IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card overview
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card (see charges and costs) is IHG’s no-annual-fee card choice. With this card, you can earn as much as 17 factors per greenback spent at IHG motels and resorts. Plus, cardholders can even earn elevated reward charges at gasoline stations, on a few of their month-to-month payments and at eating places. Nonetheless, whereas the IHG Traveler Card provides some helpful IHG-related perks, it might not be your most suitable option. Card Ranking*: ⭐⭐½
*Card Ranking is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
IHG provides two private cobranded Chase playing cards to assist clients rack up factors and maximize their stays.
One among these is the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card. It is geared toward vacationers who need to earn IHG factors on their purchases with out incurring an annual payment. Nevertheless, in the event you incessantly keep at IHG properties, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card (see charges and costs) is probably going a greater choice.
We suggest candidates have a credit score rating of 670 or greater to extend their possibilities of approval. Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the IHG One Traveler Card so you may resolve if it is best for you.
IHG One Rewards Traveler execs and cons
| Execs | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
IHG One Rewards Traveler Card welcome provide
New candidates for the IHG Traveler Card earn two free nights (every night time valued as much as 50,000 factors) plus 40,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
That is one of the best provide now we have seen on the cardboard, and the inclusion of free nights as a part of the welcome provide has by no means been supplied earlier than for this no-annual-fee card. The free nights, together with the bonus factors, provide you with 140,000 bonus factors, price $700 based mostly on TPG’s September 2025 valuations.
We suggest making use of anytime the welcome provide is above 80,000 factors.
You could be eligible for the IHG One Traveler Card (and its welcome bonus) in the event you fulfill the entire following necessities:
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Associated: The last word information to bank card software restrictions
IHG One Rewards Traveler advantages
Fourth reward night time profit
Every time you redeem factors for a keep of 4 or extra nights, each fourth night time will value zero factors. As soon as you are a cardholder, this low cost can be robotically utilized whenever you redeem IHG factors for eligible stays.
Save 20% on level purchases
You will get a 20% low cost everytime you purchase IHG factors along with your card. However you may’t mix this low cost with different promotions, reminiscent of when IHG factors are on sale. And IHG generally provides a significantly better 100% bonus whenever you buy factors.
Lead author Katie Genter typically buys IHG factors when the 100% bonus drops the acquisition worth to 0.5 cents per level, however she would not discover the 20% low cost interesting.
Computerized Silver standing (with a pathway to Gold)
IHG One Traveler cardholders take pleasure in computerized Silver Elite standing within the IHG One Rewards program. This tier features a 20% bonus on lodge stays and factors that do not expire.
As well as, you should buy your option to Gold Elite standing via the tip of the subsequent calendar 12 months whenever you spend $20,000 in your card every calendar 12 months. This tier features a 40% bonus on lodge stays and rollover elite nights for standing the next 12 months.
No international transaction charges
Many mid-tier bank cards do not cost international transaction charges; nonetheless, there are only a few playing cards on that checklist that do not cost an annual payment. Should you journey overseas incessantly, it is price having a minimum of one bank card that does not cost international transaction charges.
Associated: Maximize your rewards by getting a fourth or fifth night time free on award stays
Incomes factors on the IHG One Rewards Traveler
Once you use your IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card to make purchases, you may earn:
- 5 factors per greenback spent at IHG motels and resorts, plus 10 factors per greenback for being an IHG One member and a couple of factors per greenback due to Silver elite standing (17 factors complete, which is an 8.5% return, based mostly on TPG’s September 2025 valuations)
- 3 factors per greenback spent at eating (together with eligible takeout), gasoline stations and utilities (cable, web, cellphone and choose streaming companies) (1.5% return)
- 2 factors per greenback spent on all the pieces else (1% return)
These returns aren’t nice, even in comparison with different no-annual-fee playing cards.
Nonetheless, there are a number of sub-$100 annual payment playing cards that provide stable perks on prime of nice incomes charges, which equate to higher returns on spending, in numerous classes.
