Why the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card’s Steep Fee Might Actually Be Your Smartest Move This Year

Ever wondered if a $99 annual fee on a business credit card can actually pay for itself? Well, the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is here to make you think twice. Designed with the savvy small-business owner and frequent traveler in mind, this card offers perks that could easily outweigh its modest fee—especially if you have an affinity for IHG hotels. From automatic Platinum Elite status to a unique fourth-night-free reward, plus a welcome bonus that might just knock your socks off, this card doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. Of course, if you’re not loyal to IHG’s vast portfolio, you might want to keep browsing your options. But if you are, this little gem could be your new best friend for business travel. Ready to dive into the nitty-gritty and find out if this card fits your company’s needs? Let’s get into it. LEARN MORE

IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card overview

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) offers decent perks that, if utilized, can easily justify the card’s $99 annual fee. However, business owners who aren’t loyal to IHG One Rewards may be better off with another business card. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Considering that the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card has an annual fee of only $99, it offers many perks for travelers and small-business owners who frequently stay with IHG. Compared to other hotel-branded business credit cards, the IHG Premier Business card has one of the lowest annual fees and may prove attractive simply for that reason.

Benefits include automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you’re a cardholder, a unique fourth-night-free reward perk when redeeming points for hotel stays and a valuable welcome bonus. One key perk — the free night certificate received each year — can easily cover the annual fee on the IHG Premier Business card.

We recommend a credit score of at least 670 to increase your chances of approval for this card.

Let’s look at the details of the IHG Premier Business card to see if it’s right for your company.

IHG Premier Business pros and cons

IHG Premier Business welcome offer

New applicants for the IHG Premier Business card can earn up to 200,000 bonus points: 140,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and an additional 60,000 bonus points after spending $9,000 in the first six months from account opening.

According to TPG’s September 2025 valuations, the welcome offer is worth up to $1,000.

This is the highest offer we’ve seen on this card and was previously available from March to April 2025. If you missed your chance to apply back then, now is a great time to take advantage of the offer if this card has been on your radar.

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It’s worth noting that the application page warns that you are not eligible for this bonus if you’ve received a welcome bonus on this card within the past 24 months.

This card is ideal for Chase customers under 5/24. While most business credit cards will not affect your 5/24 status, you do need to be under 5/24 to apply.

Related: How to track your progress toward a credit card welcome bonus

IHG Premier Business card benefits

The IHG Premier Business card has a modest $99 annual fee, but is it worth it? The card’s value depends on whether you’ll use its benefits frequently enough to justify that annual fee.

First, on your cardmember anniversary each year (starting at the one-year mark and continuing each year after that, for as long as you keep the account open), you’ll receive a free night award valid for a single night, worth up to 40,000 points.

Cardholders also automatically enjoy IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, as long as their account remains open. Platinum members receive 60% bonus earnings on paid stays booked directly with IHG One Rewards, space-available room upgrades, a welcome amenity (in the form of points or a drink/snack) and a handful of other perks.

Those interested in earning top-tier Diamond Elite status can attain this by spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year. After meeting the spending threshold, the status is valid through Dec. 31 of the following year.

When redeeming IHG points for stays of four nights or longer, you’ll also pay zero points for every fourth night. This is an automatic perk that is reflected when booking. It’s essentially a 25% discount on stays of exactly four nights, so it’s a great way to get even more value out of the card.

That said, if you rarely redeem IHG points for stays of four nights or more, this perk may be of limited value.

If you spend $20,000 each calendar year, you’ll earn 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit. TPG’s September 2025 valuations peg these bonus points at $50, which translates to a total value of $150 with the statement credit.

IHG Premier Business cardholders have a handful of other perks to use when you swipe your card:

• TSAPrecheck/Global Entry application fee credit: When you charge a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee to your card, you can be reimbursed up to $120 every four years.
• Discount on IHG point purchases: Save 20% on the purchase of IHG points when paying with your card.
• United TravelBank: Up to $50 in United Airlines TravelBank cash each calendar year when you register your IHG One Premier card with your MileagePlus account.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: When you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card, you’ll get coverage against theft and collision. Coverage is secondary when renting within the U.S., but primary when renting for business purposes.
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance: You can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per covered traveler and up to $6,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses if your trip is canceled or cut short for a covered reason.
• Purchase protection: Your new purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft. The limit is $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.

These benefits are nice to have if things go wrong.

Earning points on the IHG Premier Business card

Generally, you won’t get fantastic earning rates on most hotel credit cards — especially on broad categories like dining and groceries. That said, the IHG Premier Business card could be a solid option, especially at participating IHG properties.

When you use your card at IHG hotels and resorts, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent on your stay. This is in addition to the 10 base points that all IHG One Rewards members accrue at most participating brands. And since you have automatic Platinum Elite status with the card, that’ll give you another 60% bonus on top of the base points. This combination translates to a total of 26 points per dollar spent on most IHG stays — or a 13% return on spending, based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations.

Beyond IHG purchases, cardholders of the IHG Premier Business will earn points at the following rates:

• 5 points per dollar spent on dining, hotels (non-IHG properties) and gas purchases
• 5 points per dollar spent at office supply stores, social media and search engine advertising
• 3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases

That translates to a 2.5% return on the bonus categories based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations, though it drops to 1.5% on everyday purchases — a rate of return lower than many other cards.

Related: How to earn IHG points via stays, credit cards and more

Redeeming points on the IHG Premier Business card

Like many competitors, IHG One Rewards doesn’t publish an award chart; instead, it uses dynamic award pricing. The program’s website indicates that free nights start at 5,000 points.

On the other end, there’s no published maximum rate, although for IHG’s core brands, the highest we’ve seen is 120,000 points per night. However, properties in partner brands such as Six Senses frequently exceed this.

Despite this award pricing model, there are still ways to maximize IHG One Rewards redemptions. In fact, you may be able to redeem IHG One Rewards points for significantly more value if you spend some time searching.

You’re not limited to only using points for your stay. You can also book rooms using a combination of points and cash, which can offer decent value in certain circumstances.

However, it’s worth noting just how these reservations are confirmed. IHG effectively sells you the extra points (for cash) and then uses the full number of points for the stay. You usually pay 0.63 to 0.66 cents for each IHG point used to make up the difference. IHG often sells points at this price (or cheaper), which can be another way to top off your account.

As noted above, when you redeem points for a stay of four nights or longer, every fourth night will cost zero points. There’s no limit to how often you can use this benefit — though it only applies to full award stays, not those booked using cash and points.

Related: How to redeem IHG One Rewards points for hotel stays

Which cards compete with the IHG Premier Business card?

As the IHG Premier Business card is a hotel credit card aimed at small-business owners, it’s worth looking at how it stacks up against other hotel-branded business credit cards.

The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Read more: The best hotel credit cards with annual fees under $100

Is the IHG Premier Business card worth it?

Yes — as long as you can make the most of the card’s perks. The IHG Premier Business card has an annual fee of $99 and offers an annual free night award that can easily be redeemed for more value than that. Cardholders also earn points at solid rates when making purchases in bonus categories, though the earning rate on everyday purchases isn’t fantastic.

Bottom line

Small-business owners loyal to IHG or those simply looking to diversify their travel strategy can find sufficient value to justify the card’s annual fee each year. If you find yourself not maximizing the perks or booking stays at varying hotel brands, we’d recommend a more general business credit card instead to maximize your chance of earning valuable rewards.

Apply here: IHG Premier Business card

For rates and fees of the Hilton Business Amex, click here.