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IHG is offering a “mystery bonus” on points purchases whereby you need to log in to see your bonus. It seems like most people are targeted for a 100% bonus, which would mean you could buy points for 0.5c each. This bonus is available through August 23rd, so there is plenty of time to buy if you’re in the market.
The Deal
- Buy IHG points with a “mystery bonus” of up to 100% (if you’re targeted for a 100% bonus, that would be from 0.5c per point)
- Direct link to check your offer (note that you could also go through a portal and earn a small return)
Key Terms
- Offer available for purchases made between 12:00 AM ET June 27, 2019 and 11:59 PM ET August 23, 2019 inclusive.
- Purchased Points are not refundable and are applicable toward all IHG® Rewards Club awards.
- Members may purchase a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year and receive as a gift a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year.
- Please allow 72 hours for points to post and appear in the recipient’s account. (YMMV — mine posted immediately)
- All other IHG® Rewards Club Terms and Conditions apply.
- See promotion page for full terms
Quick Thoughts
I actually bought points this time around. I generally do not suggest buying points unless you have a valuable use in mind. In my case, I have a family weekend trip coming up where hotel rates are around $160 before tax or rooms are available for 10K IHG points per night. Buying points means everyone will pay $50 per night, which makes the family happy while not depleting my Ultimate Rewards points for an IHG stay — a win-win.
The bonus is valid if you buy 5,000 points or more and you can buy up to 100,000 points per year before the bonus. Oddly, I noticed that points don’t actually price out to half a cent each unless you buy at least 26,000.
While you can often buy points around this price with points & money bookings (and sometimes for even a bit less), this can work out well if you’ve got a good redemption in mind. If you don’t have an immediate use in mind, it’s probably not worth buying.
H/T: One Mile at a Time
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I’ve previously sold” points to family members for 10 and 15K IHGs and it can really make sense to buy points for such stays. Half a penny for IHG makes a lot more sense than half a penny for Hilton. And if you have one of the IHG Premier cards with 4th night free, there are some other hotels that can make sense to buy points for. This is particularly true as, unlike Hilton points, it’s not so easy to gin up lots of IHG points.