A member of our Frequent Miler Insiders Facebook group recently reported being told by a Chase representative that changes were coming to their old IHG Select card (this is the old card with a $49 annual fee that hasn’t been available for new applicants or product changes for years). Unfortunately, Doctor of Credit was able to confirm the changes: the annual fee will increase to $99 and the free night certificate will be worth up to 50,000 points in 2027.
The old IHG Select card has not been available for over 8 years
Chase discontinued the old IHG Select card in March 2018, almost 8.5 years ago. The card has since been no longer available for new applicants or product switches, but some of us stuck with the card because it retained a low annual fee (just $49) and an annual free night certificate worth up to 40,000 points (unlike certificates issued from newer cards, IHG Select card certificates cannot be topped up with additional points).
Other notable card benefits include 10% back on points redemptions and automatic IHG Platinum status. These perks stack with the new IHG card perks, provided you got both cards before IHG discontinued the $49 card. Chase stopped allowing cardholders to get more than one mainstream IHG card after discontinuing the $49 Select card.
When the refresh of the rest of the IHG card lineup was announced earlier this week, many wondered if we would now see any changes to the older IHG Select card. A post in our Frequent Miler Insiders Facebook group indicated that a Chase representative informed a cardholder about the upcoming changes, but I’m still hesitant to take a single phone representative’s word for it (especially in the absence of any official statement from Chase). We followed up on a representative’s comments, but were still awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, Doctor of Credit has received confirmation that changes are coming.
Annual fee for old IHG Select card will increase to $99, in addition to annual free night certificate
Based on the screenshots referenced and posted by Doctor of Credit, it appears that existing IHG Select cardholders can expect the annual fee to increase from $49 to $99 at the next anniversary in 2027.
We understand the card will retain its 10% back on rewards redemptions and automatic Platinum status. Free night certificates issued from 2027 are expected to be valid for one night costing up to 50,000 points. It seems that the certificate can be supplemented with points, but we have not yet been able to confirm this.
Will the old IHG Select card be worth keeping after the changes?
Many cardholders long considered the old IHG Select card a no-brainer: At just $49 a year, the 40,000 free night certificate seemed like a very easy win. Getting 10% of your points back on redemption can also be a nice perk if you’re redeeming a lot of IHG points.
At $99, the card will become less of a slam dunk. I think most would still find it relatively easy to get the annual free night certificate. At the same time, given how many hotel cards I already have that issue a free night certificate, this doesn’t seem as compelling to me as if I had fewer family credit cards. The old price of $49 was hard to ignore. It’ll still be a good deal at $99, but not necessarily an offer I can’t refuse.
In addition to the increase in fees, you must consider the opportunity cost of maintaining the old card. While I wouldn’t have let this no-longer-available card out of my wallet at $49, the extra $50 makes me think about whether it’s worth keeping the IHG Select rather than dropping the card and looking to open a new IHG Premier Select card for both its introductory bonus and ongoing benefits. Personally, I am over 5/24, so I am not currently eligible for IHG Premier Select. However, if I wasn’t, I might consider ditching my old IHG card in favor of this card.
Keep in mind, however, that if you cancel your old IHG Select card, you won’t be able to get it back because the card has been discontinued for a long time and it’s not available through a product switch. For this reason, I probably won’t move until my next birthday, as I have several months before I receive this new annual fee. I will consider my options as my birthday approaches.
It’s no surprise to finally see some changes to this map. Hopefully we won’t see any updates to the discontinued Marriott cards next. . .
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