IHG offering “mystery bonus” on points purchases (up to 100%)

From now till 24 August 2019 11.59 a.m SGT, IHG Rewards Club is offering a “mystery bonus” on purchased points.

You’ll need to login to your IHG account to see what bonus you were targeted for. It seems that the highest bonus available is 100%, which would be the biggest public bonus available on IHG points.

Unfortunately, I got targeted for a rather pedestrian 65% bonus, which I won’t be taking up. Hopefully the rest of you had better luck.

Find out your IHG Rewards Club targeted bonus here

With a 100% bonus, the equivalent cost per point is 0.5 US cents each.

IHG Points do not expire so long as there is at least one activity in your account every 12 months.

What can I do with IHG Rewards Club points?

The cost of an IHG rewards night ranges from 10,000 to 70,000 points, depending on category

As you might expect, IHG’s most aspirational properties like the InterContinental Paris  are at the highest end of the spectrum at 70,000 points per night. Given that room rates here can start at upwards of US$950 a night before tax, buying points and redeeming a room represents a big saving on revenue rates, especially when you consider the fact that

• Points reservations are generally refundable
• Points reservations already include all taxes

Don’t forget that IHG runs PointBreaks promotions where the cheapest properties start at 5,000 points. That’s just US$25 a night, assuming you can find something that suits your itinerary.

Always be sure to check for points stay availability and revenue pricing before buying points.

What card should I use to purchase IHG Rewards Club points?

IHG Rewards Club points purchases are processed by Points.com, which means you can consider using the following cards:

• UOB Visa Signature- 4.0 mpd, min S$1K max S$2K of foreign currency spending in a statement period
• Citibank Rewards Visa or Citibank Rewards Mastercard– 4.0 mpd, max S$1K a month
• DBS Woman’s World Card- 4.0 mpd, max $2K per month, but typically requires writing in to DBS to get the bonus 7X credited (3X, or 1.2 mpd will be awarded as base points)
• BOC Elite Miles World Mastercard- 3.0 mpd, no cap
• Standard Chartered Visa Infinite– 3.0 mpd, minimum S$2K spending in a statement period

Conclusion

I personally wouldn’t buy points unless I was targeted for a 100% bonus, but if you need them urgently than some bonus is better than no bonus. It also means that if you didn’t get a 100% bonus target, you’ll have to wait till after end August for another promotion to come around.

Although you shouldn’t buy points speculatively, IHG Rewards Club points can come in very useful if you already have confirmed travel plans. Do a quick check of the property you’re interested in staying at, and see if buying points can help you save money off the revenue rate.