Buy IHG Points for 0.575 Cents Today Only. Good Deal?

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Today only, February 26, 2016, you can buy IHG Rewards Club points and get up to a 100% bonus on the points purchased.

IHG is the loyalty program of these brands, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn.

IHG points normally cost 1.15 to 1.35 cent each.

• 1,000 – 10,000 points for $13.50 per 1,000 points
• 11,000 – 25,000 points for $12.50 per 1,000 points
• 26,000 – 60,000 points for $11.50 per 1,000 points

If you buy 26,000 IHG points by tomorrow–the smallest number that gets the lowest price–you’ll receive 52,000 points for $299 or 0.575 cents each.

The maximum number of points you can purchase is 60,000 plus bonus points, meaning 120,000 total points.

IHG has nine categories of hotels that cost 10,000 to 50,000 points per night. There are some OK deals on this chart, but the best use of IHG Rewards points is always to book PointBreaks hotels for 5,000 points per night.

Buying points for 0.575 cents each and redeeming free nights at the 5,000 point PointBreaks price means hotels cost $28.75 per night.

When to Buy (Math)

Is buying IHG points for 0.575 cents each a good deal?

I would not buy IHG points speculatively for 0.575 cents each because I value them at 0.5 cents each. But if you have an immediate high value redemption in mind or if you are preparing your account for future PointBreaks, buying points can be a good deal.

For instance, with a 100% bonus, PointBreaks hotels are $28.75 per night. Category 1 properties would be $57.50 per night. Top tier Category 9 properties would be $287.50 per night. For all these categories, you can get a big discount off the retail nightly rate if you travel at a peak time.

Search your dream hotel to see how many points you’d need to book the hotel you want for a night. Search the dates you’d like to stay to see the paid price. If buying the points makes sense, there is award space on your dates, and you are ready to redeem now, buy the points.

For instance, this summer The InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea Hotelin French Polynesia costs 40,000 points (Category 7) per night or about $313 after taxes.

For $690, you can but 120,000 IHG Rewards points and redeem them for three free nights at the hotel, saving $249 off of retail.

One other consideration about whether to buy: the “real price” is never 1.15 to 1.35 cents each. You can always buy IHG points for 0.6 cents each with this method. Because of the 0.6-cent back up plan, I am not going to buy these points speculatively for 0.575 cents each. I looked into whether it made sense for an upcoming stay in Romania, and it didn’t, so I am sitting this sale out.

Buy IHG Points with These Credit Cards

IHG points purchases are processed by points.com, so the purchases will not code as a bonus “travel” or “hotel” purchase on any credit card. You will not earn category bonuses from the purchase of IHG points.

That means you should make the purchase with whatever card you need to meet a minimum spending requirement on.

Bottom Line

You can buy IHG Points for as little as 0.575 cents today only. That’s too high to buy speculatively, but there are a lot of immediate awards you can book where that price offers great value.

The best use of IHG Rewards points is always to book PointBreaks hotels for 5,000 points per night.

Hat Tip View from the Wing