I put off writing this review for a while. The Chase IHG Traveler Card just isn’t that exciting. Check out my opinion on the IHG Premier Card here, and let’s dive into Chase’s other IHG offering.
Here are the details you’ll need to know:
- Sign-up Bonus: 60,000 bonus IHG points after $2,000 spent in 90 days
- Authorized User Bonus: 5,000 Bonus Points for an Authorized User card’s first purchase
- Earning Structure: 5x on IHG, 2x on gas/groceries/restaurants, 1x on everything else
- Status: after spending $10,000 in a calendar year, you’ll unlock Gold Elite Status
- Points Purchase Discount: Save 20% when purchasing IHG points and paying with your IHG credit card
- No foreign transaction fees
- Staying put for a while? Get the 4th Reward Night Free on any 4 night minimum stay booked with points.
- $29 annual fee
So compared to the Chase IHG Premier Card, you’re losing the Global Entry/PreCheck credit, the annual free night and the 10x points earned on IHG spend. Instead of getting automatic Platinum Elite status, you can spend your way to Gold Elite status for $10,000 in a calendar year. But hey, you’ll save $60 on the annual fee!
I don’t think you’ll be making it to Bora Bora anytime soon with the IHG Traveler Card.
Going to Open the IHG Traveler Card?
This card doesn’t even come close. If you’re going to open either of them, at least go for the Premier. Comparing the two, it comes down to a simple question: Would you pay $60 for an annual free night (yes, capped at 40,000 IHG points), Global Entry, 10x points on IHG spend, and Platinum Elite Status?
I would. The free night alone is worth more than the $60 difference in the annual fee, and I think it’s a no-brainer to pick up Platinum Elite status for cheap. Whether or not you open one of the new IHG cards at all is totally up to you. I still think the Premier card offers a bit of value, while the Traveler card falls very short. If you do open Chase’s IHG Traveler card, hit it for the bonus and move on.
I don’t see a compelling reason for anyone to hang keep the Traveler card in their wallet. With no unique benefits and the high spend requirement for status, this card just doesn’t fit.