Starting in 2027, the IHG Select card annual fee jumps from $49 to $99, charged on each cardholder’s next renewal date after the change kicks in. In return, the yearly free night certificate on this long-closed Chase card grows from a 40,000-point cap to a cap of up to 50,000 points.
The change was first reported by Miles to Memories, which says Chase confirmed it. If you still carry this grandfathered card, the higher ihg select card annual fee changes the keep-or-cancel math, though less than a doubled price suggests.
What changes for the ihg select card annual fee in 2027
The Select card stopped taking new applications years ago, so this only touches people who opened it back then and kept it. The reported changes come in two parts:
- Fee: $49 rises to $99, applied at renewal, so the exact month depends on when your account anniversary falls.
- Free night: certificates issued from 2027 onward will be good for a room priced at up to 50,000 points, instead of 40,000.
Several core perks appear to stay put for now: automatic IHG Platinum Elite status, a 10% rebate on points you redeem for IHG stays, and no foreign transaction fees.
| Feature | Through 2026 | From 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $49 | $99 (at renewal) |
| Anniversary free night cap | 40,000 points | Up to 50,000 points |
| Elite status | Platinum Elite | Platinum Elite (no change reported) |
| Points rebate on redemptions | 10% | 10% (no change reported) |
| Foreign transaction fees | None | None (no change reported) |
Why the legacy card is getting caught up in the IHG refresh
Chase and IHG reworked their whole co-branded lineup this fall. The open cards got new benefits and, in several cases, bigger fees. Existing IHG One Rewards Premier holders are moving from $99 to $150 in 2027, the Business card goes from $99 to $200, and a new Premier Select card arrived at $350.
When that refresh launched, the future of the old Select product was left unclear. Lifting the ihg select card annual fee to $99 and matching the 50,000-point certificate the Premier now carries brings it closer to the rest of the family without stripping its best perk.
Is $99 still a good deal for a 50,000-point night?
Paying $99 for a night capped at 50,000 points works out to about 0.2 cents per point ($99 divided by 50,000) if you book a hotel that sits right at the cap. Under the old setup, $49 for a 40,000-point night came to roughly 0.12 cents per point.
So the new ihg select card annual fee is a worse ratio than before, but it is still a low price for a night that would otherwise cost 50,000 points. The catch is using it well. A certificate spent on a hotel priced well below the cap returns far less than one spent at a property sitting right at 50,000 points.
Platinum Elite is the quiet bonus. Newly approved Premier cardholders now start at Gold Elite and need $15,000 in yearly spending to reach Platinum. Select holders keep Platinum simply for holding the card, with no spending target attached.
IHG Select credit card vs Premier after the changes
Many legacy holders wonder whether they should product change to the Premier. Here is how the two line up once 2027 arrives, using current published Premier terms:
| Feature | Legacy Select (2027) | Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $99 | $150 |
| Free night cap | Up to 50,000 points | 50,000 points, top-up allowed |
| Automatic status | Platinum Elite | Gold Elite (Platinum at $15,000 spend) |
| Airline credit | None reported | $100 after $250 in direct airline spend |
| IHG Food & Beverage rewards | None reported | Up to $100 a year ($25 quarterly) |
The Premier costs $51 more than the new ihg select card annual fee and adds a $100 airline credit plus up to $100 in dining vouchers, but those pay off only if you book a qualifying airline ticket and actually use all four quarterly dining vouchers. The Select wins on status without spending.
What we don’t know yet
Chase has not published a public terms page for the legacy card, and several details remain open. One sticking point is the certificate top-up. The Premier lets you add points to book a room above the cap, and the original report suggested the Select works the same way, yet a reader pointed out the Select never allowed that. Treat it as unconfirmed until Chase spells it out in your account notice.
It is also unclear whether the earning rates or any other Select perks will change later. Chase told cardholders of the refreshed cards that account-specific details would arrive directly, so watch your mail and secure messages.
For more on getting value from certificates like this one, see our guide to searching hotels with free night certificates and our roundup of the best hotel credit cards with free annual night stays.
Frequently asked questions
When does the ihg select card annual fee go up?
The higher $99 fee applies in 2027, charged at your first renewal date after the change takes effect. Your exact month depends on when you opened the account.
Can you still apply for the IHG Select credit card?
No. The Select card has been closed to new applicants for years, so only existing cardholders are affected by this change.
How much is the IHG Select credit card free night worth?
Certificates issued from 2027 are good for a room priced at up to 50,000 points, up from 40,000. Whether you can add points to reach a pricier hotel has not been confirmed.
Should you keep the Select card at $99?
If you redeem the certificate at hotels near the 50,000-point cap and like having Platinum Elite without chasing spend, the higher ihg select card annual fee still pays for itself. If your certificate tends to expire unused or lands at cheaper hotels, 2027 is a sensible time to downgrade or compare the Premier. A grandfathered card is only worth protecting when you actually use what it protects.
