I love a good sale, especially one where you can maximize your travel dollars. Like the current sale on IHG points.
Right now you can buy IHG points and get up to an 80% bonus.
Yeah, it’s not quite the 100% bonus promotion that they’ve done in the past. But an 80% bonus is better than nothing.
If you leverage the bonus with the current PointsBreaks offer, your points will go a lot farther.
Or you can use buy points for your dream trip to Tahiti and stay at Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort & Spa.
But should you buy points?
Maybe.
Let’s find out.
Buy IHG Points: Up to 80% Bonus
Photo courtesy: Intercontinental Moorea Resort
If you’re short on points or are planning a vacation where you’re going to stay at any IHG hotels, you’re in luck.
Because when you buy IHG points you can get up to an 80% bonus from IHG Rewards Club on points purchased by October 31, 2018.
Your exact bonus will vary depending on the number of points you buy. You’ll get at least a 40% bonus when you buy 5,000 points:
- 5,000 to 14,000 points: get a 40% bonus
- 15,000 to 19,000 points: get a 60% bonus
- 20,000 to 100,000 points: get an 80% bonus
The maximum number of points you can buy or receive a year is 100,000.
Pro-tip: Bonus points don’t count against your yearly threshold.
So you can buy 100,000 points and get the 80,000 point bonus.
Points take 72 hours to post to your account so you should buy them at least three days before you plan on using them to book your hotel room.
Normally, IHG points cost 1.15 cents to 1.35 cents per point. With this promotion, the price drops to as low as 0.55 cents per point.
- Buy 1,000 to 4,000 points: pay 1.35 cents per point and get no bonus
- Buy 5,000 to 14,000 points: pay 0.82 to 0.96 cents per point and get a 40% bonus
- Buy 15,000 to 19,000 points: pay 0.64 cents per point and get a 60% bonus
- Buy 20,000 to 100,000 points: pay 0.55 to 0.64 cents per point and get an 80% bonus
How to Buy IHG Points
1. Use the IHG buy points link.
2. Enter your information.
3. Select how many points you want to buy.
4. Pay with your credit card.
Pro-tip: Buying IHG points don’t code as a travel purchase. So use a card that you need to meet the minimum spend.
Should You Buy IHG Points?
Should you buy IHG points because there’s a bonus point offer?
Not necessarily. I’ve written about the only time you should buy hotel points.
Buying points when there’s a sale could be a good deal. But you have to do the math so you can know when you should pay with points & when to pay with cash.
You could save a lot of money buying points whether or not there’s a sale. Especially if you use your points when you travel during peak times like the holidays, summer, or if you stay at expensive hotels.
Or as mentioned earlier, when you redeem points for IHG PointBreaks deals where you can book hotels for as little as 5,000 points a night!
InterContinental Bora Bora
Stay in an overwater villa in Bora Bora.
Photo courtesy: Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort & Spa
One night in an Emerald Overwater Villa at the InterContinental Hotels: Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa costs $1,137.30. Or you can pay 70,000 points.
You could buy 39,000 points at 0.55 cents per point and get an additional 31,200 points because of the 80% bonus offer for $390. A savings of $747.30!
Check rates, read reviews, or make a reservation: IHG | Expedia | TripAdvisor
InterContinental Paris – Le Grand
Buy IHG points and live it in luxury at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand
Photo courtesy of the InterContinental Paris Le Grand
One night at the InterContinental Paris – Le Grand costs $478.08. Or you pay 70,000 points.
With the 80% bonus offer, you can buy 39,000 points at 0.55 cents per point and get an extra 31,200 points for $390. If you used points instead of cash for your room, you’d save $88.
Check rates, read reviews, or make a reservation: IHG.com | Booking.com | TripAdvisor
Read The Only Time You Should Buy Airline Miles
Conclusion
You can get an 80% bonus when you buy IHG points by October 31, 2018.
This bonus applies to purchases of at least 5,000 points and up to 100,000 points. You can buy 100,000 points a year.
You could save a lot of money buying IHG points to use for free hotel nights instead of paying cash. But you should do the math first.
Read: When you should pay with points and when you should pay with cash.
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