IHG Premier Select Delivery Credits vs. Discounted Gift Cards

The IHG Premier Select’s delivery credits have a lower replacement cost when you compare them with discounted gift cards.

For delivery spending alone, buying gift cards avoids the card’s $350 annual fee: $120 of DoorDash value effectively costs $100.20, and $120 of Instacart value effectively costs $113.04 at current public rates. Together, that is $213.24—not $240. This is a comparison of the delivery benefits, not a verdict on the whole credit card.

What do the delivery benefits include?

The October 1, 2026 launch terms include two monthly benefits, each with membership conditions:

• DoorDash: $10 off one qualifying non-restaurant order each month while enrolled in DashPass. The card includes 12 complimentary months of DashPass when first activated with the card by December 31, 2027.
• Instacart: $10 in monthly credits while an Instacart+ membership is active. The card includes three complimentary months of Instacart+ when first activated with the card by December 31, 2027.

Twelve months of each benefit adds up to $240. But the complimentary Instacart+ period covers only three months, so continued membership costs can reduce the benefit’s net value.

What do discounted gift cards cost instead?

For this October 2026 comparison, Gift Card Zoo’s best generally available DoorDash and Instacart prices are both at CardCenter. The table also includes Instacart+ inventory, which should not be treated as a substitute for an Instacart shopping balance.

CardCash also has DoorDash cards at 4.6% off, about $95 for $100, versus about $84 at CardCenter. Its Instacart cards are 1% off, about $99 for $100, versus about $94 at CardCenter. Elite members can do even better, but those members-only rates are not used here.

The card’s DoorDash benefit saves a fixed $10 on a qualifying monthly order; Gift Card Zoo’s current public alternative offers 16.5% off gift-card value. Those savings have different bases, so compare their dollar value rather than their percentages.

Prices and availability can change. The calculations below use the stated discount rates rather than the rounded $100 prices.

How much are the monthly credits worth replacing?

Replacing all $240 of annual delivery value with gift cards effectively costs $213.24, assuming the full balance is used and the current rates remain available:

• DoorDash: $120 × 0.835 = $100.20.
• Instacart: $120 × 0.942 = $113.04.
• Combined: $213.24, or $26.76 below face value.

That leaves $136.76 of the $350 annual fee for the card’s other benefits to justify, before accounting for membership costs or any unused monthly credits. You may need to buy a larger gift card upfront; any unused balance remains on the card.

This comparison assigns no value to DashPass or Instacart+ membership itself. It also excludes rewards earned on purchases and spending toward the welcome bonus.

Can you stack the credits with gift cards?

Stacking is not established by the available payment terms. The benefit details do not document whether gift-card-funded orders qualify for these card-linked credits or discounts.

Do not buy a gift card specifically to combine it with either benefit. For now, use the numbers above to value the benefits—not as a confirmed checkout strategy.

Does this settle whether the $350 card is worth it?

No. The card has major benefits beyond delivery, and leaving them out would distort an annual-fee decision.

These include up to $300 in IHG food-and-beverage vouchers, a 60,000-point anniversary free night, Platinum Elite status, 20 annual elite-night credits and the fourth reward night free. Each quarterly $75 food-and-beverage voucher expires that quarter and must be used during one stay; unused value is lost.

The card also offers a $200 annual airline statement credit through December 31, 2027, triggered by a flight-ticket purchase of at least $250 directly with an airline. Other benefits include up to $50 in annual United TravelBank cash and an eligible application-fee credit of up to $120 every four years.

Its launch offer is 200,000 points after $5,000 in purchases within three months, available through November 18, 2026. That first-year bonus should be considered separately from the card’s ongoing value.

Value the delivery benefits at $213.24, not automatically $240

At current rates, $120 of DoorDash gift-card value effectively costs $100.20 and $120 of Instacart value costs $113.04. Buying that combined value for $213.24 costs less than paying a $350 annual fee solely for the delivery credits, but the card’s hotel and travel benefits can change the overall decision.

Before applying, check how many monthly credits you will actually use and whether your IHG stays justify the remaining fee. If you only need delivery value, compare the current public gift-card listings first.