(EXPIRED) Buy IHG points for half a cent each

IHG is offering a 100% bonus on purchased points. That drops the cost down to half a cent per point when you buy 7,000 points or more. That’s a good enough price to consider buying if you’ve got a good use in mind.

The Deal

• IHG is offering a 100% bonus on purchased points when you purchase 7,000 points or more, bringing the effective cost per point down to half a cent per point
• Direct link to log in and buy (our affiliate link – note you should be able to alternatively go through a shopping portal for a little bit back)

Key Details

• Flash sale is valid through March 22, 2018
• You can purchase a maximum of 100,000 IHG points per year before the bonus (i.e. $1,000 for 200,000 points if you have not yet purchased points this year and purchase in this sale)
• Note that purchases are processed by Points.com, so this will not trigger any category bonuses

Quick Thoughts

While I don’t generally recommend purchasing points speculatively, there are certainly instances where this sale makes for a good deal. Traditionally, Point Breaks are a solid use of purchased points since those hotels go for 5,000 / 10,000 / 15,000 points per night, making your effective all-in cost $25, $50, or $75 per night at those properties. There are certainly other instances where you can save as well.

Note that while IHG Rewards Club Premier cardholders qualify for a 20% discount on purchased points, that discount only applies to regular-priced purchases, not when IHG is running a bonus like this. However, another key benefit on that card is the 4th night free on award stays, which could effectively reduce your cost for hotel stays even further. A four-night stay at Point Breaks properties would cost you a net 3750 / 8000 / 11250 points per night, dropping your cost to $18.75 / $40 / $56.25 per night. While the Point Breaks properties haven’t been wildly exciting the past year or two, those prices can still represent a solid deal if your travels take you past one of those hotels.

It’s also worth mentioning that we do ocassionally see opportunities to buy points for even less than half a cent each with sales on cash & points stays, but those have deals have mostly been targeted (and infrequently offered quite that cheap).

Again, I wouldn’t buy 200K points without any plan as to how to use them, but with a plan in mind this is a pretty good deal.

H/T: One Mile at a Time

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