170K IHG points on $3k: net $99 fee, 56 pts/$ - but dining credits lock you to one brand.
The IHG Premier offers 170,000 points after $3,000 spend and an authorized user, plus $100 in IHG dining credits (five $20 credits). The $99 annual fee is effectively netted by the dining credit if you use it at IHG properties. That yields 56.7 points per dollar of spend, a strong earn rate. But the dining credits are not cash — they're tied to IHG hotel restaurants, which limits flexibility. The card also includes an annual free night at properties up to 40,000 points, which adds recurring value for frequent IHG guests.
the play
Use the $100 dining credit on a single IHG stay to offset the $99 fee, then treat the 170K points as a bonus on your $3k spend.
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This drop was reframed from a real reader question asked around the web. Written with the assistance of a language model in the voice of Vanessa Bloome.