The IHG Rewards Club Select credit card is probably one of my favorite credit cards out of all the travel co-branded credit cards. It is a card I keep year after year despite putting any spend on it. I truly believe every single person should have this card in the wallet as the $49 annual fee (waived the first year) comes with a ton of benefits that I think every single person reading this blog will utilize!
Free night year after year
First off, this card comes with a free night at ANY IHG hotel every single anniversary year. Both my husband and I applied for the card at the same day, so now on a yearly basis for only $99 total, we have two nights to use at any high end InterContinental hotel (or any other hotel under the umbrella). There are absolutely no restrictions, just the free night award has to be available. Even if you aren’t able to use it at a $400 hotel in Europe yearly, just being able to use it at an airport Holiday Inn should still put you ahead.
Save on gas!
The card also comes with automatic Platinum status. While IHG hotels have sub-par benefits for those with status, it will actually help you save on gas separate from a hotel stay. Last week I wrote about IHG’s partnership with Fuel Rewards where you can save money when filling up your tank at a Shell gas station. While I must admit, Shell stations can sometimes be more expensive then other stations, if this is your go-to gas station, then having Platinum status will help out! If you sign up for a Fuel Rewards account, you’ll save 6 cents per gallon by linking your IHG account to Fuel Rewards (6 cents per gallon savings is for IHG Platinum members).
All you do is swipe your Fuel Rewards card or enter your ID (which is your phone number). You can then pay with any credit card you want! While I mentioned that Shell stations are many times more expensive then other gas stations, there are a ton of opportunities to purchase Shell gift cards at a discount.
Overall…
This is an excellent card to have, although not really one I’d use for everyday spending. I happily pay the $49 annual fee year after year without hesitation. You can learn more about this Hotel credit card here.
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Shell is top tier gas for your car, definitely worth the extra few cents.
Except shell is normally about $0.10-20 more per gallon.
Can I earn Fuel rewards if I use Shell Gift card at the pump? Does it have to be paid by the linked credit card? My local shell has decent prices, and also offer 5cents per gallon discount when paying with Shell card or cash. Wonder if that can be stacked.
@BL – Does not have to be paid by a linked credit card. I believe any gift card or credit card can be used. I’ll actually be trying it out soon so will report bcak.
You missed all the important stuff, like 2% back on ALL gas, restaurant and food purchases. Plus 5% on any money spent in a IHG hotel, plus 10% back on points when used to book a room with points and many other things, to many to mention. As you will think I work for them!
@John – Yes, there are many other perks of the card as well! 10% points back is huge actually, your right, that should be included. I’ll update.
The Shell near my own in the Chicago suburbs is about 10 cents higher than everyone else. But the one near my office is across the street from a Costco and they stay very competitive, so it varies by market.
If you have a Fuel Rewards card and use it at grocery stores (earning 2 points per dollar) then you also earn fuel rewards if you link that MasterCard with your Fuel Rewards Account. It is almost like triple dipping. 2 IHG points per dollar at grocery stores, savings to your Fuel Rewards account by using a mastercard (mine is .10 per $50 spent), and the extra gas savings. My favorite mastercard other than my Delta Skymiles debit card (master card) by Suntrust.
I just signed up for this offer. The Shell near my house is no more expensive than the 7-11 and less expensive than the Texaco station. When I linked a Mastercard (my IHG which I rarely use) it offered me a bonus off of my next fill up. Why say no to free money.
@Joeheh – Great! I actually just filled up at a Shell station today and using the Fuel Rewards discount was extremely easy.