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Don't miss your last chance to earn 125k points with the IHG Rewards Premier Card

Oct. 07, 2019
4 min read
Don't miss your last chance to earn 125k points with the IHG Rewards Premier Card
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Now's your last chance to apply for the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn 125,000 bonus points and take advantage of elevated earning rates!

If you frequently stay with IHG when you travel, the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card can be a no-brainer thanks to benefits like an annual free night, automatic Platinum elite status, fourth night free on redemptions and an elevated sign-up bonus. Right now you can earn 125,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months, and you'll also have access to higher earning rates for the first year of cardmembership. Unfortunately, this offer is disappearing after Oct. 9, 2019, so now is your last chance to take advantage of it.

(Photo by Isabelle Raphael / The Points Guy)
(Photo by Isabelle Raphael / The Points Guy.)

Based on TPG's point valuations, 125,000 IHG points are worth $625. Although this bonus certainly isn't as valuable as some of the other 100,000+-point welcome bonuses out there, you can still find some solid redemptions with these bonus points while getting an excellent earning rate on paid stays. For the first year, you're earning 25x points on IHG purchases and 4x on everything else. That's a 12.5% return on IHG stays and a nice 2% return on all other purchases throughout the first 12 months you have the card. That elevated earning rate is going away at the same time the 125,000-point bonus, so it's now or never to get both of these benefits.

We've seen high bonuses on this card in the past, including a tiered bonus of 120,000 points earlier this year, but this is an all-time high offer that we may not see again.

TPG UK Director of Content Nicky Kelvin recently booked a stay at the David InterContinential Tel Aviv for 50,000 points per night. (photo by Nicky Kelvin/The Points Guy.)

IHG hasn't always been synonymous with luxury properties, but there are high-end InterContinental hotels where you can use your points and the hotel brand continues to add luxury properties to its portfolio. For budget travelers, the chain's ever-changing list of PointBreaks properties also provides some great opportunities to lock in discounted award rates starting at just 5,000 points per night.

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The IHG Rewards Premier Card has an $89 annual fee (and no foreign transaction fees), and it really does pack in some decent benefits. You get an anniversary free night that can be used at any IHG property that costs 40,000 points or less per night, complimentary Platinum elite status in the IHG Rewards program (which entitles you to bonus points, space-available upgrades and more), a fourth night free on points redemptions, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement (up to $100, every four years) and a 20% discount when you purchase IHG points with your card. You can also earn 10,000 bonus points (worth $60 based on our valuations) when you spend $20,000 on purchases and make one additional purchase after meeting the $20,000 benchmark each account anniversary year.

After the elevated earning period ends, this card earns 10x points on IHG purchases, 2x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants and 1 point per dollar on everything else. It's definitely not the best option for gas, grocery and dining spend, but you'll get a solid 6% return on IHG stays based on our valuations.

IHG loyalists have a lot to gain from this bonus, and the overall value of the card will take a significant hit after this offer ends. If you're loyal to the IHG brand, this card is definitely worth the slot in your wallet. Make sure to apply before Oct 9, 2019, or you'll miss out on the highest bonus we've ever seen on the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card.

Official application link: Apply for the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card to earn 125,000 bonus points and take advantage of 12 months of elevated earning rates!

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.