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IHG One Rewards has brought back the very best version of its points sale in which it’s possible to buy up to 500,000 points at just 0.5 cents each. This sale may be targeted so it’s possible that not everyone reading this will have access to the deal that’s discussed below.
I’ll go over the numbers and the merits of this sale a little later in this post but first, here are the basics of the offer together with the headline terms and conditions.
Key terms
- This Offer is available for qualifying purchases of IHG One Rewards points made between 12:00 AM ET on November 16, 2022 and 11:59 PM ET December 29, 2022 inclusive.
- A member eligible for this Offer will receive a bonus of 100% of the points purchased when they meet a minimum points purchase threshold on a per transaction basis.
- The number of points a member may purchase, gift, or receive as a gift during the Offer Period is subject to promotional period limits.
- Members may purchase a maximum of up to 250,000 points during the promotional period, depending on how many points the member had already purchased during the same calendar year. For example, if a member had previously purchased 50,000 points in 2022, then the member could only purchase up to a maximum of 200,000 points during the Offer Period and would be eligible to receive the applicable percentage of additional bonus points under this Offer based only on the amount of points purchased during the Offer Period.
- Similar limits apply to gifting points and receiving points as a gift: Members may gift up to a maximum of 250,000 points, or receive as gifts from other members a combined maximum of up to 250,000 points, during the Offer Period, subject to reduction by the number of points that have been already gifted, or received as a gift, in the same calendar year.
- Purchased points, as well as any bonus points awarded under this Offer, do not count towards IHG One Rewards Elite status.
Full terms and conditions can be found on the sale page
The numbers
As is the case with a lot of IHG points sales, you have to be a little careful here because while any purchase of 5,000 points or more will trigger a 100% bonus, only purchases of 26,000 points and more (before accounting for the bonus) will see you buying points at the cheapest possible rate.
Whether you buy 26,000 points…
….or 250,000 points (the maximum allowed in this promotion)…
…you’ll pay just 0.5 cents/point.
Click To Buy IHG One Rewards Points
Does this represent a good deal?
Yes, it can do, but some thought is needed.
The key to ensuring that any points you buy end up saving you money is to have a plan for how the points are going to be used. Without a plan in place, there’s a very good chance that you’ll end up throwing money away.
For example…
If you want to stay at the Kimpton La Peer in West Hollywood on a random night in December, you may be offered the choice of paying $566.84 including taxes (the best cash rate) or 65,000 points.
65,000 points can be purchased in the current sale for $325, so using points purchased in this sale to make this reservation rather than paying with cash would see an IHG Rewards member saving over $240…and that’s just on a single-night stay.
It’s important to point out that just as this example shows how easily cash can be saved by buying points in this sale, it’s equally easy to throw cash away by not doing the math and by not checking prices. Please be careful.
Following the steps below should help you make the right choice when it comes to deciding whether or not you should buy points in this sale.
- Work out where you’d like to visit
- Check that your chosen IHG property has award availability for the dates you’d like to visit
- Check the cash rates for the nights you’d like the visit
- Carry out a similar comparison between the cash rate and the cost to buy the points as I illustrated above.
Only if the math dictates that you’ll be making a saving by buying points in this sale should you reach for your credit card and hand over your cash. There are some great savings to be made by buying points today, but you’ll have to put a little work in to make sure that you’re getting genuine value.
Bottom Line
For most of the rest of the year, IHG Rewards is selling points with a 100% bonus. Members can buy up to 500,000 points at 0.5 cents each in this sale and with a bit of effort and research, those points can be used to make significant savings on their future stays. No one, however, should be buying points without first making sure they know how and when they’ll be using them or before checking that buy buying points, they’ll be able to make genuine savings.
The 
