Chase has quietly slipped lifetime language into the terms of the IHG Premier Business Card, In short, if you’ve held this card before, you may not be eligible to get the bonus again. The sign-up bonus has actually just been bumped up to 200,000 IHG One Rewards points, an all-time high, but there’s a significant catch buried in the fine print. Hat tip to Doctor of Credit for flagging this.
New Welcome Bonus Restrictions
The new terms now read that the bonus “may not be available to you if you have ever had this card.” That’s a meaningful shift from the previous language, which simply barred you from the bonus if you’d received one in the last 24 months. In other words, Chase has gone from a cooling-off period to a lifetime ban on repeat bonuses for this card.
What makes this particularly notable is that this appears to be the first non-Chase-branded card to receive this treatment. We’ve seen Chase apply lifetime language to its own cards , the Sapphire family being the most prominent example, However, extending it to a co-brand product is a new development worth watching closely.
One more thing worth noting for those who factor this into their strategy: Chase business cards don’t add to your 5/24 count, even though the 5/24 rule still applies when you apply. That’s made cards like this particularly attractive for points enthusiasts who want to preserve their application slots for personal cards. The lifetime language makes that calculus a bit more painful.
The Pundit’s Mantra
These new restrictions come as no surprise to me. Over the last few years, Chase has been tightening the screws when it comes to their own Sapphire branded cards. However, what’s worrisome that we’re seeing these restrictions now on a co-branded hotel credit card, that too a business credit card.
How do these changes affect your credit card application strategy? Tell us in the comments section.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Credit Card Offers
American Express Business Credit Cards
- Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards points with the Business Platinum Card
- Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points with the Business Gold Card by American Express
Chase Sapphire Cards
- 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points up for grabs with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card!
- Earn 125,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
- Earn 150,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card for Business Card
- Chase Ink Business Preferred Card offering a limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 points
Hilton Honors
- Pay No Annual Fee, Earn 70,000 points & 1 free night with the Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Earn 130,000 points & 1 free night with the Hilton Surpass Card
- Earn 175,000 points and 1 free night with the Hilton Aspire Card
- Hilton Business Card: Earn 1 free night & 175,000 points!
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
- Earn 5 Free Nights with the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
- Massive 200,000 Points offer on the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
- Earn 175,000 Points with the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card
Delta
- Pay $0 intro annual fee & earn 90,000 miles with the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- Huge 100,000 bonus miles with the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
- Earn 125,000 bonus miles with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
- Pay $0 intro annual fee & earn 90,000 miles with the Delta SkyMiles®Reserve American Express Card
- Huge 100,000 bonus miles with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
