Which bank card must you use for IHG stays?

When you’re planning your subsequent journey and have your eyes set on an IHG resort, it is pure so that you can assume the most suitable choice for paying could also be with an IHG One Rewards cobranded card.

That is not a foul thought, since you’ll mechanically obtain excessive incomes charges and program-specific perks, akin to elite standing, if you maintain an IHG bank card.

However here is some expert-level recommendation: A cobranded card might not all the time be the most suitable choice to pay for an IHG keep. That is proper — there are some situations through which one other card in your pockets might assist you maximize your earnings.

Let’s check out this listing of playing cards to think about when reserving with IHG. A number of the choices listed might shock you.

Evaluating bank cards for an IHG keep

Certain, there are many instances when an IHG cobranded card will be the proper selection for reserving an IHG resort.

Nonetheless, you might obtain extra worth from paying with an all-around journey rewards card that earns transferable factors, which are sometimes extra useful in the long term.

Listed below are some playing cards you may need to pay with, and what you might get when utilizing these playing cards:

*Worth relies on TPG’s October 2025 valuations.

**The data for the American Specific Inexperienced Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Which bank card must you use for IHG stays?

It is nonetheless good apply for IHG loyalists to carry its cobranded bank cards to obtain elite standing and card perks.

Nonetheless, there are various situations through which it is higher to tug out one other card out of your pockets to pay for the precise keep itself.

Whenever you’re making this choice, you will need to weigh two components:

• The advantages you will obtain from the cardboard you employ to pay
• The worth of the factors you will earn from paying with that card

Think about these calculations:

• When you pay with the IHG One Premier or IHG One Premier Enterprise, you will earn 10 factors per greenback spent in your keep. IHG factors are price 0.5 cents apiece. So, these 10 factors are price 5 cents.
• When you pay with the Amex Inexperienced, you will earn 3 factors per greenback spent in your keep. Amex Membership Rewards factors are price 2 cents every. So, these 3 factors are literally valued at 6 cents.

Whenever you break it down like this, it really makes extra sense to pay with the Amex Inexperienced, since these factors are extra useful. We worth Membership Rewards factors greater than IHG factors as a result of they are often transferred to a variety of resort and airline companions.

After all, it is price contemplating that non-cobranded playing cards do not unlock advantages like room upgrades on their very own. Nonetheless, you do not have to fret about this when you already maintain an IHG cobranded card.

That is as a result of merely having the cardboard unlocks these perks. You do not have to pay together with your IHG card to obtain these advantages.

So, it is sensible to carry an IHG card merely to qualify for elite standing and obtain advantages, and use a distinct card with a extra useful foreign money to pay.

You might not even have to carry an IHG card to unlock these advantages, nevertheless. That is as a result of the Sapphire Reserve‘s current overhaul added complimentary IHG Platinum standing (by means of Dec. 31, 2027) to its listing of advantages. Excessive-spending people who put not less than $75,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr unlock IHG Diamond standing.

Plus, the Sapphire Reserve gives elevated incomes charges on accommodations booked instantly with IHG (4 factors per greenback spent) and IHG accommodations booked by means of Chase Journey (8 factors per greenback spent).

That stated, it is price noting that utilizing a card just like the Sapphire Reserve to pay for an IHG keep by means of Chase Journey is probably not the most suitable choice. These reservations are handled as third-party bookings, so they don’t seem to be eligible to earn IHG factors.

Even so, the Chase Final Rewards factors you will earn by swiping the Sapphire Reserve will be transferred freely and instantly to IHG if you want to high off your stability for an upcoming redemption.

Whereas there are various different methods to maximise these factors, IHG loyalists can reap the benefits of this. Do not forget to think about how this card’s $795 annual charge components into the way you weigh the worth of those advantages.

You will additionally miss out on utilizing any elite standing perks throughout your keep when you ebook by means of Chase Journey, so make sure you think about that when deciding find out how to ebook (and pay).

Associated: What you want to find out about direct versus third-party journey bookings

Backside line

It is nonetheless a good suggestion for IHG loyalists to carry an IHG cobranded card to obtain perks like elite standing. Nonetheless, it isn’t a provided that your IHG cobranded card is the most suitable choice to truly pay in your keep.

We do not worth IHG factors extremely. We typically suggest amassing transferable rewards which might be extra useful. So, one other card in your pockets that earns bonus factors on resort stays could possibly be your finest wager.

Basically, think about preserving your IHG card round for the added advantages and utilizing a extra useful journey rewards card to truly pay in your IHG keep.

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