What are the benefits of the free IHG Rewards Mastercard credit card?
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Why should you get the IHG Rewards credit card?
Today, I want to look at the top 10 card benefits you get if you apply for a free IHG Rewards credit card.
Here is the legal information we need to tell you:
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 10,000 IHG Rewards points when you spend £200 within 90 days
- Earn 1 IHG Rewards point per £1 spent
- Points convert at 5:1 into Avios or other airline miles
Other information:
- Receive Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards
- Points from spend count towards elite status
- Annual fee: Free
Representative 22.9% APR variable
You receive 10,000 IHG Rewards points as a sign-up bonus when you spend £200 within 90 days.
There are no restrictions on receiving the bonus if you have previously held this card or the (no longer available) IHG Rewards Premium Mastercard.
All IHG Rewards cardholders receive Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards for as long as they hold the card.
This is the only UK travel card where the points you earn from spending count towards elite status. The 10,000 points you receive as a sign-up bonus do not count towards elite status, however.
The top 10 benefits of the IHG Rewards credit card:
1. There is a generous sign-up bonus of 10,000 IHG Rewards points
You will receive 10,000 IHG Rewards points when you sign up and spend £200 within the first three months.
IHG Rewards is the loyalty scheme for Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton, voco, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
2. You receive one IHG Rewards point for every £1 you spend on the card
There are a few exceptions (cash withdrawals do not earn points) but in reality virtually every £1 you spend will earn another IHG Rewards point.
3. Points earned from credit card spending count for status
IHG Rewards is the only loyalty scheme which allows the points you earn from credit card spending to count towards status.
This means that, if you were a very heavy spender, you could receive top-tier Spire Elite status without ever setting foot in an IHG hotel.
Note that the points earned from the sign-up bonus do NOT count towards status.
4. You receive DOUBLE POINTS when you spend in a foreign currency
Unfortunately, the IHG Rewards credit card adds a 3% foreign exchange fee when used outside the UK. This means that the double points offer is not as generous as it appears.
Unfortunately there are no travel rewards card without a foreign exchange fee. One option is to get a free Curve Card – see this HfP article – and link it to a miles-earning Visa or Mastercard.
Another option is to get a free card from Currensea. Currensea is a simple but clever idea. You pay abroad with your Currensea Mastercard debit card. Currensea translates the cost to Sterling with just a 0.5% fee (83% less than the IHG card charges) and withdraws the money from your bank account. You can find out more by clicking here. Currensea is free so there is no risk in giving it a try.
5. You receive DOUBLE POINTS when you spend in IHG hotels
You cannot double-dip, unfortunately! Spending in a foreign currency in an IHG hotel still only gets you double points, not quadruple points.
6. The card is free for life
The IHG Rewards credit card is free for life.
Other cards with annual fees may offer better earning rates but, unless you are a very heavy spender, you will often struggle to justify the fee from the extra miles earned.
7. You receive Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards
For as long as you hold the card – which is free – you will have Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards.
This doesn’t come with a lot of benefits but you will receive bonus points or a drink at most properties in Europe, and potentially an upgrade.
8. As a Mastercard, it is far more flexible than an Amex card
Many of the travel rewards credit cards we cover are American Express cards. The problem with these is that they are not universally accepted.
As a Mastercard, the IHG Rewards credit card is accepted virtually everywhere that cards are taken.
9. You don’t need a high income to apply
There is a minimum income requirement of just £10,000 to apply.
10. You pay 0% interest for 12 months on balances transferred from other credit cards
This offer is valid for three months after opening your account.
Conclusion
The IHG Rewards Mastercard is a very generous credit card, given that it has no annual fee. 1 IHG Rewards point per £1 spent is a decent deal.
Getting automatic Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards is a useful extra bonus.
You can sign up for the IHG Rewards credit card on the official website here.
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 10,000 IHG Rewards points when you spend £200 within 90 days
- Earn 1 IHG Rewards point per £1 spent
- Points convert at 5:1 into Avios or other airline miles
Other information:
- Receive Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards
- Points from spend count towards elite status
- Annual fee: Free
Representative 22.9% APR variable
You receive 10,000 IHG Rewards points as a sign-up bonus when you spend £200 within 90 days.
There are no restrictions on receiving the bonus if you have previously held this card or the (no longer available) IHG Rewards Premium Mastercard.
All IHG Rewards cardholders receive Gold Elite status in IHG Rewards for as long as they hold the card.
This is the only UK travel card where the points you earn from spending count towards elite status. The 10,000 points you receive as a sign-up bonus do not count towards elite status, however.
Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.
Want to earn more points from credit cards? – March 2024 update
If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Earning miles and points from small business cards
If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:
SPECIAL OFFER: You receive a huge 120,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply for American Express Business Platinum by 9th April 2024. You receive 80,000 points for spending £12,000 within 90 days and a further 40,000 points if you retain the card for 14 months. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: You receive 60,000 Membership Rewards points if you apply for American Express Business Gold by 9th April 2024. Remember that the card is FREE for the first year. You receive 40,000 points for spending £6,000 within 90 days and a further 20,000 points if you retain the card for 14 months. Click here to apply.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
American Express Business Platinum
Crazy 120,000 points bonus (to 9th April) and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
Huge 60,000 points sign-up bonus (until 9th April) and free for a year Read our full review
Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa
Get a 10,000 points bonus plus an extra 500 points for our readers Read our full review
For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.
Barclaycard Select Cashback credit card
2% cashback on all your business spend for 3 months (1% thereafter) and no annual fee Read our full review