IHG x Revolut Elite Debit Card: 30,000-Point Bonus Ends Tomorrow

The IHG x Revolut Elite debit card is offering a launch sign-up bonus of 30,000 IHG One Rewards points - but that bonus drops to just 15,000 points from Wednesday 26 August. If you have been sitting on the fence, tomorrow (Tuesday 25 August) is your last day to apply and lock in the higher launch offer. The same deadline applies to the free Essential card, whose bonus halves from 10,000 to 5,000 points.

IHG and Revolut launched two Visa debit cards in late June 2026 - a free Essential card and a paid-for Elite card at £18 per month. Both require you to hold (or open) a Revolut bank account, which is the key practical hurdle to be aware of before applying.

Here is a summary of the key facts for each card before the deadline:

IHG One Rewards points are valued at roughly 0.4p each for typical redemptions, which puts the 30,000-point Elite launch bonus at around £120 in hotel value. The Essential card's 10,000-point launch bonus works out at roughly £40. After Wednesday, those numbers drop to approximately £60 and £20 respectively.

On the Elite card, the earn rate is 1.5 points per £1 in the UK and Europe and 3 points per £1 outside Europe. At IHG hotels, the rate rises to 6 points per £1 in the USA, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the UAE (boosted to 9 points per £1 until 31 October 2026). The Essential card earns a flat 0.5 points per £1 on everyday spend - a weak rate on its own, but the free status and Elite Night Credits add context.

The Elite card's real long-term value comes from the spend-based milestones. Spend £35,000 in a card year and you unlock all of the following cumulatively:

Diamond Elite is the top tier of IHG One Rewards and is genuinely difficult to earn through stays alone. Reaching it through card spend, alongside the milestone rewards, is a strong proposition if you can channel that level of expenditure through the card.

The process is straightforward: you apply through the Revolut website, and if you do not already have a Revolut bank account, one will be opened for you automatically. You will need to keep your Revolut account funded so that debit card transactions can clear - most people do this by setting up a standing order or regular transfer from their main current account. If you already hold a Revolut account, the IHG debit card sits alongside your existing Revolut debit card with no conflict.

Because these are debit cards rather than credit cards, eligibility is not tied to your income, employment status, or how many other cards you hold. That makes them a realistic option for students, the self-employed, or anyone who struggles to qualify for premium credit cards.

If you previously held an IHG credit card issued by Creation, there is a separate enhanced bonus for ex-cardholders on top of the standard launch offer - details are on the Revolut application page.

The £18 monthly fee on the Elite card adds up to £216 per year. To justify that fee on the welcome bonus alone you need to value 30,000 IHG points at more than £216 - most people will not, at standard redemption rates. The value case rests on the ongoing benefits: Platinum Elite status (and potentially Diamond Elite via spend), the annual Elite Night Credits, and the milestone rewards.

From Wednesday 26 August, the Elite card sign-up bonus drops from 30,000 to 15,000 IHG One Rewards points, and the Essential card bonus drops from 10,000 to 5,000 points. The standard card benefits (status, Elite Night Credits, spend milestones) remain unchanged.

Yes - a Revolut bank account is required. If you do not already have one, Revolut will open one as part of the card application process. You will need to keep it funded so that debit transactions can be charged to it.

Status is linked to card membership, not limited to one year. You keep your Silver Elite (Essential) or Platinum Elite (Elite) status for as long as you hold the relevant card. This is a notable advantage over cards that offer status for a fixed period only.

The source material does not explicitly confirm whether both cards can be held simultaneously. If you already have a Revolut account, you can hold the IHG debit card alongside your existing Revolut debit card, but you should check the Revolut application terms for any restriction on holding both IHG card variants at once.

The IHG x Revolut Elite card has a genuinely strong benefits package - instant Platinum Elite status, a clear path to Diamond Elite via spend, and annual Elite Night Credits that make IHG Milestone Rewards much easier to unlock. The launch bonus of 30,000 points (worth roughly £120) is a meaningful sweetener, but it halves from Wednesday 26 August. If you are invested in IHG One Rewards - or could realistically spend £15,000-£35,000 per year through a debit card - applying before tomorrow (Tuesday 25 August) is worth doing. The Essential card is only worth the effort if you already have a Revolut account; for everyone else, the friction of setting one up outweighs a 10,000-point bonus that will shortly drop to 5,000.

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These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Business Platinum Card: 50,000 points after spending £6,000 in 3 months (£6.5/yr)

2. Platinum Card: 50,000 points after spending £6,000 in 3 months (£6.5/yr)

3. HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard: Receive 40,000 reward points when you spend £2,000 on your card in the first 90 ... (£2.9/yr)

Looking to redeem your points? Here's what's available right now (via Award Travel Finder):

Hotels:

Status Matches:

• Flying Blue Status Match - Air France / KLM (SkyTeam)

• Flying Blue (New Markets) - Air France / KLM (SkyTeam)

• Flying Blue UK (BA Status Holders) - Air France / KLM (SkyTeam)

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