A fresh wave of cards is reshaping year‑end rewards
Two headlines within weeks—IHG’s new Premier Select from Chase on October 1, 2026, and Navy Federal’s Flagship Premier on September 10, 2026—signal a clear theme: richer travel perks at still‑approachable annual fees. Add American Express’s announcement of a Fanatics‑branded card “later this year,” and you’ve got three launches with very different targets but one shared message: your 2027 travel could be funded by what you do before New Year’s.
Why these launches matter now
Card issuers don’t often roll out new products in Q4 unless there’s real consumer demand or a portfolio shift. Here, we have both. Chase and IHG are beefing up a hotel ecosystem with more elite night credits, statement credits and dining/travel multipliers—putting the IHG Premier Select ($350 annual fee) into conversation with premium hotel plays. Navy Federal, meanwhile, finally adds a metal travel card with straight‑forward multipliers—4x travel and 3x dining—for a $95 annual fee, directly pressuring mainstream travel cards on value per dollar.
There’s also context: U.S. Bank’s transition of Kroger co‑brand cardholders to its Smartly Visa portfolio this summer underscored how quickly a bank can pivot categories. When portfolios shift, new products often follow; these three launches feel like the next act.
What’s actually new—and who each card serves
IHG One Rewards Premier Select (Chase)
Built to be the top IHG consumer card, Premier Select layers perks where hotel loyalists actually spend:
- Earning: up to 28x total at IHG (12x on the card + IHG member + Platinum Elite bonus), 6x on dining and all other travel (including rideshare), 3x everywhere else.
- Credits and benefits: up to $300 in annual Food & Beverage Rewards at IHG (in quarterly $75 chunks), a $200 airline statement credit each calendar year (through 12/31/27), 20 Elite Night Credits annually, 4th Night Free on award stays, Platinum Elite status, an Anniversary Free Night with a 60,000‑point cap (top up with points for pricier properties), up to $50 United TravelBank cash annually, and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit (up to $120 every four years).
- Limited‑time launch window: 200,000 bonus points after $5,000 in 3 months, available through November 18, 2026.
This skews best for travelers who can routinely use IHG credits and value elite‑night head starts. If you regularly book Kimpton, InterContinental or Crowne Plaza, that $300 in on‑property F&B alone can erase most of the $350 annual fee—before you count airline and TravelBank credits. Compared to Chase Sapphire Preferred, IHG Premier Select is less flexible but more lucrative if you sleep in the IHG world.
Navy Federal Flagship Premier Visa Signature
Navy Federal’s new flagship is refreshingly simple: 4x on travel, 3x on dining, and 1x everywhere else, with a $100 annual airline credit and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, all for a $95 annual fee. It’s also Navy Federal’s first metal card.
For eligible members (servicemembers, veterans, DoD community and families), this is a tidy, low‑maintenance travel card. Against a Capital One Venture (2x everywhere, $95) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x travel via portal; 3x dining; $95), Flagship Premier wins on broad travel earning and a guaranteed airline credit—especially if you’re not chasing transfer‑partner gymnastics.
Fanatics American Express Card (coming “later this year”)
Details are still under wraps, but the positioning is clear: this will lean into sports culture and experiential perks, layered into the AmEx ecosystem. Expect special access at Fanatics events, potential statement credits tied to merchandise or concessions, and—here’s the wild card—AmEx has teased deeper ties that could include points connectivity within the next year. If you live for game‑day merch drops, team‑store runs, or Fanatics Fest, keep an eye out as AmEx releases terms.
The strategy: pick the lane that pays you back fastest
- Hotel‑committed traveler: Run IHG Premier Select as your hotel backbone. Value the first‑year math plainly: $300 F&B + $200 airline + ~$50 TravelBank + one Anniversary Night capped at 60k points can clear $1,000 in stated value before you’ve touched the 200k‑point welcome offer. Use 6x dining and travel as your secondary earn
- Simple, broad travel spender: If you want one card that quietly crushes airfare, hotels, cruises, trains, rideshare, and then treats you to a $100 airline credit each year, Flagship Premier’s 4x travel/3x dining is hard to misplay at $95. It’s a compelling “set‑and‑forget” earn engine, especially if you don’t want to manage multiple currencies.
- Sports superfans and event‑seekers: Hold your fire until Fanatics AmEx publishes terms, then decide whether its perks stack meaningfully with an existing AmEx setup (e.g., pairing with AmEx Gold for 4x dining or Platinum for travel lounge benefits). The win here likely won’t be a generic multiplier—it’ll be access, credits and event‑day advantages.
Should you apply now? Here’s the practical read
- IHG One Rewards Premier Select: The launch bonus—200,000 points for $5,000 in 3 months—expires November 18, 2026. If you can use the $300 F&B and $200 airline credits in the next 12 months and you’ll redeem at mid‑ to upper‑tier IHG properties, this is a strong “apply now” signal. The 20 automatic elite nights also pull forward milestones, which is rare on a consumer hotel card at this price point.
- Navy Federal Flagship Premier: For eligible members, it’s a go‑now card if you spend meaningfully on travel and restaurants and want a guaranteed $100 airline credit each year without a premium‑card fee. It’s also a smart upgrade path if you have the legacy Flagship and want richer multipliers.
- Fanatics AmEx: Wait for terms. If AmEx pairs this with targeted launch credits or early‑access experiences, day‑one applicants—especially season‑ticket holders or Fanatics heavy shoppers—could see outsized first‑year value.
Make the play effortless with SuperPay
You don’t have to remember where each perk lives. SuperPay’s Smart Card Picker tells you the best card the moment you step into a restaurant, stadium shop, hotel or airport—so your IHG 6x dining hits when it should, and your Flagship 4x travel takes the wheel at the ticket counter. If you test the Fanatics AmEx when it launches, SuperPay will surface it instantly for on‑site concessions or merch when it wins.
Want to sanity‑check the math you just ran? Snap a receipt with Receipt Scanner and see exactly what you earned—and what you could have earned with a different card in your wallet. If you spring for PRO+, the Rewards Roadmap builds a personalized plan for your next 90 days: where to put dining, how to time that IHG airline credit before December 31, 2027, and which purchases to cluster to clear a 200k‑point welcome offer without overspending.
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