{"id":81055,"date":"2026-05-05T12:05:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=81055"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T12:05:16","slug":"points-cash-promotion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/ihg-one-rewards\/points-cash-promotion\/","title":{"rendered":"IHG Launches Points &amp; Cash Discount \u2014 Here&#8217;s How to Utilize It to Buy IHG Points for Cheap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>IHG just launched a new Points & Cash promotion. Through <strong>May 18, 2026<\/strong>, IHG One Rewards members can book a Points & Cash stay and receive a discount on the cash portion of the stay. Eligible stays are through June 1, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Since canceled IHG Points & Cash bookings are refunded entirely in points, this opens a back-door way to effectively buy points for around 0.5 cents each. Is that a good deal? Let's take a look.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"IHG_Points_Cash_Promotion_Key_Terms\">IHG Points & Cash Promotion Key Terms<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Members can receive a discount on the cash portion of an IHG Points & Cash stay.<\/li>\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/IHGPointsCash\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">This\u00a0promotion<\/a> is valid for bookings made by <strong>May 18, 2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The offer is valid for stays through <strong>June 1, 2026<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Members must log into their <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ihg.com\/rewardsclub\/gb\/en\/sign-in?fwdest=%2Frewardsclub%2Fgb%2Fen%2Faccount-mgmt%2Fhome\" rel=\"noopener\">IHG One Rewards account<\/a> when booking.<\/li>\n<li>Canceled bookings are refunded entirely in points.<\/li>\n<li>The number of points refunded is based on the total points price of the award.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This promotion seems to be targeted. If you're targeted, you'll see the original Points & Cash cash price struck through and a lower price below.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_261453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/606\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-261453 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IHG-Points-and-Cash-discount-example-May-2026-750x606.png\" alt=\"IHG award search results for New York City showing IHG Points and Cash discount\" width=\"750\" height=\"606\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IHG-Points-and-Cash-discount-example-May-2026-750x606.png 750w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IHG-Points-and-Cash-discount-example-May-2026-900x727.png 900w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IHG-Points-and-Cash-discount-example-May-2026-768x620.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IHG-Points-and-Cash-discount-example-May-2026.png 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of IHG<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"How_This_IHG_Points_Cash_Promotion_Works\">How This IHG Points & Cash Promotion Works<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>IHG's Points & Cash option is designed to let members who don't have enough points to book a stay still utilize their points. Rather than paying the full points price &#8212; or the full cash price &#8212; you get the option to pay a little of both. Even better, IHG periodically runs a sale to drop the cash price of Points & Cash bookings.<\/p>\n<p>Here's where things get interesting: IHG treats these bookings as an award booking. If you were to cancel your reservation, you would receive a full refund in points. That means you're effectively buying IHG points for\u00a0cheap.<\/p>\n<p>Let's show you how this works with an example.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"IHG_Points_Cash_example\">IHG Points & Cash example<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For instance, booking May 22 at the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jdoqocy.com\/click-8184014-10473990?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ihg.com%2Fintercontinental%2Fhotels%2Fus%2Fen%2Fnew-york%2Fnychc%2Fhoteldetail\" rel=\"noopener\">InterContinental New York Times Square<\/a> currently costs $565 if you book a cash rate or 120,000 points if you book a reward night. Or, you can use Points & Cash to book a night for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>40,000 points + <del>$519<\/del>\u00a0=&gt; $457<\/li>\n<li>60,000 points + <del>$419<\/del>\u00a0=&gt; $369<\/li>\n<li>80,000 points + <del>$289<\/del>\u00a0=&gt; $254<\/li>\n<li>100,000 points + <del>$149<\/del>\u00a0=&gt; $131<\/li>\n<li>110,000 points + <del>$79<\/del> =&gt; $70<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In this example, this Points & Cash sale offers approximately a 12% discount on the standard cash price.<\/p>\n<p>Say you opt to pay 40,000 points plus $457. If you cancel this booking, you'll receive 120,000 points back into your account. That's the 40,000 points you paid from your account plus the 80k points you effectively purchased for $457. Effectively, you would have <strong>purchased 80,000 points for $457. <\/strong>That's <strong>0.57 cents per point.