As a frequent user of the IHG One Rewards program, I feared the worst when the program moved to dynamic award pricing in 2020. But although some of the most expensive IHG hotels and resorts often cost significantly more points now than before dynamic pricing, I’m still finding it easy to get excellent value when redeeming IHG points.
Luckily, IHG periodically offers buy points promotions that let loyalists boost their account balance. The best one — a 100% bonus promotion — typically appears several times each year. During 100% bonus promotions, you can buy IHG One Rewards points for just 0.5 cents per point — significantly lower than the redemption rate I regularly get when redeeming IHG points.
IHG’s 100% bonus buy points promotion is back through Oct. 9, 2023. So, let’s take a closer look at this IHG buy points promotion and whether you should consider it.
IHG buy points sale details
IHG’s current buy points sale offers members a 100% bonus when they buy at least 40,000 IHG points through Oct. 9, 2023.
You can only purchase 150,000 IHG points per calendar year. However, if you purchase 150,000 points for $1,500 during this sale, you’ll get a total of 300,000 points.
Note that point purchases are nonrefundable, and it may take up to 72 hours for purchased points to appear in your account. You can buy IHG points by going to IHG’s buy points page and logging in.
Related: The 19 best IHG hotels in the world
Should I buy IHG One Rewards points now?
My husband and I often buy the maximum number of IHG points each year during 100% bonus buy points promotions. After all, IHG buy points promotions don’t get better than 0.5 cents per point, and we can easily get more than 0.5 cents per point when redeeming IHG points.
In fact, you can get a significantly higher redemption rate on many stays if you utilize the fourth-night reward perk that effectively lets you pay zero points for every fourth night when you redeem IHG points (available to those with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card).
Plus, most IHG award bookings are flexible until shortly before your arrival date. So, you can buy IHG One Rewards points now and snag low award rates for upcoming trips without much risk.
However, remember that IHG uses dynamic award pricing. So, although we’re still seeing the positive side of dynamic award pricing with low award night rates in many regions and the ability to get well over 0.5 cents per point on many redemptions, IHG could decide to change its award pricing algorithm at any time.
Related: How to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Frequently asked questions about buying IHG One Rewards points
You may have other questions about buying IHG One Rewards points. Here are some of the most common:
How else can I earn IHG One Rewards points?
This buy points promotion isn’t the only way to earn IHG One Rewards points.
For example, you could sign up for an IHG credit card. My personal favorite is the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. On top of a solid welcome bonus, it also provides automatic Platinum Elite status, an anniversary night worth up to 40,000 points each year and access to the previously mentioned fourth-night reward when I redeem IHG points for stays of four nights or longer.
You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to IHG One Rewards. However, I don’t recommend doing this since you’ll typically find more value when transferring Ultimate Rewards points to other programs.
Bilt Rewards points also transfer to IHG One Rewards. Still, you’ll usually get a better value from your Bilt Rewards when transferring to a higher-value partner like American Airlines AAdvantage or World of Hyatt.
Related: 7 ways to earn more IHG One Rewards points for your next redemption
How much does it cost to buy IHG One Rewards points?
Members can buy IHG points for as low as 0.5 cents per point through Oct. 9, 2023. You must pay between 1 cent and 1.35 cents per IHG point when there isn’t a buy points promotion.
Which credit card should I use to buy IHG points?
When you buy IHG points, points.com processes the transaction instead of IHG. Your purchase won’t code as travel, and you won’t earn a travel category bonus if you use one of the top travel rewards credit cards. So, you’ll want to use one of the best cards for everyday spending to earn bonus points on your purchase.
Related: The best credit cards for buying points and miles
Bottom line
When IHG One Rewards offers a 100% buy points promotion, it’s time to consider whether you need more IHG points for upcoming trips. But since IHG uses dynamic pricing, buying points can be risky if you aren’t confident you’ll go on the award trip you book with the points you’ve purchased.
