An IHG free night from a Chase card is a one-night award that lands in your IHG One Rewards account, covers one standard room up to a points cap, and has to be booked and stayed in within 12 months of the day it is issued. Chase sets the cap by card: 60,000 points on the IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card, and 50,000 on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card.
Here's how the rules read in Chase's own offer terms and its October 1, 2026 card announcement.
The Two Ways a Free Night Arrives
The first is the Anniversary Free Night. It becomes available on your account anniversary date each year, which Chase defines as the date 12 months after you opened the account, and the same date every 12 months after that. The Premier Select, Premier and Business cards all carry one.
The second is a free night you earn by spending. On the Premier Select, spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year and you qualify for one more free night, also capped at 60,000 points. Chase says it can take up to 8 weeks to post once you qualify. On the Business card, spend $60,000 in a calendar year and you qualify for one more free night, capped at 50,000 points. On the Premier, spending unlocks status and points instead: $15,000 in a calendar year brings Platinum Elite, 5 Elite Night Credits and 15,000 bonus points.
What the Points Cap Covers
The cap is a points price, not a dollar value. The free night is valid at IHG hotels with a point redemption value at or below the cap, and Chase says it covers one standard room night and tax only. Resort fees and incidentals such as parking are yours to pay.
If a hotel costs more than the cap, you can still use the night there by adding points from your IHG One Rewards account. Chase's announcement describes this on all three cards as the option to add existing IHG One Rewards points.
When It Expires
Each free night has to be redeemed and the stay completed within 12 months from the date it was issued. Booking before the deadline isn't enough, because the stay itself has to finish inside the window. Chase also says the night cannot be transferred, extended past its expiration date, redeemed for cash or re-credited for points.
If you cancel, the hotel's own cancellation policy applies, and fees apply if you cancel outside the hotel's cancellation window. Check the cancellation window before you book.
How to Book It
You can book a stay that uses the free night online at ihg.com or by calling IHG One Rewards at 1-877-318-5890. Rooms are limited and subject to availability, and they can be unavailable during high-demand periods, so a sold-out standard room can sink the plan even when the points math works. Chase also says members need a valid email address on their IHG One Rewards profile, and to opt in to IHG One Rewards emails, to receive free night communications.
Not a Certificate: The Fourth Night Free
IHG's fourth reward night free is a separate benefit. When you book a points stay of four or more consecutive nights at the same property, you pay the reward night rate for the first three nights and 0 points for the fourth. It applies only to standard room reward night stays, not to paid stays or Points & Cash bookings, and Chase says it can be used on an unlimited number of stays a year. If you cancel or check out before the fourth night, that night is forfeited.
On the Premier Select, Premier and Business cards, Chase lists the fourth night free as an ongoing benefit. On the no-fee IHG One Rewards Credit Card, Chase's announcement says you unlock it after spending $5,000 on the card, and our refresh coverage has the timing.
Which Card Gives You What
- IHG One Rewards Premier Select: $350 annual fee, a 60,000-point Anniversary Free Night and a second 60,000-point free night at $40,000 of spending in a calendar year.
- IHG One Rewards Premier: $150 annual fee for new cardmembers, with a 50,000-point Anniversary Free Night.
- IHG One Rewards Business: $200 annual fee, a 50,000-point Anniversary Free Night and a second 50,000-point free night at $60,000 of spending in a calendar year.
Chase says existing cardmembers will be notified in October with the effective date for each update, so the cap on a card you already hold may not match the numbers above until that date. Check your notice and your IHG One Rewards account before you plan around a cap.
Get the Most Out of It
Use the night where the points price is high, since the cap is a points price and a cheap hotel leaves value unused. Put the booking on the calendar early, because the stay has to be completed inside the 12 months. If you also chase status, our guide to stacking IHG card Elite Night Credits covers how the cards' credits count toward Milestone Rewards, and the card refresh coverage linked above sets out the full lineup.
