IHG Rewards Club offering a 80% bonus on points purchases

IHG is running a points sale where you’ll receive up to an 80% bonus on your points purchases. This new sale runs from now until 11:59am 1 June 2018 Singapore Time. 

Unlike their previous promotions, this isn’t the highest bonus offer we’ve seen from IHG. However, IHG has increased the maximum number of points you can purchase annually from 60,000 to 100,000 IHG Rewards Club points pre-bonus. You can purchase your IHG Rewards Club points via this link (making your purchases through any of the links on this page supports the running of The Milelion through an affiliate commission)

As mentioned earlier, IHG has now increased the cap in the number of points you can purchase annually on your account from 60,000 to 100,000 IHG Rewards Club points. So if you purchase the maximum allowable of 100,000 IHG Rewards Club points in this promotion, you’re looking at getting a total of 180,000 IHG Rewards Club points at a cost of 0.56 US Cents per point, as shown in the screenshot below. That’s somewhat more expensive than the previous sale which IHG had which saw points going at 0.5 US Cents per point.

 Under this promotion, the bonuses are tiered and they range from 40% to 80% :

• Purchase 5,000 – 14,000 Rewards Club points : 40% bonus
• Purchase 15,000 – 25,000 Rewards Club points : 60% bonus
• Purchase 25,000 Rewards Club points and above : 80% bonus

Note that if you purchase less than 26,000 IHG Rewards Club points, your cost per point increases from 0.56 to 0.63 cent per point.

Cheap stays to be had with PointsBreak promotions

While the current IHG PointsBreak promotion will end on 30 April 2018, there should be another one coming just around the corner in time for Summer. Under the revised PointsBreak structure, select hotels would be going at a rate of either 5,000, 10,000 or 15,000 IHG Rewards Club points instead of their usual points redemption rate for a limited number of rooms per hotel. So if you purchase IHG points during this current 80% bonus promotion and are able to obtain them at a cost of 0.56 cent per point, you’re looking at the following nightly rates at PointsBreak hotels :

• 5,000 Rewards Points : US$28
• 10,000 Rewards Points : US$56
• 15,000 Rewards Points : US$84

If you’re still able to find rooms on PointsBreak rates in the current PointsBreak promo, then you’re in luck as normally by now most rooms would be sold out and they would be priced at the normal redemption rates. Just a reminder that you’re only allowed to place a booking for up to 2 reservations at PointsBreak rates per hotel, which shouldn’t be much of an issue unless you’re intending to stay more than twice there.

Buy IHG Rewards Club points for cheaper stays at higher end properties

Purchasing IHG Rewards Club points can also help to unlock cheaper nights at luxurious properties. Take the example of the InterContinental London Park Lane on the weekend of 11-12 August 2018. Paid non-refundable rates are going for around US$490 per night for a Superior Room. But should you pay for your stay with points purchased from this sale, your effective cost per night would be US$392 per night at a redemption rate of 70,000 points per night. Remember also that most hotels have a 24 hour cancellation policy for points reservations (although individual properties can impose more strict policies at their discretion, so be sure to read the fine print).

Using the another example of the InterContinental Times Square New York, paid rates over the June school holidays hover around US$494 for a refundable rate. If you use 70,000 IHG Rewards Points to book a room there, your cost per night would instead be US$392. So there’s some savings to be had still even though the InterContinental Times Square prices out at 70,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night.

To buy, or not to buy?

As always, I don’t recommend you to purchase points speculatively. However, if you have a specific use for them in mind then purchasing points during this sale might save you some money for your upcoming stays at IHG properties. At 0.56 US Cents per point, personally I still find it a good price at which IHG points could be bought for.

Points purchased from IHG are processed by Points.com in US Dollars, hence you can use the following cards to maximize your miles returns from your points purchase.