IHG One Rewards has launched a new promotion for buying Elite Qualifying Points (EQPs), which is essentially a way of buying redeemable points and elite status at the same time.
Targeted members can purchase up to 120,000 EQPs, enough to qualify or requalify for Diamond status for another year. Even if you were starting from zero, the value of these points alone (when redeemed for stays) makes the Diamond status a small top-up, and well worth considering.
Details: IHG Elite Qualifying Points Sale
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| Check Eligibility |
IHG One Rewards members can check via this link if they’re eligible for the EQP purchase offer, which is valid till 1 January 2025, 12.59 p.m SGT.
This allows members to either requalify for their current elite tier, or to qualify for a higher one. For example, a Gold elite member could buy enough points to retain Gold (why?), or to upgrade to Platinum or Diamond.
As a reminder, you need 40,000 EQPs for Gold, 60,000 EQPs for Platinum, and 120,000 EQPs for Diamond.
Here’s the purchase options available (I’m personally not eligible, so I’m using the prices reported on OMAAT; your offer may be different):
| EQP | Price | Cost per EQP |
| 10,000 | US$280 | 2.8 cents |
| 20,000 | US$380 | 1.9 cents |
| 30,000 | US$445 | 1.48 cents |
| 40,000 | US$495 | 1.24 cents |
| 50,000 | US$540 | 1.08 cents |
| 60,000 | US$580 | 0.97 cents |
| 70,000 | US$620 | 0.89 cents |
| 80,000 | US$660 | 0.83 cents |
| 90,000 | US$700 | 0.78 cents |
| 100,000 | US$740 | 0.74 cents |
| 110,000 | US$770 | 0.70 cents |
| 120,000 | US$800 | 0.67 cents |
| In the unlikely event that you hold an IHG cobrand card (available only in the USA), you’ll receive a 20% discount on the prices above. | ||
Now, one important caveat about the prices in the table above. These were the prices available yesterday, when the emails first went out. However, I’m now reading comments online that the prices have increased by a further 25%, with 120,000 EQPs now pricing at US$1,000. Apparently, there was some kind of pricing glitch related to the calculation of the 20% discount that’s only supposed to be available to IHG cobrand cardholders.
Higher prices will obviously affect how you value this deal, but perhaps you could think about it this way: EQPs can be redeemed for regular night awards, and based on the usual sale price of 0.5 US cents per IHG point, 120,000 EQPs have a minimum value of US$600. So the question then becomes whether the top-up is worth it, and even if it’s now US$400 instead of US$200, I can imagine some people would still want to pull the trigger.
Points purchases made under this offer will not count towards the yearly 150,000 points purchase cap, so you can buy them even if you’ve already maxed out the regular cap (assuming you were targeted, of course)
When will status be upgraded?
If you upgrade your status tier through this promotion, it will take 5-10 business days to be reflected.
How long is status valid for?
Any status purchased via this promotion will be valid till the end of the 2025 calendar year, i.e. 31 December 2025.
EQPs may only be purchased once under this promotion, so you need to decide upfront how many you think you’ll need.
Is it worth it?
It used to be that members could extend IHG Diamond status for another year by buying a US$200 InterContinental Ambassador membership (itself a good deal because it comes with additional perks and a complimentary weekend night), but this is no longer possible.
So this offer is certainly worth considering, given that IHG Diamond members enjoy:
- Complimentary breakfast
- 100% IHG bonus points
- Room upgrades up to standard suites (subject to availability)
- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
- Dedicated customer support
The detailed list of benefits can be found below.
Breakfast alone might be worth the price of admission, though keep in mind the better benefits, such as club lounge access, are not automatic entitlements of Diamond status. Instead, you’ll need to earn them through the Milestone Rewards programme.
| Milestone | Rewards |
| 20 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 30 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 40 nights |
(Pick two) |
| 50 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 60 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 70 nights |
(Pick two) |
| 80 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 90 nights |
(Pick one) |
| 100 nights |
(Pick one) |
Conclusion
IHG One Rewards is now selling Elite Qualifying Points for members to requalify for status, or upgrade to a higher tier. Given that these EQPs can also be redeemed for award nights, it could be a good deal for those targeted.
Unfortunately, it seems the initial prices we saw yesterday were a glitch, and more recent reports say that pricing has been adjusted upwards. Again, I can’t verify the current prices as I’ve not been targeted, but if you have any data points do share them.
Was benefiting from the status extension with US$200 Ambassador renewals.
This time round needed another 115,000 (US$980) to requalify for Diamond.
The dedicated customer service was what tipped it for me – having experienced the bot-replies when enquiring about membership.