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/ihg-one-rewards\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Everything You Need To Know About IHG One Rewards<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Should_You_Use_an_IHG_Card_for_Points_Cash_Bookings\">Should You Use an IHG Card for Points & Cash Bookings?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You used to be able to score an even better deal by using an IHG card to pay for IHG Points & Cash bookings. That's because IHG Points & Cash purchases used to be processed by IHG directly &#8212; not through Points.com<\/p>\n<p>However, recent reports indicate that this hack is dead. Recent IHG Points & Cash purchases charged to a <a data-ccid=\"4048106\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/ihg-one-rewards\/ihg-premier-card\/\">IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card<\/a> have only earned 3x points &#8212; instead of the 10 points per dollar spent at IHG.<\/p>\n<p>While the <a data-ccid=\"4048106\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/ihg-one-rewards\/ihg-premier-card\/\">IHG One Rewards Premier Card<\/a> offers an excellent mix of benefits for the reasonable annual fee, it's no longer the card to use for Points & Cash bookings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"qs-card\" data-id=\"4048106\">\n            <div class=\"qs-data\">\n                <div class=\"qs-view\">\n                    <div class=\"qs-cardname\">IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-image\"><img data-aspectratio=\"150\/95\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/cardart-ihgonerewardspremiercreditcard.png\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card' data-ccid=\"4048106\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/IHGRewardsClubPremierCreditCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-rates\"><span class=\"qs-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"4048106\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005138&type=3&u1=b411751edf29199f5f64f6f99ba8d8fd&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Limited-Time Offer<\/strong>\r\nEarn up to 185,000 bonus points \u2013 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening, plus 35,000 bonus points after spending a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months from account opening<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"qs-info\">\n                    <strong class=\"qs-cardname\">IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card<\/strong>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Limited-Time Offer<\/strong>\r\nEarn up to 185,000 bonus points \u2013 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening, plus 35,000 bonus points after spending a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months from account opening<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee:<\/strong><b>$99<\/b><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-tabs\"><a class=\"qs-more\" href=\"#more\">Show more<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"wwl\">Why We Like It<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"hl\">Highlights<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"er\">Earning Rates<\/a><div class=\"qs-tab-wwl\">The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is packed with benefits for IHG fans, and we rate it one of the best co-brand hotel cards you can have in your wallet. Cardholders earn up to 26X points per $1 at IHG properties (including points multipliers from your elite status), 5X points on travel, dining, and at gas stations, and 3X points on all other purchases. An attractive feature is the automatic upgrade to Platinum Elite status, enhancing your hotel stay experience. The card also offers a valuable Anniversary Free Night each year, and a fourth Reward Night free when redeeming points for a stay of four or more nights. Additional perks include a 20% discount on point purchases, no foreign transaction fees, comprehensive travel and purchase protections, and a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years.<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-hl\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ??>\n<html><body><ul><li>Limited Time Offer! Earn up to 185,000 bonus points. Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 35,000 bonus points after spending a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months from account opening.<\/li><li>Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG&#xAE; Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.<\/li><li>Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts<\/li><li>Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li><li>Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember<\/li><li>Global Entry, TSA PreCheck&#xAE; or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card<\/li><li>IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental&#xAE;, Crowne Plaza&#xAE;, Kimpton&#xAE;, EVEN&#xAE; Hotels, Hotel Indigo&#xAE; & Holiday Inn&#xAE;<\/li><li>Member FDIC<\/li><\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-er\"><ul>\r\n<li>Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel<\/li>\r\n<li>5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants<\/li>\r\n<li>3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<br>\r\nThe earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member<\/li>\r\n<li>Earn up to 6X points from IHG<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card<\/li>\r\n<li>Earn up to 10X points from IHG<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> for being an IHG<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> loyalty program)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <a class=\"qs-share\" href=\"\/find-a-card\/IHGPremier\/\" title=\"copy\"><svg width=\"12\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/awardwallet\/public\/builds\/icon\/icon-sprite.svg?v2026-5-89dddd134#share-square\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/credit-cards\/ihg-one-rewards\/ihg-credit-cards\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Which IHG One Rewards Credit Card Is Right for You?