Strategically buying points can be a good value, especially for luxury hotel stays. In mid-November, IHG One Rewards launched its current sale on purchased points, which is in line with the best offers we see from the program. I...
Strategically buying points can be a good value, especially for luxury hotel stays. In mid-November, IHG One Rewards launched its current sale on purchased points, which is in line with the best offers we see from the program. I wanted to post a reminder of this offer, as it’s due to expire shortly, and this is your last chance to buy points from the program this year.
Sale on purchased IHG One Rewards points
Through Saturday, December 30, 2023, IHG One Rewards is offering a bonus on purchased points. Different members may be targeted for different offers. All the accounts I manage show a bonus of 100%, so that’s likely what others will see as well.
In order to unlock the best bonus you need to purchase at least 5,000 points in one transaction. During this offer, the cap on how many points you can purchase has also been increased.
Buy IHG points with a 100% bonus
How much does it cost to buy IHG One Rewards points?
Ordinarily you can buy IHG One Rewards points for as little as one cent each (the pricing isn’t linear), before any discounts or bonuses. If you were eligible for a 100% bonus and purchased 150,000 IHG One Rewards points pre-bonus, you’d receive a total of 300,000 points at a cost of $1,500, which is a rate of 0.5 cents per IHG point.
Buy IHG points for 0.5 cents each
IHG sells points quite often, and when the program does, the bonus is typically in the range of 75-100%. So this offer is as good as promotions from the program get.
While the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review) and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (review) offer a 20% discount on purchased points, that benefit only applies when buying points at the normal cost, and wouldn’t be applicable here.
How many IHG One Rewards points can you purchase?
IHG One Rewards ordinarily lets members purchase up to 150,000 points per calendar year, before any bonuses. However, during this offer period, that cap has been increased to 250,000 points.
Redeem IHG points at Kimpton St Honoré Paris
Which credit card should you buy IHG One Rewards points with?
IHG One Rewards points purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as a hotel purchase for the purposes of credit card spending.
Therefore I’d recommend using a card on which you’re trying to reach a minimum spending requirement, or otherwise, a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review), Citi Double Cash® Card (review), or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (review) (Rates & Fees).
See this post for more on which credit cards are best for buying points.
Is buying IHG One Rewards points worth it?
IHG One Rewards has dynamic award pricing, which means there’s no minimum or maximum number of points a hotel stay can cost. Rather the cost of an award stay generally correlates somewhat to the cost of a revenue stay.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the same value with all hotel stays. There are many situations where you can get outsized value by buying points and then redeeming them, so let’s get into that in a bit more detail.
Tip: Get a fourth night free with an IHG credit card
You’ll get the most value from your IHG points if you have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review), IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (review), or IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (review).
That’s because the cards offer a fourth night free benefit, meaning that you can book a four night award stay for the cost of three nights. This is essentially the equivalent of 25% off in increments of four nights, since you can use this benefit an unlimited number of times.
At what hotels can you redeem IHG One Rewards points?
IHG has over 15 hotel brands, so there are lots of options for redeeming your IHG One Rewards points. IHG points can be redeemed at the following properties, among others:
For luxury & premium hotels, there’s Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo For mid-range and limited service hotels, there’s Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, voco, and EVEN
Redeem IHG points at Regent Porto Montenegro
How much are IHG One Rewards points worth?
Everyone will value points differently, but personally I value IHG One Rewards points at ~0.5 cents each, and I tend to value points pretty conservatively. So the purchase price is right around what I value these points.
Do IHG One Rewards points expire?
For non-elite members, IHG One Rewards points expire after 12 months of inactivity. However, any sort of points earning or redemption activity would reset the expiration of your points. Furthermore, IHG One Rewards points don’t expire for elite members in the program.
Keep in mind that IHG elite status is quite easy to earn. Just for having the IHG Rewards Premier Card you receive Platinum status, without any sort of a spending requirement.
Does IHG One Rewards have blackout dates?
IHG One Rewards doesn’t have blackout dates on award nights, but the program does have capacity controls. What this means is that some number of standard rooms will be made available for award redemptions every night, but that doesn’t mean that all standard rooms are available for award redemptions.
Redeem IHG points at the InterContinental David Tel Aviv
What are good uses of IHG One Rewards points?
While all prices are subject to change, let me give a few examples of some great deals I’m seeing right now using IHG One Rewards points. Again, keep in mind that IHG points could be acquired for 0.5 cents each with this promotion.
For example, you could book an overwater villa at the Six Senses Laamu Maldives for 100,000 IHG points per night (with a fourth night free you’d pay just 75,000 points per night), when the paid rate would be over $1,500 per night.
Redeem IHG points at Six Senses Laamu Maldives
If you’re looking for a luxury city getaway, the InterContinental London Park Lane is charging 75,500 IHG points per night on many dates (with a fourth night free you’d pay just ~56,600 points per night), when the paid rate would be over $700 per night.
Redeem IHG points at InterContinental London Park Lane
If you’re looking for a luxury beach vacation closer to home, the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa in Grand Cayman is charging 70,000 IHG points per night on many dates (with a fourth night free you’d pay just 52,500 points per night), when the paid rate would be over $800 per night.
Redeem IHG points at Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa Grand Cayman
Bottom line
IHG One Rewards is offering a sale on purchased points. Through December 30, 2023, IHG One Rewards is offering a promotion, and the most common offer seems to be for a 100% bonus, which is an opportunity to buy points for 0.5 cents each.
There are definitely circumstances where it could make sense to buy IHG points. As you can see above, there are instances where buying points can save you over 50% on the cost of a luxury hotel stay. I also think there’s value in having a “reserve” of IHG points, given the brand’s global footprint.
You can get even more value out of buying IHG points in conjunction with the IHG Rewards Premier Card, which can get you a fourth night for free on award redemptions.
Do you plan on buying IHG points with a bonus?