IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card Review

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The maximum points it can earn per dollar crushes the competition — plus it comes with lots of other benefits that make it valuable even after you’ve used up the impressive welcome bonus.

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Overview of the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

If you frequently stay at an IHG hotel for business, you may benefit from a card that earns you points for staying and lets you redeem those points for even more stays — plus perks like free anniversary nights and automatic Platinum Elite status. 

With the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, you can earn up to 26 points per $1 spent, depending on the category. (No surprise, you’ll earn the most points from making purchases at IHG properties.)

While the IHG business credit card can save you a lot of money on hotel stays, its unpredictable redemption restrictions (like not being able to use for statement credit) may be frustrating. 

LEARN MORE: IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Redeeming Rewards

IHG One Rewards points can be redeemed for or converted into:

• Free nights at over 6,000 IHG hotels worldwide 
• Miles for popular airlines
• Travel experiences and tours
• Tickets to sports and cultural events
• Gift cards and merchandise
• Donations to charities

Points cannot be redeemed for card statement credits.

IHG points value

We assessed Rewards Night redemptions for dozens of domestic and international IHG hotels of varying prices. 

We found that, when redeemed for a Rewards Night, an IHG One Rewards point’s value can range from about $0.006 to $0.016 and averages out to just below $0.008. 

Point values tend to fall within that range when redeemed for concert tickets and magazine subscriptions. Redemptions for tech products, apparel, and gift cards usually have very low per-point values — sometimes as low as $0.001 per point.

IHG points transfer 

You can convert 10,000 IHG points for 2,000 miles/points with the below airlines and rewards programs. (There are some exceptions to the standard conversion rate.)

• Aeromexico
• Aeroplan
• Air China
• Air France–KLM
• AIR MILES (10,000 IHG points for 250 miles)
• Air New Zealand (10,000 IHG points for 25 Airpoints)
• All Nippon Airways
• American Airlines
• Asiana Airlines
• Avianca
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• China Eastern
• China Southern
• Delta
• Emirates
• Etihad
• Gulf Air
• Hainan Airlines
• Iberia
• InterMiles
• Japan Airlines
• JetBlue
• Korean Air
• Malaysia Airlines
• MilleMiglia
• Qantas
• Saudia
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways
• United
• Virgin Atlantic
• Virgin Australia

LEARN MORE: IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Other IHG Card Benefits

Aside from the high earning rates, the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card comes with a few other perks that justify the annual fee.

Platinum Elite status

You’ll get automatic Platinum Elite status for as long as your account remains open. The three major perks of Platinum Elite status are: 

• If you don’t have enough points to complete a hotel redemption, you can purchase points with a 20% discount.
• For each anniversary of your account’s open date, you’ll get one free hotel night with a maximum redemption of 40,000 points (though it can be combined with your existing points for redemptions above 40,000 points). 
• Redeem points for three consecutive hotel nights and get a fourth night free. This can be used an unlimited number of times.

Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application credit

Getting your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, and/or NEXUS can help you get through U.S. airport border control and security checkpoints faster. 

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card will reimburse you with a statement credit up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every four years for the application fee for any of these programs. 

Insurance

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card provides trip cancellation/interruption insurance, which is a relatively rare feature among business travel cards. 

If your trip is canceled or curtailed due to a covered reason, you can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per traveler and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses charged to the card. Those expenses may include airfares, tour fees, or hotel payments.

The card also has purchase protection, which covers items you bought with your card for 120 days against damage or theft. The coverage limits are very high, at $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account.  

READ MORE: Trip Cancellation Insurance: How It Works

Is the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card Worth It?

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is probably worth it if your business requires you to travel frequently and you like staying in IHG hotels. 

It’s a particularly worthwhile card if you:

• Make at least $20,000 in credit card purchases annually for your business (around $1,700 per month), as you’ll get a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points every year you meet that minimum.
• Often stay in hotels for four days or longer, as the card will give you the fourth night free if you redeem points for three nights.

However, it might not be a good fit for you if you’re a diehard devotee of a hotel brand that’s outside the IHG family or if you prefer homestays (like Airbnbs) when you travel rather than hotels.

Alternatives to the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

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One advantage that the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card has over the IHG Business Credit Card is Marriott’s larger network of hotels  — it has over 8,000 properties compared to about 6,000 for IHG. 

But the IHG card beats out the Marriott Bonvoy in most other respects, given that it has higher earning rates, a lower annual fee, and a lower spending threshold for getting annual bonuses.

Also, keep in mind that the Marriott Bonvoy Business card is issued by American Express, so although you’ll be able to use it at nearly all U.S. merchants that accept credit cards, its acceptance outside the U.S. will be more limited than the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card, which is a Mastercard.

LEARN MORE: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

Wyndham Rewards Earner^® Business Card

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The Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card is a great hotel rewards credit card if you’re a cost-conscious traveler. 

Wyndham has the largest network of hotels in the world, and its budget brands — like Super 8 and Travelodge — tend to be more affordable than Marriott or IHG properties. 

Its rewards program’s points also skew toward higher per-point redemption values than many competing business hotel credit cards, with a point typically redeeming for around $0.01 or so. 

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

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If you need a business credit card but only stay in hotels occasionally, consider a low-maintenance card that isn’t affiliated with a hotel rewards program. 

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card earns cashback rather than rewards points, so there’s no need to crunch numbers and calculate redemption values. The card earns between 1% and 5% back on purchases, depending on what you buy, and it has no annual fee.

LEARN MORE: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

FAQs

Do IHG points expire?

Points earned by the card won’t expire provided you have account activity for at least 12 consecutive months. But you can lose points if you violate your cardholder agreement.

What are IHG points worth?

The value of IHG One Rewards points varies depending on what you’re redeeming them for.

For example, when redeemed for a Rewards Night, concert tickets, or magazine subscriptions, point value ranges from about $0.006 to $0.016. But when redeemed for gift cards, they can be as low as $0.001 per point.

How many IHG points for a free night?

The number of IHG points required for a free night (a “Rewards Night”) varies by property and season.

The minimum number will likely be somewhere around 5,000 for one of IHG’s lower-cost hotels in an inexpensive area during the off-season. 

The maximum number of points needed may reach 250,000 per night at high-end properties during peak travel times.

The Bottom Line

If your business has you traveling a lot and staying in IHG hotels, an IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card could make a lot of sense — you’ll earn points on your stays, plus score perks like free anniversary nights, Platinum Elite status, and trip cancellation insurance.

If you’re not loyal to IHG or prefer more variety in your accommodations, you may want to consider a more general travel business credit card.

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Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.