Chase just announced its new product, IHG Rewards Club Select MasterCard and got rid of the Visa version of the rewards card. The good news is that MasterCard version still has the 80,000 bonus point sign-up offer that came with the Visa version and has held on to most of the perks that the previous version had. This card, along with the Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard are two cards that I will always have in my wallet for earning free travel.

One of my favorite perks is the free night certificate that comes with the $49 annual fee. For $49 you can book a room easily worth $800 per night at any IHG location anywhere in the world. The fact that there is also no foreign transaction fee makes it even better for when booking stays abroad.

The 80,000 bonus points can also go a long way when your booking at the IHG PointBreaks nightly rates for 5,000 per night. During PointBreaks, 80,000 points can get you 16 free nights at hotels that usually run for 50,000 points per night.

IHG Properties Available

• Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts
• Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts
• Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts
• Hotel Indigo
• Even Hotels
• Holiday Inn
• Holiday Inn Express
• Holiday Inn Resorts
• Holiday Inn Club Vacations
• Staybridge Suites
• Candlewood Suites

The Bonus

The 80,000 point bonus offer is after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of opening the IHG IHG Rewards Club MasterCard. The bonus is worth about $560, but with the free night certificate, every year that you pay the card’s annual fee the bonus extends itself year after year. Do keep in mind that the certificate expires one year after it’s been issued to you via email, so be sure to use it!

One thing to take note of is that while the 80,000 point bonus point offer is alive and well, you won’t find the offer on the Chase website, instead you’ll have to look up this FlyerTalk thread.

More Perks…

Free Platinum Elite Status

The IHG Rewards Club Select MasterCard gives you automatic Platinum elite status and will get you perks such as:

• Free internet (plus free breakfast at Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites)
• Room upgrades subject to availability
• 50% points bonus on paid stays

Based on experience, most international IHG hotels treat elite members well, but IHG elite benefits can be hit or miss depending on the hotel. For example, when I received a suite upgrade while I was staying at the Holiday Inn Sisli in Istanbul, I was also gifted welcome bottle of water.

Unfortunately, InterContinental hotels have their own loyalty program so IHG Platinum status isn’t eligible in that case.

Free Night Certificate

Like mentioned earlier, along with the $49 annual fee, you will receive a free night certificate sent to you via email every anniversary that you have the card open and are paying the annual fee. As long as there is award night availability, you will be able to redeem your free night certificate at any IHG property. So if you book a night a hotel that costs $700-$800 per night, you’re basically only paying $49 for your stay.

Earn Double on Gas, Restaurant and Grocery Purchases and 5x on IHG Hotels Card Earning

After earning the bonus, this card is not the best card for everyday spending. There are better cards for everyday spending, like the Barclays Arrival World MasterCard that will earn you 2.2% back on every dollar spent. However, you will earn 5x points when you use the card at IHG hotels, so it’s worth earning some extra points on your paid stays at IHG hotels.

Rebate On Redeemed Points

When you redeem your points for IHG stays, you’ll receive 10% of your points back. The most you can receive back in one calendar year is a 100,000 points which is still amazing. If you book 3 or 4 nights and spend 50,000 points for the entire stay, you’ll receive 5,000 points back. Not bad at all!

Redeem Bonus Points for PointBreaks Nights

PointBreaks are a list of hotels that IHG releases every few months that offer a rate of 5,000 points per night regardless of the regular cost of the property. With the MasterCard 80,000 point bonus you will be able to redeem 16 free nights with the PointBreaks offer. For example, if a hotel usually goes for 65,000 points per night night you can redeem it for 5,000 points. The hotels listed are allotted a certain amount of nights and rooms they can offer a PointBreaks rate so the quicker you book, the better. The only thing is that the hotels listed aren’t always in the most desirable destinations, but if you find one that you would like to stay in, then you should take advantage of the offer. The current list is out for stays between March 24 to May 31.

 

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