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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIf your U.S. Chase-issued IHG One Rewards card’s benefits or annual fee change, first find the notice sent specifically to you. Chase and IHG announced a portfolio refresh on October 1, 2026, but individual notices—not public card pages or another cardholder’s letter—are the place to confirm which terms apply to your account and when. The announcement says benefit details and effective dates will be sent in October, while annual-fee adjustments are scheduled for 2027.
What Chase and IHG have announced
The October 1, 2026 announcement covers a new Premier Select card and revised benefits across the U.S. IHG One Rewards card portfolio. It does not establish every existing customer’s new fee or implementation date. Benefit changes and fee changes may take effect at different times; use your personal notice and current account terms to determine what applies. See the Chase announcement and IHG announcement.
The issuer’s headline card details are useful for understanding the refresh, but they are not a substitute for the terms on an existing account:
| Card in the announcement | Annual fee listed by IHG | Selected announced benefits |
|---|---|---|
| IHG One Rewards Premier Select | $350 | Up to $300 in annual Food & Beverage Rewards; a $200 annual airline statement credit on qualifying flight purchases; up to $50 United TravelBank Cash; an anniversary free night capped at 60,000 points, with an option to add points; automatic Platinum Elite status; and 20 annual Elite Night Credits. |
| Refreshed IHG One Rewards Premier | $150 | Up to $100 in annual Food & Beverage Rewards; a $100 annual airline statement credit on qualifying flight purchases; up to $50 United TravelBank Cash; an anniversary free night capped at 50,000 points, with an option to add points; automatic Gold Elite status; and 15 annual Elite Night Credits. |
| Refreshed IHG One Rewards Credit Card (no annual fee) | No annual fee listed | Five annual Elite Night Credits and a fourth Reward Night Free benefit after $5,000 in spend. |
| Refreshed IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card | $200 | Changes include an Expensify statement credit. |
These are announcement-level descriptions, not a complete account-specific terms list. Check the current benefit conditions, eligible transactions, enrollment requirements, limits and dates before assigning a value. The refreshed Premier page retrieved October 3, 2026, also displays a $100 annual airline credit and food-and-beverage vouchers; existing cardholders should still rely on their own notice for applicability and timing: Chase’s Premier card page.
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Find your notice and pin down the dates
Chase says required notices may be delivered by mail, email, online services or a billing statement under the rewards agreement. Check your secure Chase messages, email, physical mail and recent statements, then save the notice. The announcement does not publish each customer’s renewal date, fee or effective date, so do not infer those details from an application page.
- Record the exact card name and account-specific effective date for each benefit change.
- Record your current annual fee, the proposed fee, and the date the new fee applies. Ask Chase to confirm your renewal date and the last date to act before another fee is charged.
- Read the notice for changed conditions: spending thresholds, eligible purchases, calendar-year limits, redemption caps, or enrollment requirements.
- Compare the notice with your current card agreement and benefits page. Chase directs cardholders to their specific agreement through sign-in: Cardmember Agreements.
Work out whether the new terms are worth keeping
Estimate the value you would personally use, rather than treating a benefit’s maximum or an issuer’s first-year estimate as cash savings. IHG’s October 2026 announcement promotes first-year value of more than $1,000 for Premier Select, more than $700 for Premier and more than $750 for Business; those are issuer estimates, not guaranteed savings for an individual cardholder.
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- Free night: Estimate a realistic redemption you would actually book. Account for the award’s points cap, the option to add points where offered, availability and any rules in your notice.
- Food-and-beverage and airline credits: Count only purchases you expect to make that meet the eligibility rules. A credit you would not otherwise use may have little or no personal value.
- Status and Elite Night Credits: Consider whether the status or night credits would change a trip or purchase you already plan. Do not assign a dollar value to status just because it is advertised.
- Points earning: Compare the card’s earning on your actual spending with the alternatives available to you, using the current terms rather than assumptions about category bonuses.
- Annual fee: Compare the fee that will actually apply to your account with the usable value above. Do not count the same planned purchase twice when assessing a credit and the card’s other value.
Ask about a product change before cancelling
Contact Chase using the number on your card or a secure account channel before a fee is due. Ask whether a product change to a currently available card is possible for your account, which options are available, when it would take effect, and how it would affect the fee, benefits and account history. Public materials do not promise that a product change or downgrade will be available to every cardholder. If you are considering another IHG card, verify its current application terms separately; a public offer does not mean your existing account can be converted to it.
Understand notice rules and the consequences of rejecting a change
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says significant credit-card account-term changes generally require 45 days’ advance notice, including increases to certain fees. It also says consumers may reject many such changes, but the issuer may close the account, and any remaining balance must still be paid. Rewards-benefit changes may not themselves qualify for the same notice because rewards generally are not treated as significant account-term changes. Regulation Z addresses these notices in § 1026.9 and fee increases in § 1026.55. These are general rules, not a legal determination about a particular IHG notice; the treatment depends on the specific change, account, notice and applicable exceptions. See the CFPB’s consumer explanation, last reviewed January 22, 2024: Can my credit card company change the terms of my account?
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Before rejecting a change or closing the account, ask Chase and IHG how the contemplated action affects points, certificates, status and pending credits. The IHG One Rewards Premier Card Rewards Program Agreement says card-earned points transfer to IHG One Rewards after a billing cycle, and that if IHG membership is terminated, points earned in the card program can no longer be used. The reviewed agreement does not resolve every card-closure scenario, so confirm how your specific account and IHG membership would be treated. Closing a card can also reduce available credit and increase credit utilization, as the CFPB explains in its guidance above.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Make the decision against your own account timeline
Once you have the notice, compare keeping the card, requesting a product change and closing it using the fee and effective dates that apply to you—not the public application terms alone. Recheck the notice and account shortly before acting, since fees, benefits and card terms can change. If the new fee is near, allow enough time for Chase to explain any available options and their timing before deciding.
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