The Chase IHG Premier Card is one of the best cards for IHG loyalists. And now it has gotten better. View From the Wing (H/T) has reported yesterday that the Chase IHG Premier Card now has Cell Phone Protection as a new perk. The Cell Phone Protection perk will be available starting November 17, 2019.
Overview of the IHG Premier Card
The IHG Premier Card is an interesting one. It recently has its highest-ever sign-up bonus, which was worth 120,000 points. However, its public bonus is worth a nice 80,000 points. You can earn this bonus by spending $2,000 within the first three months.
Furthermore, the card earns 10x IHG points per $1 spent on IHG hotel purchases. It also earns 2x points on Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, and Restaurants as well as just one point on all other purchases. This structure makes it best for IHG purchases because there are better cards for the 2x categories.
The card also has some nice benefits to counter its $89 annual fee (NOT waived the first year). Some of the best include the following:
- One free night after each account anniversary year
- One free night each time you redeem points for any stay of at least four nights
- IHG Platinum Elite Status
- Global Entry or TSA Precheck Fee Waiver Credit
- Purchase Protection
- Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance
These benefits make this mid-tier card a great one even without the Cell Phone Protection. But the new benefit is making this card even more worthwhile.
Analysis
The IHG Premier Card is Chase’s only MasterCard. That means it has access to World or World Elite MasterCard perks, depending on your credit limit.
Nonetheless, the new Cell Phone Protection is a welcome addition to the IHG Premier. This perk can also be found on the Chase Ink Business Preferred. It gives Chase and the Ink Business Preferred a competitive advantage because cell phone protection is not a common perk on many business cards. That makes me even more glad that Chase is extending the cell phone protection perk to a personal card like the IHG Premier.
Conversely, Chase and MasterCard are removing Price Protection and MasterCard concierge because they were not being used. Citi dropped both benefits from their entire lineup of cards in favor of MasterCard network benefits. Fortunately, every other Chase card is not subject to the discontinuations because they are Visas.
Final Draw
The IHG Premier Card having Cell Phone Protection is great news for cardholders. It’s also a nice move by Chase as they leverage their sole MasterCard. While its unfortunate that Price Protection and MasterCard Concierge are being removed, the Cell Phone Protection is a more useful replacement.
The Cell Phone Protection perk will be available starting November 17, 2019. You can get up to $600 per claim and $1,000 per year against covered theft or damage. Phones must be listed on your monthly cell phone bill and you must pay it with your IHG Premier Card. There is a maximum of two claims in a 12-month period with a $50 deductible per claim per cardholder.
Apply Today: Chase IHG Premier Card