For instance, the $95 annual payment Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs) earns 2 factors per greenback spent on journey purchases, whereas the $95 annual payment Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card earns 2 miles per greenback spent on virtually all purchases.
The IHG One Traveler Card additionally is not a good selection for on a regular basis purchases. In any case, it solely supplies a 1.5% return at gasoline stations and eating places, plus a 1% return on different purchases. A number of cash-back bank cards — just like the no-annual-fee Citi Double Money® Card (see charges and costs) — provide a 2% return on all purchases (1% whenever you purchase and 1% whenever you pay).
Associated: The very best bank cards for every bonus class
Redeeming factors on the IHG One Rewards Traveler
There are numerous choices for redeeming IHG One Rewards factors. Not surprisingly, you may get one of the best worth out of your factors whenever you redeem for IHG lodge stays.
TPG’s September 2025 valuations peg IHG factors at simply 0.5 cents every, which is paltry when you think about that options just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked card earn factors price over 2 cents apiece.
Nevertheless, it is doable to maximise redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program and get worth out of your factors. Listed below are just a few methods you are able to do so.
IHG has dynamic award pricing — which means that the price of reserving a reservation fluctuates with demand and seasonality — however there are some good offers to be discovered. Nevertheless, one draw back to dynamic pricing is that it is best to extra rigorously take into account when to make use of your factors versus money for a keep.
At TPG, we attempt to use our factors once we know we are able to get higher than face worth for any given redemption. With a card just like the IHG Traveler, it makes essentially the most sense to guide stays of 4 nights or longer to make the most of the fourth reward night time profit.
You may also guide stays utilizing a mixture of Factors + Money. For a given room, you may usually see a chart with reductions from the complete nightly award charge in increments of 5,000 factors.
On a Factors + Money reserving, you are basically shopping for the additional factors wanted to finish the redemption. So, in the event you cancel your room, your refund can be given solely in factors. Lead author Katie Genter, not often guide Factors + Money charges because it’s often a greater worth to make use of simply factors. Nevertheless, it is price checking whether or not the maths works out on every reserving.
TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt likes to make use of his IHG One Rewards factors for four-night award stays. Since he has the IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, he will get the fourth night time free on award redemptions.
He often targets Vacation Inn and Vacation Inn Categorical properties to stretch his factors, however sometimes splashes out on a Kimpton or InterContinental property.
Associated: Chase bank cards: Greatest time to use based mostly on provide historical past
Transferring factors on the IHG One Rewards Traveler
IHG One has 35+ airline switch companions, however we suggest avoiding this redemption choice when doable, as factors switch at an almost 5:1 ratio, which is on the decrease aspect.
The switch course of may be cumbersome, particularly in the event you’re calling the IHG One Rewards Service Middle that will help you kind out a switch. IHG is mostly gradual to course of transfers, with some reporting that it took as much as six weeks for his or her factors to switch.
You may also switch your factors to different IHG One members beginning at $5 per 1,000 factors and free for Diamond and IHG Enterprise Rewards Program members as much as 500,000 factors per calendar 12 months.
Associated: The right way to earn IHG factors by way of stays, bank cards and extra
Which playing cards compete with the IHG One Rewards Traveler?
Should you do not thoughts paying an annual payment, take into account these options to the IHG One Traveler card.
For added choices, try our full lists of one of the best lodge bank cards and one of the best playing cards for IHG stays.
Is the IHG One Rewards Traveler price it?
Should you keep at IHG properties just a few occasions per 12 months however need elevated perks when touring, this card could also be a pleasant addition to your pockets. Because it would not have an annual payment, this card is a no brainer if you’re beneath 5/24 and need entry-level IHG One standing and the fourth night time free when reserving with factors.
Backside line
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card is not a foul choice for the occasional IHG visitor, as you may get just a few IHG-related perks for no annual payment. Nevertheless, in the event you’re on the lookout for additional perks throughout your IHG stays, you may be upset with this card’s restricted advantages.
Apply right here: IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card
