One Set of Co-Branded Chase Cards Still Has Price Protection
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Earlier this year, customers were repeatedly disappointed as Chase slowly removed benefits from credit card after credit card. One of these benefits that Chase confirmed would be removed from all Chase cards as of August 26 is price protection, which reimburses you for the difference in price when you find a lower advertised price for an item you've recently purchased.
But, we've recently found that IHG co-branded Chase credit cards still offer price protection. This includes the...
- IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card
- IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- IHG Rewards Club Select Card (no longer available)
- IHG Rewards Club Classic Card (no longer available)
- IHG Rewards Club Business Credit Card (no longer available)
This list includes the two new IHG cards that were unveiled in April along with the previously offered IHG credit cards.
I personally have the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card, as well as the IHG Rewards Club Select Card that's no longer available. Two calls to Chase card benefits confirmed that both cards still offer price protection up to $500 per item and $2,500 per year when a lower price is found within 90 days of the purchase.
So, the big question is: Why did Chase say price protection would be removed from all cards, yet leave price protection as a benefit on the IHG co-branded ones? My hypothesis: Almost all Chase credit cards are Visa cards. In fact, the IHG co-branded credit cards are seemingly the only Mastercards offered by Chase. So, price protection is still offered on the IHG cards because these cards are Mastercards, not Visas.
We reached out to our contacts at Chase, and our hypothesis was confirmed by a Chase spokesperson:
"Price Protection is a benefit currently offered by Mastercard, which our IHG cards run on. Those cardmembers continue to have access to that benefit."
Price protection benefits can differ based on what type of Mastercard you have — Mastercard, World Mastercard or World Elite Mastercard — and the exact details can also vary across cards. Case in point: Although the Mastercard website says World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard cards offer price protection when a lower price is found within 120 days, the IHG cards I have — an IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card that's a World Elite Mastercard, and a IHG Rewards Club Select Card that's a World Mastercard — only offer 90 days to find a lower price. So, check your guide to benefits or call the number on the back of your credit card to get the exact details.
Bottom Line
It's great that the IHG co-branded Chase credit cards still offer price protection from Mastercard. But, it's strange that Chase seemingly overlooked its IHG credit cards when a spokesperson previously told TPG that price protection would be removed from all cards. I mainly use my IHG co-branded credit cards at IHG hotels, but armed with this new information, I'll consider using it when I need a card that offers price protection.
