How to Redeem $50 United TravelBank Cash With IHG Premier Credit Cards [2022]

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UPDATES:
  • Add a way to extend United TravelBank Cash earned from IHG Premier credit cards. 

Chase and IHG improved benefits on co-branded credit cards: Chase IHG Premier Credit Card and Chase IHG Premier Business Credit Card. One of the benefits available to card members is the $50 United TravelBank Cash

As an IHG Rewards credit cardholder, you can receive up to $50 United TravelBank Cash each calendar year. Whether this benefit is valuable depends on how you use it! Let’s take a look at how this benefit works. 
How to Use IHG Rewards Premier and Premier Business Credit Cards $50 United TravelBank Cash?
Photo Credit: IHG & United
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    What is United TravelBank Cash?

    First of all, if you are unfamiliar with United TravelBank Cash. The easiest way to remember it is an e-gift card for United Airlines
    • Each TravelBank Cash has an expiration date associated with the terms and conditions when it is obtained. 
    • TravelBank cash can only be used on United or United Express flight purchases by its expiration date. 
    • TravelBank Cash is deposited and stored in your United MileagePlus account; therefore, you must have a United MileagePlus account. It is completely free to join

    How Does IHG Rewards Premier and Premier Business Credit Cards $50 United TravelBank Cash Benefit Work?

    The $50 United TravelBank Cash benefit is available to cardmembers of both Chase IHG Premier Credit Card and Chase IHG Premier Business Credit Card. The way the benefit works is this:
    • Each calendar year, you receive up to $50 in United TravelBank Cash
    • You receive $25 in TravelBank Cash deposited into your United MileagePlus account on or about January 1st each year, and it expires on July 15th of the same calendar year if not used. 
    • You receive another $25 in TravelBank Cash deposited into your United MileagePlus account on or about July 1st each year. It expires on January 15th of the following calendar year if not used. 
    • Enrollment for a United MileagePlus account is required if you are not a MileagePlus member. It is completely free to join
    • One-time registration for this benefit is required. See below for how to register for the offer. 
    • Allow up to two (2) weeks after registration for the first $25 TravelBank Cash deposited into your United MileagePlus account. 
      • In my experience, the $25 TravelBank cash was deposited immediately after I completed the registration. 

    How to Register for IHG Rewards Credit Card’s $50 TravelBank Cash?

    You are only required to register for this benefit once you become a cardmember of Chase IHG Premier Credit Card or Chase IHG Premier Business Credit Card. As long as you remain the cardholder, the system will automatically process this benefit for you afterward. 
    • Go to the dedicated official IHG and United website to register for the offer. 
    • Click on the Sign in button for your IHG Rewards account. 
    • The page will ask you for your United MileagePlus number and last name. See the screenshot below. 
    • Simply accept the terms & conditions, and click the Register button to finish your registration. 
    • Allow up to two (2) weeks after registration for the first $25 TravelBank Cash deposited into your United MileagePlus account. 
      • In my experience, the $25 TravelBank cash was deposited immediately after I completed the registration. 
    How to Redeem IHG Rewards Premier and Premier Business Credit Cards $50 United TravelBank Cash
    Register for IHG Rewards Credit Card’s $50 TravelBank Cash

    How to Redeem United TravelBank Cash With IHG Rewards Premier and Business Premier Credit Cards?

    The process to use United TravelBank Cash is pretty simple and straightforward. 
    • First, you must register for the IHG and United TravelBank Cash benefits if you have not done it. This is one-time registration only. 
    • Confirm each $25 TravelBank Cash is deposited into your United MileagePlus account based on your IHG Rewards Premier credit card benefit. To check that, see the instruction below this section. 
    • Search and book United or United Express flights as you normally do until you reach the payment checkout page. 
    • Under the Payment method, you select the TravelBank option. You will be asked to enter the amount of TravelBank cash you want to apply for the reservation. See the screenshot below. 
      • If you have multiple TravelBank cash, the United system automatically pulls the one that expires first. 
    • Finish your booking like you normally do! You can use any other credit cards to cover any remaining balance, and using Chase IHG Premier Credit Card or Chase IHG Premier Business Credit Card is not required. 
    How to Redeem $50 United TravelBank Cash With IHG Rewards Premier and Business Premier Credit Cards?
    How to Redeem United TravelBank Cash?

    How to Extend IHG Credit Card’s United TravelBank Cash?

    The $50 United TravelBank through Chase IHG Premier Credit Card and Chase IHG Premier Business Credit Card has a very short expiration window. You forfeit the value if you do not use each $25 TravelBank by its expiration date. However, you can extend it with the trick of United fight credits, thanks to United’s flexible booking policy.  
    • Book a United airlines ticket in at least Economy fare class. Avoid Basic Economy fare for this to work. 
    • Make sure to choose your TravelBank Cash to pay for the reservation on the payment page by specifying the TravelBank cash amount you want to apply to the reservation. United Airlines system automatically uses the TravelBank cash in your account that expires first. See the above section on How to Redeem United TravelBank Cash
    • After 24 hours, initiate the cancellation. The value of your ticket now becomes a flight credit that will expire in a year from the ticket issuance date. Alternatively, you can keep changing your ticket without changing fees until you can travel. 
      • Currently, United has a waiver for any flight credits resulting from cancellation made on or before December 31, 2022. Those flight credits are extended through December 31, 2023, instead of the ticket issuance date. 
    Therefore, with the United flight credits trick, you can extend your IHG credit card’s United TravelBank cash by another year. Your TravelBank is gone from your United’s TravelBank account and has a ticket’s value to be used toward the price of a new ticket instead. 

    How to Find United TravelBank Cash?

    On United Website:
    • Sign in to your United MileagePlus account online
    • Click to expand Wallet in the left-hand side menu. 
    • Click on TravelBank.
    • You can see all your available United TravelBank cash, amount, and expiration date on the page. 
    On United Mobile App:
    • Open the United mobile app and sign in. 
    • Tap on My United at the bottom. 
    • Tap on the third tile: Wallet.
    • Scroll down a little and tap on TravelBank cash.
    • You can see all your available United TravelBank cash, value, and expiration date. 

    2 thoughts on “How to Redeem $50 United TravelBank Cash With IHG Premier Credit Cards [2022]

    1. I cannot link my IHG Rewards Premium card to my United Travelbank. It is not working, I do not get past the initial screen asking me to sign in into my IHG account. I went to the United website and the Wallet section, there is also no option to use this benefit. Bad launch IHG!

    2. Sorry that you could not register for the offer. After you successfully sign in to your IHG Rewards account, that initial screen/page asking you to sign into IHG should now change and ask you for your United Mileage Plus information. I registered for the offer via the web browser on the computer desktop.

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