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If you're chasing IHG elite status this year, one easy way to speed things up is by buying elite-qualifying points when booking your next stay. Depending on the property and the rate you select, you can purchase up to 5,000 elite-qualifying points per night. Here's what to know about this little-known option — and whether it's a good deal.
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IHG Will Sell You Elite-Qualifying Points During Booking
The path to IHG One Rewards elite status requires earning either qualifying nights or elite-qualifying points — thankfully not both. The nights option is easier if you're a true road warrior; the points option is easier if you're a big spender — or if you strategically book your stays and take advantage of IHG’s upsell offers during the booking process.
We've all got accustomed to speed-clicking through upsell screens. But if you're serious about earning IHG status this year via points, you’ll want to pause on the “Add Extras” page and look closely at the “Get more points” section.
Here, you can purchase up to 5,000 bonus points per night for a variable cost. And what's neat about this feature is that these points aren't just redeemable — they're also elite-qualifying.
Which rooms and rates are eligible?
IHG doesn't publish many details about which rooms, rates, or properties qualify for the buy elite-qualifying points upsell offer. But here’s what we do know: some room rates at some properties trigger the offer, and some don’t — and there’s no discernible pattern.
At some IHG properties, like the Dinso Resort & Villas Phuket, both deposit-required and no-deposit rates offer the same elite-qualifying point upsell options. At others, like the Kimpton Hotel Vintage Seattle, the upsell only appears on rates that don’t require a deposit. And at some properties, you might not see any offers at all.
And to make things just a little more confusing, you might get multiple options (say, 1,000 to 5,000 points per night) or just a single upsell offer — like 5,000 points per night and nothing else. Clear as mud, right?
From what we can tell, buy-up offers consistently show up on short stays as well as longer ones. Really, there’s no method to the madness here; it all depends on the property you’re booking. And the cost varies, too.
Should You Buy Elite-Qualifying IHG Points During Booking?
There are a couple of reasons you might want to buy elite-qualifying IHG points during booking. The most obvious is that they can help fast-track your way to elite status. But in some cases, it can also be a cheaper way to buy redeemable points than taking advantage of one of IHG’s general buy points promotions.
However, before you jump at the chance to buy up to 5,000 elite-qualifying points per night, you'll want to do the math. Pricing varies by property, and the cost per elite-qualifying point can differ depending on which upsell option you choose.
Take the four purchase options at the Dinso Resort & Villas Phuket, for example. Here’s a breakdown of what you can pay per night for elite-qualifying points:
- 1,000 points for $7/night = 0.70 cents per point.
- 2,000 points for $13/night = 0.65 cents per point
- 3,000 points for $30/night = 1.00 cents per point.
- 5,000 points for $41/night = 0.82 cents per point.
IHG regularly sells its points for around 0.5 cents apiece, so if you’re only looking at this as a way to buy redeemable points, you’re better off waiting for a bonus or discount through one of IHG’s points sales. But if you’re using this as a way to earn both elite-qualifying points and redeemable points, it comes down to what you’re willing to pay.
Sometimes, this can be a much cheaper (and faster) path to elite status than booking extra IHG stays. But always do the math. In several mock bookings, we’ve seen the cost per elite-qualifying point range anywhere from 0.42 cents to 1.00 cents apiece.
Related: How Many IHG Rewards Points Can I Earn on Hotel Stays?
Final Thoughts
The next time you book a stay through the IHG website, you might see the option to buy a fixed number of bonus points per night for a variable cost. These points aren’t just redeemable — they’re also elite-qualifying. Sometimes it’s a good deal, and sometimes it’s not. It all depends on what you need the points for.
If it’s just redemptions, compare the price to IHG’s general points sales, which often come with a bonus or discount. But if you’re thinking about buying points to speed up your path to elite status, you’ll need to weigh whether this route is cheaper than booking extra stays — or picking up the right IHG credit card.
- Earn 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member
- Earn 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
- 17X points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining, utilities, select streaming services, and at gas stations
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 5X points for being a IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Cardmember
- Earn 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this Card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® Rewards Club Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
- Earn 26x total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on travel, dining, social media search engine advertising, and at office supply stores and gas stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for charging your stay to your IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Earn 6X bonus points for having IHG®Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 10X base points for being an IHG® One Rewards Member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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