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Is_It_Worth_Purchasing_IHG_Points_This_Way\">Is It Worth Purchasing IHG Points This Way?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Generally speaking, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/ihg-one-rewards\/buy-ihg-points\/\" rel=\"noopener\">buying IHG points with a bonus<\/a> can be a great deal. AwardWallet users have redeemed IHG One Rewards points for an average of 1.44\u00a2 per point. So, buying IHG points for around 0.5 cents each and redeeming them for a stay can be cheaper than simply paying the cash rate.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the deal you find, this promotion may or may not offer as cheap a purchase rate as the best IHG buy points promotions (0.5 cents each).<\/p>\n<p>It's also worth noting that those IHG buy points promotions are by no means rare. IHG frequently runs point-purchase promotions offering up to 100% bonus points &#8212; which nets a cost of 0.5 cents per point. If you do not need the points immediately, waiting a while is your best option. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/ihg-one-rewards\/buy-ihg-points\/#:~:text=points%20and%20miles%3F-,IHG%20Buy%20Points%20History,-We%20have%20compiled\" rel=\"noopener\">History shows us that an appealing promotion may be just around the corner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_126049\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-126049 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/InterContinental-San-Diego-featured.png\" alt=\"sunset behind the InterContinental San Diego\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/InterContinental-San-Diego-featured.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/InterContinental-San-Diego-featured-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/InterContinental-San-Diego-featured-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/InterContinental-San-Diego-featured-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>InterContinental San Diego. Credit: IHG<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/ihg-one-rewards\/earn-points-on-ihg-stays\/\" rel=\"noopener\">How Many IHG Rewards Points Can I Earn on Hotel Stays?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Our_Take\">Our Take<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/IHGPointsCash\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">This IHG Points & Cash promotion<\/a> can be an excellent way to boost your IHG points balance if you are a few points short of a great redemption. While it's currently cheaper to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/ihg-one-rewards\/buy-ihg-points\/\" rel=\"noopener\">buy IHG points with a bonus<\/a>, this is a workaround if you are limited by the annual cap or are &#8220;purchasing&#8221; a smaller number of points. Or, of course, it can also present a good deal if you actually plan to stay at the hotel and want to save money on the cash portion.<\/p>\n<p>If you plan to take advantage of this promotion, <strong>the booking window closes on May 18, 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"ftoc\"><div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#IHG_Points_Cash_Promotion_Key_Terms\">IHG Points & Cash Promotion Key Terms<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_This_IHG_Points_Cash_Promotion_Works\">How This IHG Points & Cash Promotion Works<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#IHG_Points_Cash_example\">IHG Points & Cash example<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Should_You_Use_an_IHG_Card_for_Points_Cash_Bookings\">Should You Use an IHG Card for Points & Cash Bookings?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Is_It_Worth_Purchasing_IHG_Points_This_Way\">Is It Worth Purchasing IHG Points This Way?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Our_Take\">Our Take<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IHG just launched a new Points &amp; Cash promotion. Now through May 18, targeted IHG One Rewards members can book a Points &amp; Cash stay and receive around a 12% discount on the cash portion of the stay. This opens a back-door way to effectively buy points for around 0.5 cents each. Here&#8217;s how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":169639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[13888,12669,12700],"coauthors":[36383],"class_list":["post-81055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-deals","tag-hotels","tag-ihg-one-rewards"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81055"}],"version-history":[{"count":67,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":261455,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81055\/revisions\/261455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81055"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=81055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}