Many award vacationers overlook the IHG One Rewards program, however it’s simple to get good worth when redeeming IHG factors, no matter whether or not you are staying at your native Candlewood Suites or an aspirational InterContinental resort.
Particularly should you do not ceaselessly use the IHG One Rewards program, chances are you’ll have to earn IHG factors so you’ve sufficient to cowl a keep at an IHG property with factors. Two fast methods to earn IHG factors are to purchase them or switch Chase Final Rewards factors. We’ll have a look at each choices on this information so you’ll be able to decide which is greatest for you.
Purchase IHG One Rewards factors
You’ll be able to sometimes purchase IHG factors at this hyperlink for the next charges:
- 1,000 to 10,000 factors: 1.35 cents per level
- 11,000 to 25,000 factors: 1.15 cents per level
- 26,000 to 150,000 factors: 1 cent per level
Nevertheless, IHG ceaselessly runs promotions to purchase factors. The most effective give you’ll see — which IHG sometimes gives a number of instances per 12 months — gives a 100% bonus. Throughout gross sales with as much as a 100% bonus, you should purchase IHG factors for as little as 0.5 cents per level. For instance, throughout a current sale with as much as a 100% factors bonus, I may have purchased 150,000 IHG factors and acquired 150,000 bonus IHG factors for $1,500.
IHG permits its members to purchase as much as 150,000 factors every calendar 12 months, and some IHG members can switch as much as 500,000 factors every calendar 12 months to different members. Bought factors do not depend towards IHG elite standing and are not refundable. As soon as you purchase IHG factors, the factors ought to seem in your account inside 72 hours. Nevertheless, in follow, the factors normally seem inside 10 minutes.
While you purchase IHG factors, you will make your buy via factors.com. That is vital as a result of it means the acquisition is not going to be coded as a journey buy in your bank card. As such, chances are you’ll need to use an on a regular basis spending card — just like the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card or the Citi Double Money® Card (see charges and costs) — that earns bonus rewards on all purchases.
Keep in mind, although, that the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card, the IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card and the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card allow you to save 20% on IHG factors purchases. You’ll be able to’t mix this low cost with different promotions — equivalent to a 100% bonus — however if you’re shopping for IHG factors with out a bonus, it is seemingly value utilizing an eligible IHG bank card to pay and save 20% in your buy.
Associated: How a lot worth does IHG One Rewards standing present while you guide immediately?
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Switch Chase factors to IHG
You may as well switch Chase Final Rewards factors to IHG One Rewards in increments of 1,000 factors at a 1:1 ratio. Chase Final Rewards factors are the forex earned by choose Chase bank cards, together with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Most popular Card and the Ink Enterprise Most popular Credit score Card.
To switch Chase factors to IHG One Rewards, navigate to the Chase Final Rewards portal right here. Chances are you’ll have to log in and choose which Final Rewards account you need to use. Click on the three little dots on the higher navigation bar, choose “Journey” and click on “Switch factors to companions.” On the subsequent web page, choose “Accommodations” and click on on the “IHG Accommodations & Resorts” tile.
You may land on a web page that explains what it’s best to know earlier than transferring Chase factors to IHG. Scroll to the underside of the web page and click on the blue “Switch Factors” button. Enter your IHG One Rewards account quantity after which choose “Subsequent.”
Then, enter the variety of Chase factors you need to switch to IHG.
Based on TPG’s exams of how lengthy Chase Final Rewards take to switch, you’ll be able to anticipate the factors to achieve your IHG account instantaneously.
Associated: The 19 greatest IHG accommodations on the planet
Must you purchase factors or switch Chase factors to IHG?
Whether or not to purchase IHG factors or switch Chase factors to IHG is determined by your present state of affairs. When you have ample Chase Final Rewards factors, are brief on money or have already hit the annual cap for getting IHG factors, chances are you’ll need to switch Chase factors. That is very true if there is a switch bonus while you switch Chase factors to IHG.
Nevertheless, I would not switch Chase factors to IHG even with a switch bonus as a result of there are a lot of methods to redeem Final Rewards factors that may seemingly present higher worth. Based mostly on TPG’s valuations, Chase Final Rewards factors are value 2.05 cents every, whereas IHG factors are value simply 0.5 cents every. So, on paper, you are shedding 1.55 cents per level should you switch Chase factors to IHG with out a switch bonus. And the maths is not significantly better even when you’ll be able to make the most of a switch bonus.
In the meantime, you should buy IHG factors for simply 1 cent every so long as you buy a minimum of 26,000 factors. Even higher, throughout occasional 100% bonus gross sales, you should buy IHG factors for as little as 0.5 cents every — which equals TPG’s valuation of IHG factors.
Associated: maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Why you need IHG factors
Lastly, let’s shortly focus on why you may want IHG factors. The brief clarification is that many IHG stays are a greater deal on factors than money. For instance, I bought 1.56 cents per IHG level throughout 45 award nights in 2023, considerably greater than the 0.5 cents per level at which I purchased most of the IHG factors I redeemed.
Should you’re planning to redeem IHG factors for stays of 4 nights or longer, contemplate making use of for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card, the IHG One Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card or the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit score Card. All three of those playing cards provide you with entry to the IHG fourth-night-free reward perk, which suggests you will pay the present factors price for the primary three nights and 0 factors for the fourth night time while you redeem IHG factors for a keep of a minimum of 4 nights.
Better of all, there is no restrict on what number of instances you should use the fourth-night-free reward perk annually.
Associated: Why it’s best to get (and preserve) the IHG One Rewards Premier card
Backside line
I am going to purchase IHG factors throughout gross sales with as much as a 100% bonus, as I can get greater than the 0.5 cents per level buy worth, however I would not switch Chase factors to IHG even when there is a switch bonus, as I might reasonably save my Final Rewards factors for transfers to higher-value companions.
Nevertheless, there are actually some conditions the place transferring Chase Final Rewards factors to IHG may make sense. For instance, chances are you’ll earn Chase Final Rewards factors faster than you’ll be able to spend them, have already reached the utmost variety of IHG factors you should purchase inside a calendar 12 months or have extra factors than money in your accounts.