IHG One Rewards has an annual promotion for purchasing Elite Qualifying Points (EQPs), which is basically a way of buying redeemable points and elite status at the same time.
This offer has now returned for 2026, and targeted members can purchase up to 120,000 EQPs, enough to qualify or requalify for Diamond status for another year. EQPs can also be redeemed for stays to help offset the cost of the purchase, and depending on how you value IHG points, you could think of it as buying Diamond status for a US$400 top-up.
Details: IHG Elite Qualifying Points Sale
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| Check Eligibility |
IHG One Rewards members can check via this link to see if they’re eligible for the EQP purchase offer, which is valid until 1 January 2026, 12.59 p.m SGT.
This allows members to either requalify for their current elite tier, or to qualify for a higher tier. For example, a Gold elite member could buy enough points to retain Gold, or to upgrade to Platinum/Diamond.
As a reminder, you need:
- 40,000 EQPs for Gold
- 60,000 EQPs for Platinum
- 120,000 EQPs for Diamond
Here are 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 |
| 5,000 | US$250 | 5.00¢ |
| 10,000 | US$350 | 3.50¢ |
| 15,000 | US$425 | 2.83¢ |
| 20,000 | US$475 | 2.38¢ |
| 25,000 | US$515 | 2.06¢ |
| 30,000 | US$555 | 1.85¢ |
| 35,000 | US$585 | 1.67¢ |
| 40,000 | Us$615 | 1.54¢ |
| 45,000 | US$645 | 1.43¢ |
| 50,000 | US$675 | 1.35¢ |
| 55,000 | US$700 | 1.27¢ |
| 60,000 | US$725 | 1.21¢ |
| 65,000 | US$750 | 1.15¢ |
| 70,000 | US$775 | 1.11¢ |
| 75,000 | US$800 | 1.07¢ |
| 80,000 | US$825 | 1.03¢ |
| 85,000 | US$850 | 1.00¢ |
| 90,000 | US$875 | 0.97¢ |
| 95,000 | US$900 | 0.95¢ |
| 100,000 | US$920 | 0.92¢ |
| 105,000 | US$940 | 0.90¢ |
| 110,000 | US$960 | 0.87¢ |
| 115,000 | US$980 | 0.85¢ |
| 120,000 | US$1,000 | 0.83¢ |
| *In the unlikely event that you’re an IHG cobrand cardholder (only available in the USA), you’ll receive a 20% discount on the prices shown above | ||
The cost per EQP declines the more you buy, so a small top-up will be more expensive than a big one
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 value of US$600. So the question then becomes whether the top-up is worth it, and for US$400, I can picture some people being willing 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 2026 calendar year, i.e. 31 December 2026.
EQPs may only be purchased once under this promotion, so you need to decide upfront how many you think you’ll need. If you “underbuy” the first time, you can’t go back again and purchase more.
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, which means having to clock nights.
| 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.
Just remember that you only get one shot at purchasing, so decide upfront whether you want to maintain your current tier or upgrade to the next one.
