(EXPIRED) IHG points & cash promo: 20% off cash portion (buy points for 0.56c, maybe less)

IHG has launched a new (targeted) promotion to get 20% off the cash portion of a points & cash reservation. These promos have historically been a good opportunity to buy IHG points cheaply. I’m seeing a low rate of 0.56c per point, with packages varying a bit in price from one property to the next. In past sales, certain properties have had even better cash rates, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it were possible to buy points as low as around half a cent each (or even lower), but I haven’t found any of those cheaper properties yet this time around.

The Deal

• IHG is offering 20% off the cash portion of points & cash reservations (possibly targeted)
• Direct link to this promotion

Key Terms

• IHG® Rewards Club members must be logged in to receive 20% savings.
• Must book by 7/22/2019
• Stay dates include 7/15/2019 – 9/16/2019
• 20% discount is offered at time of booking and only pertains to the cash cost of bookings.
• Bookings for The Venetian® and The Palazzo® hotels are excluded from discounts.
• See promo page for full terms

Quick Thoughts

These IHG points & cash sales are typically a good way to buy IHG points cheaply. When you make a points & cash reservation, you’re effectively buying the points to make up the difference. IHG is clear that if you make a points & cash reservation, your card will be charged immediately and if you later cancel your reservation you will be refunded in points. This means you could make a reservation through this sale and if you cancel later on, you’ve effectively bought the points.

For example, here were the available award rates at a Kimpton hotel in Miami.

As you can see, you are essentially buying points at the cash rates listed. Here are the price breakdowns:

• Buy 5K points for $28 (0.56cpp)
• Buy 10K points for $57 (0.57cpp)
• Buy 15K points for $86 (0.573cpp)
• Buy 20K points for $115 (0.575cpp)

Those rates were not consistent across all properties — in some cases, a few of the packages were $3-$5 higher, so shop around a bit if you’re seeing inflated rates. If you find a property with better rates, let us know in the comments. One thing that surprised me this time: IHG’s website has apparently gotten smart enough to know you won’t pay more for points than the nightly rate of the hotel. In cases where the package of points would cost more than the nightly rate, IHG is just offering fewer packages (i.e. only a 5K point package, no 15K or 20K packages).

I’m a little less enthused this time around with the prices since IHG has been offering sales for points at 0.5cpp directly to IHG members every now and then, meaning that you won’t save through this deal unless you can find points more cheaply. That said, IHG caps the number of points you can buy each year directly and if you need points now, this certainly beats paying full price. I just bought points in the last sale, so I’ll be holding off for now unless we find a property under half a cent per point.

H/T: Points Express

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