I have long held the belief that the Chase IHG Rewards credit card has been one of the best cards out there. In exchange for paying the $49 annual fee, you got a free night at ANY IHG hotel worldwide. The classic example of this was staying in an overwater bungalow at the Intercontinental Bora Bora
This put the card square at #1 on my list of 4 cards I’ll pay the annual fee on
IHG’s free night from the credit card was as far as I know the only brand’s award that was not limited by category. We didn’t list that as one of our 5 awards ripe for devaluation, but it clearly was a benefit that gave outsized value
My wife and I (both of us IHG cardholders, of course) both got letters in the mail this week that starting with free night certificates issued on May 1, 2018, the IHG free night certificates will be capped at 40,000 points. You will not be able to use your free night certificate for any hotel that costs more than 40,000 points.
2 new cards
Last week, news broke about the fact that the existing IHG card was being discontinued for new signups and replaced with 2 new cards
- One would have an $89 annual fee and include an anniversary free night amongst other benefits
- One would have a $29 annual fee and NOT include an anniversary free night
Current cardholders grandfathered in?
The thinking last week was that if you hurried and applied for the existing card before it went away that you’d still be grandfathered in to an uncapped free night at the $49 annual fee level. Unfortunately though, it does not look like holders of the current card will have an uncapped free night. If your anniversary date (and free night certificate) are issued before May 1st, you’ll have a category free night. Otherwise it will be capped at 40,000 points. (Cue IHG “adjusting” many of their “good” hotels from 35,000 or 40,000 points to 45,000 points in 3… 2… 1… )
Should you keep the card?
Knee-jerk reaction would say that you should cancel immediately. I have not yet decided what to do with my card (anniversary date in July)
Though, looking back at where we’ve spent our free night certificates, we would still have been able to use the free nights to save much more than $49, even with the restrictions
- 2 nights at the Staybridge Suites London Vauxhall – 40,000 points – see also Where I “wasted” my 2 IHG free night certificates
- 2 nights at the Staybridge Suites San Francisco Airport – also 40,000 points
- Then we still have 2 that we need to use within the next few months
One problem with the card I’ve found is that it can be tricky to use them at “the best” hotels without also requiring a ton of points to add on additional nights or doing extensive hotel hopping
What about you? Will you be keeping your Chase IHG Rewards card?
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
London Vauxhall is on the restricted list, you could not use it there even though it is 40,000. Same with many properties that are 40,000. Letter does not say there are exceptions to the 40,000 point limit but the list shows many that are 40,000…… BS.
Letter casually mentions in small print “eligible” hotels under the 40K limit. Then directs you to a list of what’s not eligible, where you get to find out many 40k properties in desirable tourist spots are even further restricted. What a joke.
There may still be value to be had even with many 35k and under hotels, but they way they’re handling this is extremely consumer unfriendly. I would have just taken 40k free points instead vs having to contort your travel plans around the allowed hotels.
I am really annoyed. I have been meaning to sign up for this card for two years now, but always thinking I will do so later because X, Y, Z… then, I hear it will go away,and I rushed to grab it while I could. I feel like I could have had at least one free night in Bora Bora if I’d gotten it sooner. So, well, I guess I’m mostly mad at me. But I’m also mad at them. I would have liked ONE free shot at Bora Bora.
I think it would have been fair and decent to give us a one-year warning, as in, “this next one you get will be your LAST unrestricted free certificate” – not that they care about being fair or decent, but, well, even so, it’s a LOT harder to complain about changes you had plenty of warning were coming.
But, to be fair, this card still has the 10% rebate on redemptions, so I’ll be keeping it for that.
I just used my free night along with points for a second night at the Crown Plaza in Seattle
It was very nice. I’m hoping to used points for London next year
It’s funny that you can still signup for the IHG credit card with the uncapped free night on the IHG website. It is misleading to keep promoting a card that is showing an unrestricted annual free night but once you get the card you’re told it is not the case.
Saw on another site that people who opened the card from Jan 1 2018 thru April 5, 2018 can still get uncapped night. That sucks for the 2 people I know that opened one in August and October of last year.
What I want to know now is, dor this mean there will be two more new Chase cards that aren’t effected by 5/24? If so, that is very exciting to me and I would love to know what the sign up bonuses are. BTW, I still think $49 is worth a free night at an under 40k point hotel. Just don’t waste it on a $49 a night hotel.
Yes – we have a few details on one of the new Chase IHG cards but details are still forthcoming
Are you assuming these will be the same as far as not being effected by 5/24?
I think nobody is ASSUMING but we’re HOPING at least? 😀