portal + 1% base card combination. For online orders at IHG Hotels & Resorts, portals are often worth checking first.
Gift card promotions at IHG Hotels & Resorts or resellers can effectively discount your purchase, but they add complexity and may not combine with certain card bonuses. We focus on straightforward card earn in our rankings; stacking is an advanced tactic on top of those baselines.
What to watch for
Issuer category definitions change. A merchant that coded as grocery last year may not today. Before applying for a new card primarily for IHG Hotels & Resorts spend, confirm current terms on the issuer's website.
Annual caps on bonus categories can limit value for heavy IHG Hotels & Resorts shoppers. If you spend more than a card's quarterly or annual cap in that category, overflow spend earns at the base rate — our engine models caps explicitly so rankings reflect your real volume.
Welcome bonuses can temporarily skew value. Our rankings use ongoing annual value and keep one-time signup bonuses in a separate first-year number — but if you're planning a large IHG Hotels & Resorts purchase that would meet a minimum-spend requirement, your first-year return will be higher than the steady-state numbers suggest.
Get personalized rankings
This page uses representative spend profiles for IHG Hotels & Resorts's category. Your optimal card depends on how much you actually spend here versus groceries, dining, travel, and other categories each month.
Use our free optimizer to enter your monthly spending and see net annual value across all cards — including whether a dedicated hotels card or a flexible everyday card wins for your wallet.