I’ve been writing about how I find IHG Rewards Club, the loyalty program for Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton and Intercontinental hotels, to be a program where we often find a great deal of value.
I’ve also written about how I thought the IHG Rewards Club credit card was a great value because of the free night you get yearly for paying the $49 annual fee. I’ve had this card since 2013 when I used the points from sign up bonus to stay at the Hotel Indigo – Kensington in London (seen above).
So when the internets started lighting up last night with alerts saying the sign up link to the IHG Rewards Club card on Chase’s website was no longer working, rumors started to swirl that the card would soon be no more.
I first saw this on a post from Doctor of Credit:
Chase IHG Card No Longer Available On Chase Site – Possibly Being Discontinued & Replaced?
Now, rumors of the IHG card changing were around, here and there, for a day or two. However, this was one of the first BIG websites to report on the demise of a card that many viewed as an outlier in what value you get in a free night certificate at any IHG hotel just for paying the annual fee of $49.
I’ve used our free night certificate to get a free night for my father at the Willard Intercontinental in Washington D.C.:
and for a free night at the Intercontinental Miracle Mile in Chicago, home of the most amazing indoor pool we’ve ever seen:
and even for a quick overnight in Fort Pierce, FL when rooms were costing over $180 for an overnight at an Interstate roadside hotel.
If the card offering this benefit was going away, why wouldn’t I apply for it if I didn’t already have it? I mean, I’ve already stressed that you should apply for it. Well, as it turns out, I have the card but Sharon’s never signed up for it. It looked like time was running out, so I jumped and signed her up for it today. Time to put up or shut up.
The offer for 60,000 points and a $50 statement credit isn’t the best offer ever for the card but last minute people can’t argue with what’s offered. Most of the links offering this card are already dead. I found the Frequent Miler is updating their website to show which application links to the card are still working, but there’s no guarantee how long this will last. Chase doesn’t offer any referral links to cardholders of the IHG card, but they do have links for referrals to websites that seem to still be working. If you’re thinking of getting the old version of the card, the clock is ticking (FAST)!!!
It was pointed out by reader Shannon D. (who’s also my cousin), that you can still apply by calling Chase or you can get a active link to the card by going through the IHG app. Here’s the page with links to download the app if you don’t already have it on your phone.
I checked this out and it works. You need to click on the top left menu and then to the “Offers” tab.
There’s the link. Just tap it and you’re at the application landing page.
I usually don’t write about rumors, but info on the new card offerings are out there for anyone to find, if you want to. The rumor is that Chase is refreshing their IHG card lineup and will now be offering two different cards. Frugal Travel Guy’s website gives a great breakdown of the (possible) differences between the two new products
The details of the card with the lower fee include: 60,000 IHG Rewards points for a sign-up bonus 5X points per dollar spent at IHG properties $29 annual fee
The details of the card with the higher annual fee include: 80,000 IHG Rewards points for a sign-up bonus 10X points per dollar spent at IHG properties 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on the card annually 4th night free on award stays Anniversary free night at eligible hotels Platinum Elite status Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every four years 20% discount on point purchases $89 annual fee In an interesting twist, cardholders will receive a fourth night free on award bookings, which is a great perk. Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards and Hilton Honors all offer the 5th Night Free. Although neither SPG nor Marriott impose any restrictions on the perk, you have to have elite status with Hilton to take advantage of the benefit.
Now, the fourth night free on reward bookings puts the premium IHG card ahead of the offerings from SPG, Hilton and Marriott as they all offer a fifth night free on award bookings. IHG also has great sales on points, often offering 100% bonus on purchases so a 20% discount on those would be great (if they still offer the 100% bonuses). However, I’m still of the mindset that one in the hand is worth two in the bush. With 60,000 points, I can get three nights at the Candlewood Suites in New Braunfels on a weekend that would cost me $200 a night. Considering that I’m also getting $50 back as a credit on a card with no annual fee for the first year, it would be foolish not to have Sharon apply for the card. It’s also important to note that both the cards will most likely be seen as new products, so in the future we’d both be able to sign up for those cards and get whatever bonuses are available at the time. You need to remember that this game is a marathon, not a sprint. Have a goal and pick your spots. This approach to points and miles is why I’ve been able to keep us going on vacations for years and years. I keep taking advantage of the best offers when available instead of jumping at every “Best Offer EVER!!!”
If you’re reading this and were considering getting the IHG Rewards Mastercard, what are you waiting for? I don’t know how long these links will last. I’m just glad that we’re in the position to be able to jump on these offers when they’re available. I’d hate to be wanting this card, seeing this offer and not be able to take advantage of it.
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